AugustTottori Shan-Shan Festival
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Tottori
Every year August 13–15 (eve festival on the 13th, mass umbrella dance on the 14th, Civic Summer Fireworks Festival on the 15th)
Experience · Chugoku & Shikoku
Tottori Sand Dunes Sand Museum
TottoriMostly indoors · rain-friendly
Overview
Overview
The world's first museum dedicated to sand sculptures, right next to the Tottori Sand Dunes. The theme changes every year, and works by sand sculptors from Japan and abroad are displayed indoors. From April 24, 2026 to January 3, 2027, the 17th exhibition, Travel Around the World in Sand: Spain, is on.
- Address
- 2083-17 Yuyama, Fukube-cho, Tottori, Tottori 689-0105
- Closed
- Open every day during the 17th exhibition (April 24, 2026 – January 3, 2027), including the New Year holidays
- Official website
- https://www.sand-museum.jp/
Area weather
TottoriWeather & what to wear in Tottori →Highlights
Highlights
The highlights are the large sand sculptures created around the exhibition theme by world-class sand sculptors from Japan and abroad. The works can only be seen during the exhibition period, so each year brings a different show. Projection mapping illuminating the sand sculptures is also scheduled from November 21 to December 6, 2026.
Hours
Opening hours
Opening hours9:00–18:00
Last entry 17:30
Sub-gate hoursWeekdays 10:00–15:00, weekends & holidays 9:00–16:00
Hours vary by day and season. Check the official website before you go.
Tickets
Prices & tickets
General¥800
Tax included
Elementary, junior high & high school students¥400
Tax included
Under elementary school ageFree
Groups (20+ people)General ¥600, elementary/junior high/high school students ¥300
Tax included
Passport (for 2+ visits during the exhibition)General ¥1,400, elementary/junior high/high school students ¥700
Tax included
Prices include tax and may change. Check the official website before buying.
🎫 How to buy tickets
- →If you'll visit twice or more during the exhibition, the passport is a better deal
- →You can also enter with Klook's pass that lets you choose 3 Tottori attractions
Tips
Tips for travelers
- ✓There's no restaurant inside, only vending machines on 3F. Eat in the surrounding area
- ✓The classic plan is to combine it with the Tottori Sand Dunes. 5 min walk from the Sakyu Higashiguchi bus stop
- ✓The exhibition theme changes every year; the 18th in 2027 is Silk Road
Access
Getting there
- Nearest station
- Suna no Bijutsukan-mae (bus stop)1 min walkAbout 21 min by local bus from the Tottori Station bus terminal
- Sakyu Higashiguchi (bus stop)5 min walk
- From major stations & airports
- JR Tottori Station: Local bus (bound for Suna no Bijutsukan-mae) (About 21 min)
- JR Tottori Station: On weekends and holidays, the Loop Kirin Jishi sightseeing bus (About 20 min)
- Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport: Taxi (About 20 min)
- JR Osaka Station: Limited Express Super Hakuto to Tottori Station (About 2.5 hours (to Tottori Station))
- JR Okayama Station: Limited Express Super Inaba to Tottori Station (About 2 hours (to Tottori Station))
- Direct buses & boats
- On weekends and holidays, the Loop Kirin Jishi sightseeing bus runs from Tottori Station (about 20 min)
- Getting back
- By car, about 20 min from Tottori-Nishi IC or Tottori IC on the San'in Expressway. Free parking
- About 20 min by taxi to Tottori Station as well
Weather
Weather & what to wear
Spring
The 17th exhibition opened on April 24, 2026.
Summer
The exhibition is indoors. Take heat precautions if combining it with a walk on the Tottori Sand Dunes.
Autumn
Projection mapping is scheduled from November 21 to December 6, 2026.
Winter
The 17th exhibition runs until January 3, 2027 (open over the New Year holidays). The theme of the next, 18th exhibition is Travel Around the World in Sand: Silk Road.
