It’s fascinating to travel to one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and see how completely different life can be from the others. In my brief time in Japan, I have been to five prefectures: Tokyo, Hyogo, Osaka, Okinawa and, most recently, Tottori. Tottori is not like Tokyo and Osaka, as the air feels cleaner and it’s less congested to walk around. It’s very scenic and filled with lots of greenery, mountains and sand dunes. To me, it’s a very calming environment.

 First of all, my 2-day visit to Tottori was part of a press tour to showcase the Super Hakuto Conan train, which began new expanded routes in December. Before my trip, word-of-mouth in the office was to visit Tottori’s famous sand dunes and check out the hot springs. Seemed like a good plan. But as we all know, transportation hiccups and inclement weather can hinder the best of travel plans.

And, as you will find out, I had no idea I would be walking into an anime land where Detective Conan, the lead character of the popular manga by the same name, is the star.

Day 1: Onward to adventure

I met up with the rest of the media attending the press tour at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The entire group was ready for the quick 80-minute flight and to begin our exploration of Tottori. However, we soon discovered there was a problem with the plane and our flight would be delayed. The 90-minute wait for takeoff would put our carefully planned schedule in disarray, as did the rain that dampened Tottori and our spirits somewhat during our two-day visit. Let’s just say that our extremely bumpy and turbulent landing at the airport in Tottori was a precursor of our time there.

Before my trip, I did some research on the prefecture to discover that it is not only famous for its sand dunes and hot springs, but also for its delicious Tottori Beef (I had only heard of Kobe Beef) and juicy watermelon. I also discovered Tottori is the birthplace of manga artist Gosho Aoyama, who created the Chotto Mattete and Detective Conan series. And the prefecture is doing all it can to attract manga enthusiasts.

When I stepped off the plane in Tottori, the first thing I noticed were the advertisements and promotions for the Japanese anime Cased Closed (Detective Conan). There were lots of posters, life-size 3D scenes and paintings of the wall. Oh, did I mention the name of the airport? Conan Airport.

Conan can be spotted everywhere, not only in the airport, but throughout the prefecture. Buses, taxis, buildings and billboards carry the Conan character, and it doesn’t stop there. Conan can be found on manhole covers, bathroom signs and even toilet paper!

After seeing the airport, it was interesting to see that the surroundings outside are completely different. It felt rural. Far away you could see the greenery covering the mountains. It felt like the open land was a farm. The tour bus ride was about 15 minutes away from the city, and the transition from the airport to farms to, eventually, homes in the quiet city life of Tottori was remarkable. The city was calm, and people were out and about that Saturday afternoon. It looked like they were enjoying life under their umbrellas.

THE SUPER HAKUTO DETECTIVE CONAN LIMITED EXPRESS

The main reason of this press tour was to visit and witness the new design of the Super Hakuto Conan train that began its new route in early December 2023. One key point to this new train route is the connection point from Kyoto Prefecture to Tottori while stopping at a few places in Osaka and Hyogo.

Compared to how the airport decked out with Conan characters, the appearance of the train from the outside seemed basic, as stickers were merely placed all over the frame. The interior, however, had a lot more pizzazz. The window blinds, seats and doors were adorned with Conan characters. It reminded me of the airport. 

Taking the train

Cost: Kyoto to Kurayoshi, 9,110 yen

Schedule: 7 trips a day (Check Japan Transit app or Google Maps for times)

Time: 3 hour, 40 minutes

THE SAND DUNES

Picture this, Brandon Fraser racing on a camel across sweeping sand dunes in the 1998 hit classic “The Mummy.” Tottori’s sand dunes are mountains of brown powder covered in footprints with a view of the area’s coastline just over the hill. Due to the rainy weather on my visit, there were few tourists trudging through the fine sand.

 Just like visiting other places around Japan, it is always best to be respectful of one’s home country and culture. In the dunes, this means no littering or smoking in unauthorized areas, as well as not writing or drawing in the sand. A big cartoon-like “NO!” on a sign at the entrance of dunes warned visitors not to scribble in the sand. The only thing permitted is footprints and tracks from sandboarding and camels, and violators can be fined if caught. If I was still a child, I would find this incredibly difficult.

 Though drawing in the sand is off limits, there are still plenty of activities to enjoy in the dunes, including camel riding, sandboarding and paragliding. There are also some less extreme sports like segway rides, kayaking, and the dune lift. But because it was raining during our visit, there were no camels to be seen and the other activities are better saved for a sunny day. The prices advertised do seem a bit high for extreme sports, but the photos on display at the dunes’ visitor center and in pamphlets make it look like it’s worth it.

