1 of 7 Tottori Sand Dunes: Discover Japan’s desert that is on the verge of disappearing Photo: Getty Images Tottori Sand Dunes: Discover the desert in Japan that is on the verge of disappearing Photo: Getty Images
Attracting around 1.2 million tourists each year, the Tottori Sand Dunes are located near the Sea of Japan in San’in Kaigan Geopark, part of UNESCO’s Global Network of Geoparks. However, due to a reforestation project by the Japanese government after the end of World War II, this “desert” is in danger of disappearing.
2 of 7 The Tottori Desert is located in the San’in Kaigan Geopark, near the Sea of Japan Photo: Getty Images The Tottori Desert is located in the San’in Kaigan Geopark, near the Sea of Japan Photo: Getty Images
“Many pine trees have been planted on the coastal dunes along the Japanese archipelago to prevent sand turbulence. Coastal forest development began especially in the 20th century, when technology was more advanced. These plantations were so successful that many coastal dunes were converted into coastal fields and residential areas. And the dunes disappeared,” explained Dr. Dai Nagamatsu, a professor at Tottori University’s Faculty of Agriculture, told CNN.
3 of 7 The starry nights of Tottori Dunes also attract visitors Photo: Getty Images The starry nights of Tottori Dunes also attract visitors Photo: Getty Images
The strategy aimed to convert the sandy land to farmland to help feed local families, prevent damage to buildings from sandstorms, and “revitalize” the environment after the rigors of war. However, the initiative resulted in the “desert” shrinking drastically: today it is only 12% of its original size.
4 of 7 The Reforestation Project shrank the ‘Desert’ to just 12% of its original size Photo: Getty Images The Reforestation Project shrank the ‘Desert’ to just 12% of its original size Photo: Getty Images
To prevent the Tottori sand dunes from disappearing entirely, tour operators and scientists decided to put the project on hold and ask the community to preserve part of the desert, both for future research and for the economic health of the country’s hospitality industry . Since 1991, volunteers have gathered to uproot vegetation growing in space. In addition, the Tottori Prefecture Government is bringing in additional sand to supplement the dunes and is taking other measures to protect the region.
5 of 7 Vegetation continues to encroach on the terrain Photo: Getty Images Vegetation continues to encroach on the terrain Photo: Getty Images
Currently, the Tottori “desert” covers 160 hectares and occupies about 16 km of the west coast of the island of Honshu, the most populated island in Japan. With dunes up to 45 meters high, the eccentric landscape attracts tourists from all over the world, who can also visit the Sand Museum, enjoy the place’s starry nights and taste the “sand biscuits”, made of ginger and coated with sugar confectionery, that are sold in shops and cafes are sold.
6 of 7 Various activities can be performed in Tottori’s “Desert” Photo: Getty Images Various activities can be performed in Tottori’s “Desert” Photo: Getty Images
According to Condé Nast Traveler, the Tottori “Desert” took about 100,000 years to form: Sand from the Chugoku Mountains was transported to this site via the Sendai River and eventually deposited in the Sea of Japan. In a work lasting centuries, wind and water currents brought the sand back to the shore.
7 of 7 The dunes made famous by two Japanese writers Photo: Getty Images The dunes made famous by two Japanese writers Photo: Getty Images
The Tottori Sand Dunes were little known until 1923, when their landscape was featured in a poem by Japanese writer Takeo Arishima, depicting a tragic romance between the author and a married woman. After a visit to the “desert”, the two took their own lives and the case attracted mass tourists to the region. Later, in 1962, the dunes were the setting for the famous novel The Woman of the Dunes by Kobo Abe.