If you’re traveling to WESTERN TOTTORI soon, here’s our YONAGO-DAISEN travel guide with sample YONAGO-DAISEN ITINERARY, list of things TO DO, and budget breakdown. If you’re much more interested in TOTTORI CITY or KURAYOSHI CITY, check out this post instead: TOTTORI CITY travel GUIDE.
Even when I was severely struggling to walk, it was not challenging whatsoever to be in a contemplative mood. It was our first day in Daisen. The crisp air and the fresh snow were the first to greet us. just a few moments before, a quick dusting added another layer to the already thick blanket of snow. I am no ski-virgin, but this would be my first time to try snowshoeing. With snowshoes firmly fastened and ski poles lightly gripped, we began our trek through the bare forest to the temple up in the mountain.
Where I’m from, Mt. Daisen is unheard of. When we think of Japanese mountains, there typically is only one that pops in mind: the renowned snow-capped Mt. Fuji. but Japan’s wrinkled terrain is blessed with numerous other peaks. one of the most culturally significant is Mt. Daisen in Tottori Prefecture. At the best angle, it looks like Fuji too, only smaller, but its significance goes beyond appearances. The volcanic Mt. Daisen is the most revered mountain in the country. In fact, for many of its history, locals believed that the mountain itself is a god.
Mt. Daisen is a center of mountain worship in Japan. It is so sacred that up until the Edo period (Tokugawa era, 1603-1868), no one is allowed to climb unless accompanied by an assigned monk. It is of great spiritual significance to the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism and the syncretic Shugendō religion.
Mt. Daisen is just one of the numerous destinations in store for you on this side of Tottori Prefecture!
WHAT’S covered IN THIS GUIDE?
UNDERSTANDING YONAGO and DAISEN
BEST TIME TO visit YONAGO CITY
HOW TO get TO YONAGO CITYYONAGO KITARO airport TO CITY CENTER
TOTTORI CITY TO YONAGO CITY
MANILA TO YONAGO CITY
OTHER JAPAN DESTINATIONS TO YONAGO CITY
WHERE TO stay IN YONAGO CITYSearch for much more Yonago Hotels
HOW TO get around YONAGO CITYYonago Buses
Unlimited Bus Pass
THINGS TO do in WEST TOTTORIYonago City Tour
Daisen White resort Skiing
Snowshoeing at Mt. Daisen
Daisenji Temple
Sakaiminato fishing Port Tour
Mizuki Shigeru road and Museum
Conan Town
Tottori Hanakairo flower Park
Other places to visit in Tottori Prefecture
WHERE TO eat IN YONAGO and DAISEN
SAMPLE YONAGO-DAISEN ITINERARY
MORE YONAGO travel suggestions FOR THE poor TRAVELER
OUR YONAGO-DAISEN slam BOOK
FREQUENTLY ASKED questions about YONAGO & DAISENIs Yonago safe?
What is tipping policy in Yonago?
Is Yonago a better base for travelers than Tottori City?
How long to stay in Yonago or Daisen?
What is the power socket used in Yonago?
Do I need a visa to visit Japan?
More suggestions on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️Related Posts:
UNDERSTANDING YONAGO and DAISEN
Yonago City and Daisen town are both on the western end of Tottori Prefecture. With only 500,000 residents, it is the least populated prefecture in Japan. It’s composed of four cities — Tottori City (the capital), Yonago, Kurayoshi, and Sakaiminato — and 15 towns, numerous of which lie in the foothills of its renowned mountains, including Mt. Daisen.
This isn’t Mt. Fuji. This is Tottori’s Mt Daisen!
Yonago City is the second largest and second many populous city in Tottori Prefecture, next only to Tottori City. It is the commercial and transportation hub of Western Tottori.
This travel guide focuses on Western Tottori, spanning the Yonago City, Sakaiminato, and Daisen. We also included Kurayoshi City because it’s easily available from there.
Tottori Prefecture enjoys a relatively low cost of living. compared to Tokyo or even Osaka, you’ll find your yen having much more purchasing power here because much of the produce is sourced locally, a testament to the richness of the area in natural resources. the best part is, things are less expensive but the quality is often better. For example, one of the prefecture’s essential products is Tottori beef, a premium-grade melt-in-your-mouth precursor to other highly revered but insanely expensive Kobe beef, Matsusaka beef, and Omi beef.
Other info you need to know:
Language: Japanese (Nihongo). The majority of the locals seldom speak English, but many of the signs and other traveler promotional materials have English translations.
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY, ¥). JPY 1000 is around USD 8.80, SGD 12.2, EUR 7.80, PHP 466 (as of November 2018).
Modes of payment: cash is king here. numerous high-end establishments also accept credit report card transactions, but cash is still preferred.
