Tottori is a small city by Japanese standards, but it has one of the country's strangest natural sights on its doorstep: the Tottori Sand Dunes, a sweep of wind-shaped sand running down toward the Sea of Japan. The dunes give the city a clear reason to exist on a travel map, and they are odd enough to be worth the detour.
The city itself is quieter than the big stops on the Sanyo side of Honshu. That is part of the appeal. You can spend the morning among the dunes and the Sand Museum, then return to the centre for castle ruins, a Meiji-era villa, and a formal temple garden without fighting crowds.
Tottori Castle Ruins climb the hillside above the city, with stone walls and views toward the coast. Nearby Jinpukaku adds a pale, Western-style flash from the Meiji period, while Kannon-in Temple Garden is the calmest stop in town. Tottori works best for travellers crossing western Honshu slowly, or anyone who wants Japan to feel less familiar for a day.