10 Recommended Touring Roads and Spots in Tottori Prefecture, selected by riders who have circumnavigated Japan twice.

Hello to all Webike Plus readers! I'm Sasu Rider, a guy who would like to ride a motorcycle through the desert someday. At the moment, I don't have a bike that can run in the desert, I don't have excellent driving skills, and, most importantly, I don't have enough money at all. .... I will most likely end my life without riding in the desert... However! I can ride my motorcycle to the Tottori Sand Dunes and walk on my own feet! ... So, although the scale has become too small, we would like to introduce some recommended touring roads and spots in Tottori Prefecture, which has "Tottori Sand Dunes" where you can experience the atmosphere of a desert in Japan! The information on each spot is current as of February 2026. The information is subject to change without notice. Please check before you go.

1 Spectacular winding road: Daisen Ring Road

Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region and one of Japan's 100 most famous mountains, is a winding road with spectacular views. Specifically, the Daisen Loop Road is the collective name for Prefectural Routes 30, 34, 45, and 158 that circle around the middle of Mt! The road also offers a wide variety of scenery, including sections where you can see Mt. Daisen, with its rugged rock faces that overwhelm the viewer, and grassland areas with a great view.

One point of advice from a Sasu rider

The Daisen Loop Road is a voluminous road of approximately 64.2 km when all of it is traveled , and there is a considerable difference in elevation, up to approximately 750 m. The road is especially interesting when it is traveled at an elevation of 1,000 m. In particular, the section leading to " Jizo Pass " at an elevation of around 1,000 meters has a series of hairpin curves to gain 200 meters in elevation at a stretch, which stimulates riders' motivation to the fullest! Conversely, the road may be a bit challenging for beginners, but it is also a fun road to enjoy the scenery while taking it easy (I prefer it this way)!

2 Rider's Duty: Daisen Makiba Miruku no Sato

Located about 1 km off Prefectural Route 158 on the "Daisen Loop Road" introduced earlier, "Daisen Makiba Miruku no Sato" is a standard stopover for riders. It is a tourist ranch where soft-serve ice cream is very popular among riders, and it has sold as many as 4,500 packages in a single day! It is rich and tasty, yet reasonably priced at 400 yen nowadays, and the location is also good. 97.2% of the riders who stop here do so for this reason (according to a Sasu Rider survey).

One point of advice from a Sasu rider

Daisen Makiba Miruku no Sato has a lot more than just soft serve ice cream, including a store, cafe, restaurant, BBQ corner, picnic area, and more... You can spend your time as you wish while enjoying the view of Mt! It is the most well-equipped stopover spot along the Daisen Loop Road, and since admission is free, there is no reason not to stop by (and it's mandatory)!

3 Power Spot: Daisenji Temple

Daisenji Temple has long been revered as a sacred mountain and is one of the best power spots in Mt. At its peak, the temple had more than 100 temples and 3,000 priests, and once boasted of a scale no less impressive than that of the three major Buddhist holy sites of Hieizan, Yoshinozan, and Koyasan. The admission fee to Daisenji Temple is 300 yen, which includes admission to the Reihokaku, the temple' s treasure house.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

Daisenji Temple is a 20-minute walk from the parking lot along the approach to the temple, and it is hilly from start to finish, so it can be a bit of a challenge. However, it is a little bit difficult because it is uphill from the parking lot to the temple. Incidentally, there is a trailhead for Mt. Daisen near the approach to the temple, so there are facilities that may come in handy while touring, such as a Montbell store and low-cost lodging, etc. Parking is free and public restrooms are located everywhere, so there is enough volume to spend a whole day "walking around the Daisenji Temple + approach to the temple.

