Tottori, Tottori
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is the capital and the largest
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
of
Tottori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, least populous prefecture of Japan at 538,525 (2023) and has a geographic area of . ...
in the
Chūgoku region The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339 ...
of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. , the city had an estimated
population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of 183,383 in 81,732 households and a
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
of 240 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Most of the city is within the
San'in Kaigan Geopark The is a geopark in Japan. The area was declared a Japanese Geopark in 2008, and a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2010. The underlying themes of the geopark are "geological features, the natural environment, people's lives, and the formation of the S ...
.


Geography

The city of Tottori which located in east next to the
Chūgoku Mountains is a mountain range in the Chūgoku region of western Japan. It runs in an east–west direction and stretches approximately from Hyōgo Prefecture in the east to the coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The range also reaches under the Pacific Ocean ...
, the city flows the
Sendai River The is a river in eastern Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The Sendai is in length and has a drainage area of . The source of the river is in the Chūgoku Mountains. The Sendai flows north through Tottori Prefecture into the Sea of Japan. Under the Ri ...
. It is 300 km by land from Hiroshima city, which is a regional hub city in the Chūgoku region, but on the other hand, it is 180 km from Kobe City, 190 km from Osaka City, and 220 km from Kyoto City. Within Japan the city is best known for the
Tottori Sand Dunes file:Tottori-Sakyu Tottori Japan.JPG, 250px, Tottori Sand Dunes The are sand dunes located outside the city center of Tottori, Tottori, Tottori in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. At a length of and less than wide, it is the largest sand dune in ...
which are a popular tourist attraction, drawing visitors from outside the prefecture. The sand dunes are also important as a centre for research into arid agriculture, hosting Tottori University's Arid Land Research Center.


Neighboring municipalities

Hyōgo Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to th ...
* Shin'onsen
Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,826,059 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture ...
* Kagamino *
Tsuyama is a city in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. In February 2023, the city had an estimated population of 97,507 in 45,653 households and a population density of 190 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Tsuyama is located in nort ...
Tottori Prefecture * Chizu * Iwami * Misasa * Wakasa * Yazu * Yurihama


Climate

Tottori has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Cfa'') with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year.


Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Tottori is as follows. Tottori has the lowest population among prefectural capitals in Japan.


History

Tottori is part of ancient
Inaba Province was a Provinces of Japan, former province in the area that is today the eastern half of Tottori Prefecture in the San'in region of Japan. Inaba was bordered by Hōki Province, Hōki, Mimasaka Province, Mimasaka, Harima Province, Harima and Tajim ...
, and the place name "Tottori" can be found in the early
Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
Wamyō Ruijushō The is a 938 CE Japanese dictionary of Chinese characters. Heian period scholar Minamoto no Shitagō (源順, 911–983 CE) began compilation in 934, at the request of Emperor Daigo's daughter. The title is abbreviated as , and is also spelle ...
. Tottori Castle was completed in 1545 and the surrounding
castle town A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns were common in Medieval Europe. Some examples include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles. In Western Europe, ...
forms the core of the modern city. During the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
, Tottori was the seat of a branch of the
Ikeda clan was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948-1021) of the Seiwa Genji. Minamoto no Yasumasa, the fourth generation descending from Yorimitsu, and younger brother of Minamoto no Yorimasa (1104-1180), was the first to ...
, which ruled
Tottori Domain 270px, Ikeda Yoshinori 270px, Front gate of the Tottori Domain residence in Edo was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now Tottori Prefecture on the island of Honshu. It controlled all of Inaba Prov ...
. Following the
Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
, Tottori was incorporated as a city on October 1, 1889, with the implementation of the modern municipalities system. Most of the downtown area was destroyed by the Tottori earthquake of September 10, 1943, which killed over 1000 people, and much of the rebuilt city was destroyed again in the Great Tottori Fire of April 17, 1952. In the 1950s, and again in 2004, redistricting (" gappei") of the city's borders increased its size to include a number of surrounding areas. On November 1, 2004, the town of
Kokufu were the capitals of the historical Provinces of Japan from the Nara period to the Heian period. History As part of the Taika Reform (645), which aimed at a centralization of the administration following the Chinese model (''ritsuryō''), the '' ...
, the village of Fukube (both from Iwami District), the towns of Aoya, Ketaka and Shikano (all from Ketaka District), the towns of Kawahara and Mochigase and the village of Saji (all from Yazu District) were merged into Tottori. Ketaka District was dissolved as a result of this merger. Tottori gained special city status on October 1, 2005, with an increased local autonomy. The 2016 Tottori earthquake caused moderate damage and several injuries, but no fatalities.