 Just outside the entrance of the dunes, there are souvenir shops and an interestingly designed wooden café building where you can get some refreshments. Of course, the café, called Takahama, was closed when my group visited.

Address: 2164-971 Yuyama, Fukube-cho, Tottori 689-0105

Visitor center hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mon.-Sun.

Takahama Café: 2164 Yuyama, Fukube-cho, Tottori

Hours: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Mon. – Sun.

Tottori Sand Dunes Activity Association

SILENT NIGHT AT ST. PALACE HOTEL

Kurayoshi City in Tottori was perfect for good night’s sleep. For those looking for nightlife, this is not the place to go. The city is incredibly quiet and dark. It was a little eerie seeing a karaoke establishment closed on a Saturday night. The only food attraction I found was a 7-11, but in Japan you can’t go wrong with convenience store food. On the bright side, the hotel, which is about an hour drive from the dunes, was on the cheap side, costing around 13,000 yen a night.

Hotel Saint Palace Kurayoshi

Address: 1-9-2 Agei-cho, Kurayoshi, Tottori 682-0022

URL

Day 2: Manga mania

SHIRAKABE DOZO-GUN SHOPPING CENTER

Visiting Shirakabe Dozo-gun Shopping Center was like walking into a video game bazaar, but with restaurants and shopping areas. The architectural design and small koi fish stream outside gave the shopping center a very historical feel. While it is possible to walk the streets and window shop in 20 minutes, it is also a great place to take your time, stroll and pop into some of the local shops.

There were two places I noticed that sold alcohol, an expensive liquor store and Brew Lab Kurayoshi brewery. The brewery, which serves local beers, looked casual and fun from the outside, but was closed during our visit because it was 11 a.m. on a Sunday.

 Cocorostore, a knickknacks and kitchen shop, was open. The store had a lot of handmade items like chopsticks and plates, and also authentic kitchen knives. The prices of chopsticks were a bit high, ranging from 3,000 – 5,000 yen for one set. One thing that caught my attention was the raw honey they were selling for 2,484 yen, as well as some spices and tea. All great gifts for my fiancé.

Although the plaza is small, there are some nice souvenirs to pick up for your friends and family back home.

Cocorostore

Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. closed Mon. – Tue. (Sometimes Sunday depending on the weekend.)

Address: 2516 Uomachi, Kurayoshi-shi, Tottori

URL

Brew Lab Kurayoshi

Address: 2587 Higashinaka-cho, Kurayoshi-shi, Tottori 682-0826

URL

CONAN CITY

Hokuei Town on the coast of the Sea of Japan is the birthplace of manga artist and “Detective Conan” creator, Gosho Aoyama. Because of its famous son, Hokuei has many references to Detective Conan. For instance, the main train stop is called Conan Station, and it sits across from Conan Street. However, the Detective Conan x Limited Express Super Hakuto train does not stop here. Instead, you hop on the JR San-in main line from Kurayoshi Station to reach Conan Station.

You’ll find a Conan statue giving a point and wink, as well as a Conan-themed rest station and souvenir shop outside the station. Grab some limited Detective Conan merchandise only available here.

Down the street you’ll find other manga statues and the House of Conan Beika Shopping Street leading to the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory.

 At House of Conan Beika Shopping Street, you can purchase coffee, ice cream and over 70 original Conan products exclusive to the stores here. Honestly, I could not tell the difference between some because of the amount of Conan Detective items I saw throughout my trip. In this town, if you go to the bathroom, the signs separating males and female also use silhouettes of the characters in blue and pink backdrops.

House of Conan Beika Shopping Street

Address: Yurashuku, Hokuei, Tōhaku District, Tottori 689-2221

Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mon. – Fri.;

                 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sat. – Sun.  

URL

GOSHO AOYAMA MANGA FACTORY

The last stop on my trip was to the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory. This small but incredibly interesting museum is a must for manga enthusiasts and offers free parking. It is about 1.4 kilometers away from Conan Station and the yellow Volkswagen Beetle permanently parked out front serves as a good landmark to know you’ve made it. 

Inside the museum, you’ll find plenty more Detective Conan statues as well as sketches and photographs. There is a mock display of Aoyama’s art desk, which is very organized. There are also some small displays that show how some illusions work. There is even a Conan skateboard video game that is fun but hard to keep your balance.

 To explore the museum and play the video game with no line took about 30 minutes. Videos and photos of the original art are not allowed.

The museum gift shop also has Conan merchandise, including themed candy and postcards. For 600 yen, get a commemorative pic inside the photo booth.