4 One of the largest sand dunes in Japan: Tottori Sand Dunes

Anyway, Tottori Prefecture is all about sand dunes! Dunes no matter what! So, here come the Tottori Sand Dunes, one of the largest sand dunes in Japan, which unfortunately are not well known in the San'in region, but every Japanese knows this one! The Tottori Sand Dunes, a well-known symbol of Tottori Prefecture, are one of the largest (but not the largest) coastal sand dunes in Japan, stretching approximately 16 km east to west and 2 km north to south, and are actually an urban tourist spot (easily accessible from urban areas) only 10 minutes from the city center, which is not well known. The Tottori Sand Dunes are truly a desert-like scene, but the fact is that their area has been decreasing over the years... If you want to see them, get there early anyway! By the way, admission to the Tottori Sand Dunes is free.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

There are various large and small parking lots available at the Tottori Sand Dunes, but the Tottori Sand Dunes Parking Lot (Bicycle Parking Lot) is the most accessible and safe place to park your bike. In addition, you can eat the famous "pear soft ice cream" at the " Tottori Sand Dunes Kaikan " right in front of the parking lot, and the dunes are just a stone's throw from the parking lot! There are several free parking lots, but they are not well located and are covered with sand (slippery), so personally, this is the only place I would choose for riders.

5 Local cafe: Sunaba Coffee

First of all, let me say this! Please note that it is "Sunaba" and not "Starbucks"! In fact, Tottori Prefecture was "the only prefecture in Japan without a Starbucks " until 2015. .. However, the Governor of Tottori Prefecture at that time said to himself, "We don't have a Starbucks, but we have the best Sunaba (sand dunes) in Japan", which led to the birth of Sunaba Coffee.... And you may think that I am joking about the story so far, but no, that is rather a normal reaction... This is all very real, and Sunaba Coffee is now a reasonably sized business with 11 stores in Tottori Prefecture and one store in Iwate Prefecture. In addition, as of February 2026, there will be 6 Starbucks stores in Tottori Prefecture (competing with Sunaba Coffee?)

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

As touring riders, it is our duty to enjoy local food and beverages when touring, and there is no other choice but Sunaba Coffee when we want a cup of coffee in Tottori Prefecture! Please do not go to Starbucks. By the way, Sunaba Coffee's specialty is...! The coffee is roasted with sand from the Tottori Sand Dunes, and is brewed with a time-consuming siphon method, resulting in a deeply flavored cup. In addition, there is also "Yakuzen Daisen Chicken Curry," which is unique to Tottori Prefecture, where the consumption of curry roux is the highest in Japan, as well as food menus such as hot sandwiches and morning meals! Of the 11 stores in Tottori Prefecture, the one most easily accessible by motorcycle is the "Roadside Station: Mythological Village Hakuto" (located inside the roadside station).

6 Famous water: Amano no Manai

This is the famous water that represents the San'in region! This is the most famous water in the San'in region! Amano-no-Mana'i" is a spring that boasts an abundance of approximately 2,500 tons of water per day. It is a quiet and peaceful spring pond nestled in the corner of a peaceful village, a place that looks as if it were straight out of "Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi" (The Tale of Long Ago). With all due respect, this is not a place that a tourist from outside of the prefecture would stop by, but for some reason, I found it very appealing, and so I am introducing it to you here.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

Surprisingly! Amano no Manai has a decent parking lot and a reasonably spacious public restroom and water pumping station (Amano no Manai, of course) with a mysteriously high spec.It takes about 5 minutes on foot to reach the Amano no Manaii spring pond, so it is the perfect place for a quick change of pace while touring. In addition, in recent years, a restaurant right in front of this parking lot, a " soba noodle shop popular for its parfaits," also with mysterious specs, has apparently been causing a stir in the installation community, so... If you are interested, please go there and submit a report to me!

7 A sacred place for Hayabusa riders: Hayabusa Station

Hayabusa Station is a nostalgic unmanned station on the Wakasakura Railway that was the inspiration for the " Hayabusa Station Festival, " now one of the most famous motorcycle events in Japan. The name of the station is literally the same as the name of Suzuki's mega-sport bike, Hayabusa, and the station has come to be known as a "sacred place for Hayabusa riders," even though it is in the middle of nowhere. A few years later, more than 1,000 Falcon owners from all over Japan visited the annual "Hayabusa Station Festival" held on August 8. Hayabusa Station is a station that has achieved a great success that no one could have predicted! It is a pioneer station that has become a role model for the "regional development by motorcycle riders" that has become a bit of a boom in recent years, and not only Falcon riders but also all other motorcycle riders stop by here to take commemorative photos (you may feel a bit away from home if you are not a Falcon rider).