Government

Tottori has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a
unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...
city council of 32 members. Tottori contributes 12 members to the Tottori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tottori 1st district of the
lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...
of the
Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
.


Economy

As the administrative center of Tottori Prefecture, the city of Tottori is the regional center for commerce. Agricultural products include rice and Tottori is also famous for its production of
scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...
s.


Education


Universities and colleges

Tottori City has two universities. The main campus of Tottori University, a national public university, is located next to Koyama Lake on the west end of the city. The privately funded Tottori University of Environmental Studies is located in the south-eastern part of Tottori city, near the town of Yazu. These two universities are not to be confused with the 2-year junior college in the prefecture, Tottori College, which is located in the central city of Kurayoshi.


Primary and secondary education

Tottori has 39 public elementary schools operated by the city government, and one by the national government. It has 13 public middle schools operated by the city government, one by the national government and one private middle school. The city has seven public high schools operated by the Tottori Prefectural Board of Education, and four private high schools. The prefecture also operates four special education schools for the handicapped and there is one more special education school operated by the national government.


Transportation


Airports

* Tottori Airport


Railway

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...
- Inbi Line * - - <'' - - ''> - - - -
JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...
-
San'in Main Line The is a railway line in western Japan, which connects Kyoto and Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is the major railway line of the San'in region, approximately paralleling the Japan Sea, crossing Kyot ...
* - - - - - - -


Highways

* Tottori Expressway * San'in Expressway * San'in Kinki Expressway * * * *


Sister cities

*
Cheongju Cheongju (; ) is the capital and largest list of cities in South Korea, city of North Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The 'Cheong' in the name of Chungcheong Province is the Cheong of Cheongju. History Cheongju has been an important prov ...
,
North Chungcheong North Chungcheong Province (), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region on the south-centre of the Korean Peninsula. Nor ...
, South Korea *
Hanau Hanau () is a city in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is 25 km east of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main and part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its railway Hanau Hauptbahnhof, station is a ma ...
,
Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
, Germany *
Himeji, Hyōgo 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...
, Japan, since March 8, 1972 *
Iwakuni, Yamaguchi 270px, Kintai Bridge 270px, Iwakuni city center is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 127,512 in 65182 households and a population density of 157 persons per km2. The total area of the city ...
, Japan, since October 13, 1995 *
Kushiro, Hokkaido is a Cities of Japan, city in Kushiro Subprefecture on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Located along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, it serves as the subprefecture's capital and it is the most populated city in the eastern ...
, Japan, since October 4, 1963 *
Shahe, Hebei Shahe () is a county-level city in the prefecture-level city of Xingtai, in the southern part of Hebei province, China. Shahe has been called China's "glass capital." Its glass factories manufacture about ten percent of the world supply of flat gl ...
, China, friendship city since 1995 *
Taicang Taicang is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The city located in the south of the Yangtze River estuary opposite Nantong, being bordered by Shanghai proper to the south, while the river also delineates ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
, China, friendship city since 1995


Local attractions


Outline

The city's main street (Wakasa, or "young
cherry blossom The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...
" street) runs north from the station and terminates at the foot of the Kyushouzan ("eternal pine") mountain. Around this mountain lies the oldest part of the city. Its centre is the now ruined Tottori Castle, once the property of the
Ikeda clan was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948-1021) of the Seiwa Genji. Minamoto no Yasumasa, the fourth generation descending from Yorimitsu, and younger brother of Minamoto no Yorimasa (1104-1180), was the first to ...
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
who ruled the
Tottori Domain 270px, Ikeda Yoshinori 270px, Front gate of the Tottori Domain residence in Edo was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now Tottori Prefecture on the island of Honshu. It controlled all of Inaba Prov ...
during the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
. It is open to the public, and is the site of the Castle Festival in autumn each year. In the vicinity are temples, museums, and public parks. The city also hosts the prefecturally famous Shan-shan festival in the summer, which features teams of people dressing up and dancing with large umbrellas; the name 'Shan-shan' is said to come from the sound made by the small bells and pieces of metal attached to the umbrellas, which are very large. An exceptionally big example of a Shan-shan umbrella graces the main foyer of Tottori Station. At the beginning of every summer, Tottori is host to one of the biggest beach parties in the country, the San In Beach Party. The event lasts an entire weekend and some top names on the national DJ circuit are invited to perform.