Electricity Info: 100V. type A sockets. Plugs have two flat pins. type B is in some cases used but not that common.
BEST TIME TO visit YONAGO CITY
Like many of Japan, Tottori enjoys a temperate climate, which implies four distinct seasons. The summer months of June and July are the wettest and hottest, while the winter season months of January and February the driest and coldest.
That said, compared to that of other essential Japan destinations, Tottori’s summer isn’t really that hot, and winter season not that harsh. check out the graph by the climate change knowledge Portal below.
Tottori Prefecture is a year-round destination. Each season provides different experiences. The “best” season depends on what you want to enjoy. For example, I’m a winter season guy, so I’m always partial to the cold months, even in Tottori. winter season brings fantastic ocean bounty including the highly sought-after matsuba-gani (snow crabs) and mosa-ebi (stalwart shrimps). I also delighted in skiing down the slopes of Mt. Daisen!
HOW TO get TO YONAGO CITY
Tottori Prefecture has two commercial airports, and both are extremely cool: the Tottori Sanyu Conan airport in Tottori City and Yonago Kitaro airport in Sakaiminato. Both airports were named after well-known Japanese manga, Detective Conan and GeGeGe no Kitaro.
Although the name suggests otherwise, the Yonago Kitaro airport is actually located in Sakaiminato, not in Yonago, but it’s still pretty accessible. It connects the area to mostly domestic destinations and Hong Kong and Incheon (Seoul).
Many travelers visit Yonago as part of a grander Japan itinerary. Usually, they come from Tottori City, Osaka, or Hiroshima.
YONAGO KITARO airport TO CITY CENTER
To get to the city center, you have plenty of options. Let’s use JR Yonago station as your destination in the city. travel time is 30 minutes.
By Train. walk to JR Yonago station and take the JR Sakai Line to YONAGO. Fare: ¥240.
By Bus. Fare: ¥590.
By Taxi. Fare: over ¥4000.
TOTTORI CITY TO YONAGO CITY
If you’re coming from Tottori City and you want to travel by train, you have 3 options from JR Tottori Station:
Limited express very Oki or very Matsukaze. travel time: 60-65 minutes. Fare: ¥1660. Seat Fee: ¥1500 if reserved, ¥1180 if non-reserved.
Tottori Liner. travel time: 102 minutes. Fare: ¥1660. No seat fee.
JR San-in Line. travel time: 140 minutes. Fare: ¥1660. No seat fee.
MANILA TO YONAGO CITY
Hong Kong Airlines, Asiana Airlines, and All Nippon Airways can all take you to Yonago but with a stop in Hong Kong, Incheon and Tokyo respectively. If you book with ANA, be aware that they fly to Yonago from Haneda. For a much more problem-free journey, make sure that you’re connecting at the same airport.
Another way to reach Yonago from Manila is to fly to Osaka or Fukuoka. A lot of Airlines connect Manila to Kansai Airport, including Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines.
From Kansai airport or Fukuoka, you need to take a bus to the city center and then take another bus to Yonago City.
OTHER JAPAN DESTINATIONS TO YONAGO CITY
From Kansai Airport
From Osaka City center (Namba OCAT)
From Fukuoka Airport
From Fukuoka City center (Hakata Station)
From Hiroshima
WHERE TO stay IN YONAGO CITY
Yonago City is a great base for travelers who want to see much of Tottori Prefecture. It’s surrounded by other interesting destinations like Daisen and Sakaiminato, which are all easily available from here.
You ought to also consider spending at least one night in Daisen if you plan on doing lots of snow activities or explore much of Mt. Daisen.
Here are the budget-friendly properties in YONAGO with the best reviews on Agoda.
Yonago Washington hotel Plaza. check rates & Availability.
Super hotel Yonago Ekimae. check rates & Availability.
Ou Hotel. check rates & Availability.
Kaike Tsuruya Hotel. check rates & Availability.
Hotel harvest in Yonago. check rates & Availability.
Toyoko Inn Yonago Ekimae. check rates & Availability.
Search for much more Yonago Hotels
HOW TO get around YONAGO CITY
Tottori is the least populous prefecture in Japan, so transportation options are quite limited. but it’s still easy to get around if you know your way.
Please note that IC Cards like ICOCA and PASMO/SUICA are currently only accepted in limited areas in Yonago, Higashiyamakoen, Hoki-Daisen and Neu, all of which are on the western side of the prefecture. Yonago station and a few stations have automatic ticket gates for IC card. Tottori station and Kurayoshi station don’t have them yet. Buses in Tottori don’t either. It is still a bit behind in terms of IC card usage.
Yonago Buses
For tourists, there are three buses that you’re many likely gonna use to explore Yonago City.
Dandan Bus, aka Yonago loop Bus. This will take you to many essential spots in Yonago city. Fare: ¥150.