One point of advice from a Sasu rider

After taking a commemorative photo with your car at Hayabusa Station, it is customary for riders to enjoy a café or lunch at " HOME 8823 (Home Hayabusa)," which is located right in front of the station. Although it is not a so-called "rider's café," many riders frequent the place because of its location, and most of the menu items are hearty, inexpensive, and tasty! It is a place that riders really like. Motorcycles can be parked at the covered bicycle parking lot at Hayabusa Station.

8 Sightseeing Spot: Mizuki Shigeru Road

Mizuki Shigeru Road is a sightseeing street in Sakaiminato City, the birthplace of " Shigeru Mizuki," the creator of "Gegege no Kitaro," Japan's most popular national comic strip about ghosts. Along the approximately 800-meter street from Sakaiminato Station to the Shigeru Mizuki Memorial Museum, there are a total of 178 "yokai" (specters)! It is a fun enough place just to walk around looking at them, but there are also many other attractions such as stores selling all kinds of yokai goods, restaurants with yokai-related menus, and yokai shrines, so there is so much to see and do that you can hardly play in just one day! There are so many things to see and do that it is impossible to play with all of them in just one day! There is also the Mizuki Road branch of Sunaba Coffee, which I mentioned earlier, so you can fully enjoy the two big names in Tottori, Gegege no Kitaro and Sunaba Coffee, here.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

There are various large and small parking lots around Mizuki Shigeru Road, but my personal recommendation is the "Sakai Suido Kaido Parking Lot (free)" located along Kaigan Dori. At first glance, it looks more like an "empty space in the harbor" than a parking lot, but in other words, it is not divided into sections, so motorcycles tend to be relatively easy to park, even on weekends (when it is always crowded). Also, I have heard that a part of the parking lot of " Minato Sakai Exchange Center " next to Sakaiminato Station is reserved for motorcycles.

9 Roadside Station: Daiei

Daiei" is a roadside station located along "National Route 9" that runs along the Sea of Japan in Tottori Prefecture. In fact, it was the first roadside station certified by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (former Ministry of Construction) in April 1993, and is the very original roadside station that is now very popular all over the country! Moreover, it is a roadside station that does not make a big show of such an important thing, but rather has an emo-like atmosphere with the objet d'art of the first roadside station standing quietly and smilingly.

One Point Advice for Sasu Riders

In fact, besides being the "first roadside station," Daiei has another important feature: Hokuei-cho, where Daiei is located, is the birthplace of Gosho Aoyama, the author of the popular mystery comic "Detective Conan," and right in front of the roadside station is a museum about Gosho Aoyama and Conan, the Gosho Aoyama Furusato Museum! In other words, this is not only the first roadside station, but also a sacred place for Detective Conan. The fact that there is no flashy appeal so that you would pass by it on a normal drive makes it emo again (Conclusion: Roadside station that is emo in many ways).

10 Onsen (hot spring): Misasa Onsen Kabuyu

Misasa Onsen is one of the world's most famous hot springs for its radon content, which is rumored to be so effective that "three mornings at Misasa Onsen will make you feel better. Radon is exactly what it sounds like: weak radiation produced by the decomposition of radium. In fact, it is said that when the body is exposed to radium, the metabolism becomes active and the immune system and natural healing power increase, causing a "hormesis effect! In short, it not only heals the fatigue of touring, but also makes you more energetic! In short, this is a hot spring that riders should definitely take.

One point advice from a Sasu rider

Photo credit: Misasa Onsen official website

Tottori Prefecture has more than just sand dunes!

Tottori Prefecture is all about dunes! Anyway, dunes! Or, to be frank, dunes ONLY! I am ashamed to say that I knew nothing about Tottori Prefecture other than its dunes until I went touring there... Not that I'm asking you to agree with me, but basically, prefectures in the San-in area are unknown to everyone except those who live there. But that is why I enjoyed touring in Tottori Prefecture for the first time! The richness of the travel experience! And the richness of the contents other than the dunes! It was so wonderful that I would like to recommend you to visit the dunes next time you go touring... I hope you will take the plunge and visit Tottori Prefecture next time you go touring.... To the gallery (18)