TOTTORI -- The seawater's dark blue and the sky's light blue spread out beyond the beige of the dunes. The Tottori Sand Dunes' magnificent panoramic landscape overwhelmed me with its natural layers of color, which made me forget for a moment that I was in Japan.
I visited this vast expanse of land because I wanted to feel the wind from the Sea of Japan and the spring sunshine. Sand that streamed into the sea has been washed ashore, and the season's northwestern wind has blown the sand inland. The ocean winds have formed the dunes over a long period of time.
The Tottori Sand Dunes stretch 16 kilometers from east to west and 2.4 kilometers from north to south, including a 146.2-hectare zone nationally designated as a natural monument. The tourist area is in the natural monument zone and its surrounding areas, attracting about 1.2 million visitors annually.
I went barefoot, enjoying the feel of sand on my feet, and walked toward a dune called Umanose, meaning horse's back, that stood before me.
I climbed up the slope and stood on the top of the rise at an elevation of about 47 meters above sea level. The rise's highest point commands an extensive undulating landscape of sand mounds.
"This landscape full of changing forms is very attractive," said Toshiaki Hotta, 62, the Natural Parks Foundation's Tottori local office chief.
Hotta took me to a location for viewing wind ripples -- wavy patterns on the sand. Wind ripples appear after wind blows dry sand at five to 10 meters per second.
When I visited the dunes, the average wind speed was 7.2 meters per second, which Hotta said is ideal for forming wind ripples. I reached the northeastern part of the dunes, and found mysterious wave patterns on the sand spreading all around.
Sand seemed to be gently picked up and carried over the ground in the direction of the wind. The sand moved as if it were a living creature shifting by its own will.
Watching the "artwork" created by nature made me forget the time for a while.
The dunes' climate goes from one extreme to the other, with surface temperatures exceeding 50 C in midsummer, and plunging to below freezing in midwinter.
Yet, the Tottori Sand Dunes are known as the nation's major seaside plant habitat.
Sea bells' green leaves and Japanese sedges could be seen at several locations. Tottori Prefecture's local specialty, rakkyo shallots, also grow in the sand fields.
The Tottori Sand Dunes once experienced a critical period, as invasive plants began spreading over them around 1970, and many parts of the dunes became grassland. The plants reduced the natural movement of the dunes, and beautiful wind ripples could no longer be seen.
The Tottori prefectural and municipal governments started eradicating the weeds on a wide scale in 1994. In fiscal 2017, more than 8,000 volunteers joined the weeding operation. The situation is said to have improved.
"To preserve the beautiful sand dunes, we have to continue the weeding operation," said Juna Nakagawa, 26, a Tottori Sand Dunes Visitor Center official.
I sat astride a camel for tourists and strolled along the sand dunes, which made it all feel exotic.
As the sun was going down, I noticed that the landscape was changing from day into evening. The wind ripples' shade and the dunes' undulations became darker and darker, which created an air of fantasy. After a while, the setting sun that dyed the sky crimson went down behind the horizon of the Sea of Japan, and the shades of night descended upon the sand dunes.
I now recalled what Hotta said, "A weaving panoramic view of sand, wind and light is on display every day here."
I realized the Tottori Sand Dunes' appeal lies in how they make people feel the dynamism of nature.
Museum displays 21 sand sculptures
The Tottori Sand Dunes' Sand Museum, located in the dunes' eastern side, currently displays 21 sculptures of some of South Asia's iconic sights and people.
In its 12th edition, the "Travel around the world in sand -- South Asia" exhibition, 21 sculptures, each by a different artist from 10 foreign countries, are shown. The sculptures on display include one of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of India's independence, and the Taj Mahal, an example of Indo-Islamic architecture. The elaborate works are spectacular.
The exhibition will be held through Jan. 5, 2020. The museum is open throughout the year.
Blessed with abundance of seafood
The Karoichi seafood market, near Tottori Port in Tottori city, is home to many fishmongers as well as restaurants where visitors can enjoy eating fresh seafood and seafood cuisine.
Restaurant Kaiyo-tei recommends its kaisendon rice bowl, topped with more than 10 kinds of marine products.
The 10 ingredients include squid marinated with soy sauce, shredded raw cuttlefish, shellfish, red snow crab, yellowtail, tuna, sea urchin, boiled abalone and vinegared mackerel.
I poured a special soy sauce mixed with a broth made from dried bonito and wasabi, and ate the seafood-loaded dish. Kelp strips on rice coaxed out the scent of the ocean. The set meal includes a chawanmushi steamed egg dish, miso soup and salad. The price is 2,160 yen.
"I want customers to enjoy all the Tottori seafood that we use in the dish," said Koichi Fujisaki, 51, master chef of Kaiyo-tei's operating company.
Access
About 110 minutes by JR express train from JR Okayama Station to Tottori Station. A regular bus takes about 20 minutes from the station to the Tottori Sakyu bus stop at the eastern side of the dunes.
For more information, call the Tottori Prefectural Government Tourism and Exchange Bureau at (0857) 39-2111.
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