The dedication and pride this small coastal town has to the manga and its creator is entertaining and interesting. I enjoyed getting to know more about Detective Conan in its birthplace.

Address: 1414 Yurashuku Hokuei-cho, Tohaku 689-2221

Hours: Mon. – Sun. from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission: 700 Yen for adult, 500 Yen for junior high school students.

Aoyama Goshoo Furusato Museum

MOCHI MADNESS AT TOWNHOUSE SEISUIAN

One of the restaurants we enjoyed for lunch was Townhouse Seisuian known for its mochi-based dishes. 

 We were instructed to take off our shoes and walk up the narrow stairs to the second floor, which felt like a low incline ladder into the attic of this old building. All the wood in the building was stained brown and it was aesthetically pleasing to sit and admire the architecture.

This was the first time I ate at a low table where I had to sit on the floor, so I had to adjust my position a few times to avoid having my legs fall asleep. Soon enough, the smell of food became a distraction.

 I ordered the basic mochi shabu with rice cakes and vegetables for 1,200 yen. With this lunch meal, you can dip 12 assorted flavors of mochi into the bonito broth for a smooth tasting texture. The plate was mostly vegetarian-style with rich flavors that went perfectly with steaming green tea.

 One thing I wish I had done right was learn how to dip the thin mochi into the hot broth. I sadly did not get to taste all the flavors of mochi individually, since some disintegrated after holding the piece for more than 5 seconds in the hot broth while using chopsticks. Still, the melted mochi added so much extra flavor to the other mochi pieces that didn’t disintegrate. (It made the loss feel better).

 About half of the group had the Tottori Wagyu Shabu and had little to no issue losing their meat slices. Other items on the menu include shrimp tempura for 1200 yen, and a Tottori wagyu beef set for 1,900 yen.

I can say that even though I lost a few pieces of delicate mochi, the meal was a success. The only difficult part of this restaurant was realizing my leg fell asleep while I was eating and trying to stand up to check out.

The restaurant ambiance and the food were straight out of a travel magazine. This is definitely a spot I would bring my friends and family to.

Shimizuan

Hours: Thurs.- Mon. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Wednesday is 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. but closed on Tuesday. 

Phone: 0120-418-483

Online or phone reservation required.

URL (Japanese only)

MY TAKE ON TOTTORI

As I boarded the plane to fly back to Tokyo, I reflected on my time in Tottori. The Conan obsession definitely stood out. By the second day it became a little eerie to me, but I’m sure manga enthusiasts will love it. Conan aside, I look forward to returning to Tottori on a dry day to ride camels and maybe do some sandboarding and kayaking.

And there is so much more to Tottori that I didn’t have time to check out, so I did some extra research and found some places I would like to go that I have seen similarly in video games such as Sekiro Shadows Die Twice and Ghost of Tsushima (Both Rated M).

Hanakairo Flower Park: Located in the western part of Tottori is Japan’s largest flower garden. There are subsections to the area such as the Circular Walkway and the Flower Dome. The Flower Hillside is also here, but the Flower Valley looked more majestic and, for some reason, wizardly (Not like Harry Potter).

Mt. Daisen, inside the deep forest: As the foliage changes throughout the year, the mountains here can feel like a true escape from normal life. Some guides can help with birdwatching in the spring and snowshoeing in the winter. (Like Iceman with the tennis ball rackets for shoes).

Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Shrine: In central Tottori, the beautiful grounds of Mitokusan Sanbutsuji grace the mountainside at a moderately high altitude. Although a reservation is needed, this shrine looks totally worth it. The admission price is 800 Yen for adults and 300 yen for children.

The Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum: Learn all about the local pears and enjoy pear tasting, which is like wine tasting… but with pears. 

Eternal Evening Illumination by Fireflies: In the summer, the western area of Tottori is lit up by fireflies.

TRAVELING TO TOTTORI

Flight: The flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was 1 hour and 20 minutes. Tickets range from 30,570 yen with ANA, but prices vary by airline and travel site.

Driving: Depending on what city you’re driving from, your time on the road will vary. From Yokota Air Force Base, the drive is about nine hours with ETC tolls starting around 9,300 yen. But, this route does take you through Osaka and Hyogo. Tottori is a manageable distance from MCAS Iwakuni, requiring about a 4-hour drive.

Train: The Conan Express also travels from Osaka to Tottori and it can cut the cost of traveling down from Kyoto to Tottori at 9,110 yen per person.

HELPFUL WEBSITES

Tottori Prefctural Flower Park

Mt. Daisen Tourism Guide

Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple

Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum

Firefly Kingdom in Fukumaki

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