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www.bokoro.com; 4-25 Hawai Onsen; per person with 2 meals from ¥12,600), a large resort-style hotel on the lake with Japanese-style rooms and swish indoor and outdoor baths. Nearby is a friendly local sentō (public bath) with a glass ceiling called Hawai Yūtown (; 0858-35-4919; admission ¥350; 9am-9pm, closed Tue). The likeness of the town’s name to the popular Pacific islands is not lost on the people of Hawai, but – although there’s a nice beach – it’s not Waimea Bay.

Travelling eastwards there’s a succession of impressive swimming beaches split by rocky headlands all the way to Tottori city, notably Ishiwaki, Ide-ga-hama, Aoya and Hakuto. You can also take a dip at Hamamura Onsen Kan (; 0857-82-4567; admission ¥420; 10am-10pm, closed 1st Wed of month). From Hamamura Station, head straight and take the first major turning on the right; it’s on the left, a seven-minute walk from the station, with delightful indoor and outdoor baths.

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TOTTORI

0857 / pop 201,000

Tottori is a medium-sized Japanese city where crowds of Japanese tourists come to take pictures of each other next to camels on the famous sand dunes. There is a tourist information booth (22-3318; 9.30am-6.30pm) inside the station, with English-language pamphlets and maps. For internet access, try Comic Buster Dorothy (27-7775; 2-27 Tomiyasu; 1st 30min ¥260, each additional 15min ¥100; 24hr), southeast of the station.

Sights

Most of Tottori’s attractions are concentrated in a compact little group about 1.5km northeast of the station at the foot of Mt Kyūshō.

Tottori-jō once overlooked the town, but now only the castle’s foundations remain. Below is the elegant Jinpū-kaku Villa (26-3595; 2-121 Higashi-machi; admission ¥150; 9am-5pm, closed Mon), built as accommodation for the Taishō emperor when he visited as Crown Prince in 1907, and now used as a museum.

The small Folkcraft Museum (26-2367; 651 Sakae-machi; admission ¥500; 10am-5pm, closed Wed), a five-minute walk from the JR station, has some attractive antique furniture and kimono fabrics. East of the station is the 17th-century temple and garden Kannon-in (24-5641; 162 Ue-machi; admission with matcha tea ¥600; 9am-5pm; ).

There are a number of inner-city onsen within a short walk of the station. If you can brave the scorching hot waters, try soaking with the locals at the sentō Hinomaru Onsen (22-2648; 401 Suehiro Onsen-chō; admission ¥350; 6am-midnight, closed 2nd Mon of month except Jan & Aug), in the heart of the entertainment district.

TOTTORI-SAKYŪ (THE DUNES)

Used as the location for Teshigahara Hiroshi’s classic 1964 film Woman in the Dunes, the Tottori sand dunes are on the coast about 5km from the city. There’s a viewing point on a hillside overlooking the dunes, along with a car park and the usual array of tourist schlock. The dunes stretch for over 10km along the coast and, at some points, can be about 2km wide. You can even get a ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ photo of yourself accompanied by a camel. There are maps and pamphlets at the Sand Pal Tottori Information Centre (20-2231; 2083-17 Yūyama, Fukube-chō; 9am-6pm), which has bikes for hire (¥310 for four hours).

Regular buses sail out to the dunes from Tottori Station (¥360, 20 minutes). The closest stop to the dunes is Sakyū-Sentā (; Dunes Centre).

Sleeping

Matsuya-sō (22-4891; 3-814 Yoshikata Onsen; s/tw ¥3500/6000; ) About a 15-minute walk from the station and behind a high-rise apartment building, this minshuku-style lodging is friendly and comfortable. It has simple Japanese rooms and shared bathrooms. From the station, go straight and turn right onto Eiraku-dōri (). Look for the yellowish sign on the left.

Tōyoko Inn Tottori Eki Minami-guchi (36-1045; www.toyoko-inn.com; 2-153-3 Tomiyasu; s/tw with breakfast ¥5460/7560; ) A good, clean business hotel a minute from the station with internet access via the terminals in the lobby.

Tottori Washington Hotel Plaza (27-8111; fax 27-8125; 102 Higashi Honji-chō; s/tw from ¥6900/13,500; ) Comfortable rooms are on offer in this large white building by the station.