Donguri Korokoro Bus, aka Yodoe-cho loop Bus. Yodoe-cho used to be a separate town but was merged with Yonago City in 2005. Fare: ¥150.
Daisen loop Bus. This will take you from Yonago to essential attractions in Daisen. It’s a SEASONAL SERVICE. It does not operate all year, but only from late April to late November. It typically runs on weekends and holidays only. but it has daily service in the following periods: Japan’s golden Week, late July to mid-August, and late October to early November. Fare: ¥160-¥720. If you’re planning on taking this bus often, get a pass. One-day pass costs ¥1000. Two-day pass, ¥1300.
Unlimited Bus Pass
If you’re spending 3 days in Tottori Prefecture, you can score big savings if you purchase an limitless ride Pass (aka 3-Day wooden Ticket), which will allow you to take as numerous bus rides as you can around the prefecture. Yep, it’s NOT limited to Yonago City. You can use this pass even in cities in Eastern and central Tottori.
Fare: ¥1800
Validity: 3 days
Below is a list of buses that accept this pass:
Fixed-route buses serving Tottori Prefecture (i.e. Nihon Katsu, Hinomaru Bus)
Dandan Bus (Yonago loop Bus)
Donguri Korokoro Bus (Yodoe-cho loop Bus)
Daisen loop Bus
Yonago airport shuttle Bus (Yonago Station-Tottori Station)
Loop Kirinjishi Bus
Kukuri Bus (Tottori City circular Bus)
Iwami-cho town Bus
Tottori airport shuttle Bus (Tottori Airport-Tottori station loop Kirinjishi Bus)
You can get one at the following spots.
YONAGO CITY
Bus terminal in front of Yonago Station
Yonago City traveler information Center
Yonago airport information Center
Hakuho no Sato
Kaike Onsen Ryokan Union
DAISEN
Daisen traveler information Center
TOTTORI CITY
Bus terminal in front of Tottori Station
Tottori City information Desk
Tottori Airport
KURAYOSHI/MISASA
Nihon Kotsu Kurayoshi Bus Center
Misasa hot Springs tourism Association
Bus Plaza
Hotel St. palace Kurayoshi
THINGS TO do in WEST TOTTORI
Yonago City Tour
Here are some places you might want to check out in Yonago City.
Kaike Onsen. This is a hot spring area along the coast of Yonago, lined with practically a dozen spas and baths. The main attraction here is the warm water that comes from the seafloor, believed to have healing benefits, among others.
Yonago Castle Ruins. In Japan, many great cities have had their own castle at one point in their history. but like Tottori City’s, the castle of Yonago no longer stands. Yonago Castle was destroyed in late 1800s in time for Meiji Restoration. What remains are the base structures.
Yonago City museum of Art. located at Nakamachi 12, this is an art gallery that houses permanent collections of photographs of Tottori’s homegrown talents like Teikō Shiotani and Shōji Ueda. It also exhibits several paintings and other pieces. Open: Thursdays-Tuesdays, 10am-6pm. Closed: Wednesdays. entrance Fee: ¥310.
Kotobuki Castle of Sweets. This souvenir shop is built after the image of the Yonago Castle back in the day. inside is a store selling desserts and seafood products and a cafe. hours open: Daily, 9am-6pm.
Daisen White resort Skiing
Location: Daisen
The slopes of the mountain are home to several snow resorts. Whether you’re a beginner or a much more seasoned skier, you’ll find a ski resort that matches your needs. If you’re like me who is just starting out, you can hire a skiing instructor.
One of the most popular is Daisen White Resort, which is just a short walk from Daisen traveler information center and bus stop. This is where I learned to ski.
LIFT FEES
1-day ticket (weekend, holiday): ¥4,900 adult, ¥3500 child
1-day ticket (weekday): ¥4,300 adult, ¥3500 child
2-day ticket: ¥8600 adult, ¥6500 child
Parent-child ticket: ¥7300
Half-day ticket: (9am-1pm or 11:30am-5pm): ¥3700 adult, ¥2200 child
Nighta ticket (5-9pm): ¥2500
Long night ticket (3pm-9pm): ¥3000
A ¥500 safety and security deposit is also collected per person.
Please note that there are periods of the year when the weekday discount isn’t applied.
RENTAL RATES
Ski set (ski, boots): ¥3,800 on weekends and holidays, ¥3400 on weekdays
Snowboard set (board, boots): ¥3,800 on weekends and holidays, ¥3400 on weekdays
Snow wear (top and bottom set): ¥3,800 on weekends and holidays, ¥3400 on weekdays
Daisen White resort is typically open from late December to March.
How to get there: From JR Yonago Station, take the Daisen loop Bus to Daisenji. From the bus stop, you can walk to Daisen White Resort. Tra