Museums

Tottori has a number of museums located in the main part of the city, and surrounding districts


Watanabe Art Museum

The Watanabe Art museum (渡辺美術館, ''Watanabe Bijutsukan'') is the largest collection of armour and weapons in Japan. It is a mixture of historical art, modern art and historical artifacts. While the initial part of the collection is art focussed the main body of the museums is devoted to a large number of swords, yumi, other weapons and samurai armour. There is also a wide range of historical artifacts, many found in archaeological digs in the Tottori area. It was established in 1978 in order to display and make available the collection, which numbers over 30,000 items, including over 200 sets of armour.


Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory - Conan Museum

The museum is dedicated to the high profile Detective Conan manga, which is a mange story originating from Tottori. The museum is devoted to the detective Conan story near Yura, near Tottori. The museum shows items from the artist, and has original drafts of the manga.


Tottori City Historical Museum

The Tottori City Historical Museum (鳥取市歴史博物館, Tottori-shi Rekishi Hakubutsukan) opened in Tottori, Japan, in 2000 and is dedicated to the cities history.


Tottori Folk Crafts Museum

The Tottori Folk Crafts Museum opened in Tottori, Japan, in 1949. It was established as the Tottori Mingeikan by Yoshida Shōya (吉田璋也), local advocate of the mingei folk craft movement, who formed a craft guild in 1931 and opened the craft shop "Takumi" in the city the following year. In 1933, Yoshida opened a shop by the same name in Tokyo's Ginza district. Both shops are still in operation as of 2023.


Tottori Prefectural Museum

The Tottori Prefectural Museum (鳥取県立博物館, Tottori Kenritsu Hakubutsukan) is the prefectural museum of Tottori, Japan, dedicated to the nature, history, folklore, and art of the region. It holds over three thousand items from the permanent collection.


Tottori Sand Museum

An indoor exhibition centre dedicated to sand sculptures. The Museum regularly hosts guest artists who make sand sculptures for display. The yearly exhibits start in April and lasts until January of the following year. The sand sculptures are then deliberately removed to make space for new exhibits. The chief sculptor for the museums is Katsuhiko Chaen. The sand is sourced from a road building project.


Sports facilities

* Axis Bird Stadium * Yamata Sports Park Stadium


Shrines and temples

* Kannon-in, whose
Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...
is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty of JapanTottori City Sightseeing: Kannon-in Garden
/ref> *
Kōzen-ji is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Tendai sect located in the city of Komagane, Nagano, Japan. It is one of the five major Tendai temples in the Shinetsu region of Japan. Its main image is a '' hibutsu'' statue of Fudō Myō-ō. History ...
, family temple of the Ikeda Clan * Mount Misumi * Ōchidani Shrine * Ube shrine, former ''
ichinomiya is a Japanese language, Japanese historical term referring to the Shinto shrines with the highest rank in a Provinces of Japan, province. Shrines of lower rank were designated , , , and so forth.''Encyclopedia of Shinto'' ''Ichi no miya'' retr ...
'' of Inaba Province


National Historic Sites

* Aoyakamiji Site * Fuse Kofun * Ifukibe-no-Tokotari grave * Inaba Provincial Capital ruins * Kajiyama Kofun * Tochimoto temple ruins * Tottori Castle * Tottori Domain Ikeda clan cemetery


Other attractions

* Jinpūkaku, French Renaissance-style residence of the
Ikeda clan was a Japanese clan that claimed descent from Minamoto no Yorimitsu (948-1021) of the Seiwa Genji. Minamoto no Yasumasa, the fourth generation descending from Yorimitsu, and younger brother of Minamoto no Yorimasa (1104-1180), was the first to ...
* Shikano Castle *
Tottori Sand Dunes file:Tottori-Sakyu Tottori Japan.JPG, 250px, Tottori Sand Dunes The are sand dunes located outside the city center of Tottori, Tottori, Tottori in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. At a length of and less than wide, it is the largest sand dune in ...


Culture

* Kaigara Bushi, a folk song


References


External links

* *
Tottori Sightseeing Association
{{Authority control Cities in Tottori Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan Tottori (city)