- ☂ Rainy days
- The exhibition is indoors, so you can visit in the rain
- Heat
- To preserve the works, the temperature inside is kept close to outside temperatures. Take heat precautions in summer
- Cold
- It's close to the outside temperature inside too, so keep your coat on in winter
Rules
Rules & what you can bring
- !Photography for private use only. Commercial use, live streaming, and tripods are prohibited
- !No pets (except assistance dogs)
- !No smoking anywhere on the premises
Facilities
Facilities & services
- Strollers & wheelchairs
- Strollers and wheelchairs available for loan (first come, first served; no advance reservations)
- Accessibility
- There's an elevator, so you can visit by wheelchair or with a stroller
- Language support
- The official website has English pages
Where to Stay · Agoda
Places to Stay near Tottori Sand Dunes Sand MuseumPR
Prices and availability are shown on Agoda.
Events
Events & festivals in Tottori
AugustAttractions
Attractions in Chugoku & Shikoku
ZooAkiyoshidai Safari Land
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Hagi, Tsunoshima & Akiyoshidai
A safari-style animal park in the Akiyoshidai area where you can see animals without leaving your car. Besides the Safari Zone that you drive through in your own car, there's a feeding bus that tours by dedicated bus, a Walking Zone where you can interact with animals on foot, and an amusement park with free admission.
AquariumShimonoseki Marine Science Museum Kaikyokan
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
A Shimonoseki City aquarium facing the Kanmon Straits. Under the concept Life in the Sea, the Sea and Life, it's known for a tank recreating the Kanmon Straits currents and its world-leading display of about 100 species of pufferfish. It reopened after renovation in August 2025, adding Hireashi Beach, a new California sea lion exhibit.
AquariumKatsurahama Aquarium
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Kochi & Shimanto
An aquarium inside Katsurahama Park, right in front of Katsurahama, one of Kochi's most famous scenic spots. It keeps about 4,000 creatures of around 220 species, and most of the facility is an open-air outdoor area with views of Katsurahama Beach and Tosa Bay. You can also bring your pet inside.
ZooMatsue Vogel Park
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Izumo & Matsue
A flower and bird themed park spread over hills on the shore of Lake Shinji. Its 320,000㎡ grounds include display greenhouses totaling 12,000㎡, and the main facilities are linked by covered walkways, so you can get around without an umbrella even on rainy days. The Ichibata Electric Railway station connects directly to the park.
AquariumMiyajima Public Aquarium (Miyaji-Marine)
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Hiroshima & Miyajima
An aquarium themed on the Seto Inland Sea, on Miyajima, home of the World Heritage-listed Itsukushima Shrine. It reopened after renovation in 2011 and displays more than 15,000 creatures of 380 species, centered on Seto Inland Sea life. It will be closed from December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027 for equipment upgrades and repair work, so visit by November 30.
Botanical gardenRitsurin Garden
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Takamatsu, Naoshima & Shodoshima
A feudal lord's garden in central Takamatsu, designated a national Special Place of Scenic Beauty. With 6 ponds and 13 artificial hills, and Mt. Shiun and its pine forest behind it as borrowed scenery, it offers views that change with every step. It opens early in the morning, making it good for a morning stroll.
AquariumShikoku Aquarium
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Utazu, Kagawa
An aquarium that opened in Utazu, Kagawa Prefecture, in 2020. Themed on Shikoku Waterscapes, it recreates the waters surrounding Shikoku, including the Seto Inland Sea, the Pacific Ocean with the Kuroshio Current, and clear rivers such as the Shimanto and Niyodo, in about 70 waterscape exhibits. It's about a 12-minute walk from JR Utazu Station.
ZooEhime Prefectural Tobe Zoological Park
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Tobe, Ehime
An Ehime Prefecture-run zoo in Tobe, about 20 minutes by car from central Matsuyama. Under the concept A Zoo Full of Everyone's Smiles, it keeps many animals, including polar bears, African elephants, Malayan tapirs, sea lions, and flamingos. Admission is an affordable ¥600 for adults.
ExperienceOnaruto Bridge Walkway Uzu-no-Michi
Chugoku & Shikoku ・ Naruto, Tokushima
A 450m-long walkway built inside the girders of the Onaruto Bridge. From 45m above the sea, you can look straight down on the whirlpools of the Naruto Strait. It's a Tokushima Prefecture facility inside Naruto Park and can be visited together with the neighboring Onaruto Bridge Memorial Hall Eddy.
Hours, prices and access are based on official and other primary sources. They may change, so check the official website before you go.
Last checked: 2026-10-02