Tottori

"Welcome to Tottori" sign as seen from my incoming plane at Tottori Airport.

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The infamous Tottori Sand Dune, or sakyu in Japanese.

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The Shan Shan Matsuri, Tottori's biggest annual festival, features elaborately-decorated umbrellas and dances. With the largest amount of precipitation in western Japan, Tottori is often symbolized by the ubiquitous umbrella.

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The Uradome shoreline, part of the Sanin Coast National Park.

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Soaking in one of Tottori's many famous natural hot springs.

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One of Tottori's secret treasures is the Nageiredo Temple, hidden near the top of Mt. Mitoku. Built literally into the side of a mountain, the structure is nicknamed the "thrown in" temple for its apparent ability to defy gravity.

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Having the least amount of people in Japan means that Tottori has plenty of land left over for rice cultivation.

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Enchoen, an expansive Chinese garden in the central part of the prefecture,
celebrates Tottori's sister relationship with Hebei province in China.

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The first light of dawn at Togo Lake, right smack dab in Tottori's center.

click here for pictures of the lovely lakeside Bokoro ryokan!

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A couple shots of the impressive flower park in the western part of the prefecture. The dome encloses an area of perfectly controlled tropical weather, humidity and fauna. An ideal place to feel like I'm back in Hawaii for a while...

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Torippi, the official mascot of the Japan Expo 1997 that was held in Sakaiminato City.
What other place on earth would think of putting a beak on a pear?!

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Trying hard to harness one of Tottori's other attributes, the constant winds that whip in from the Japan Sea.

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One of my favorite Tottori pictures for lots of subtle reasons. Taken just five miles from my apartment, it captures the loneliness and solitude of life along the Japan Sea coast, which is largely devoid of people. The faded paint on the marker shows its age; the fact that it is still standing shows its resilience. The message reinforces the Japanese stereotypical fear of outsiders -- the sign says to call the police immediately if anyone strange is seen walking along the coast. Lastly, one can't help but wonder if the sign also warns against North Korean saboteurs, who kidnapped several unwitting Japanese citizens from remote areas along the Japan Sea in years past.

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Leaving Tottori for good, looking down for the last time on my home of the past 3 years. Just beyond the wing tip are the dirt tracks and buildings of Nishi Kogyo High School. The landscape is dominated by Koyama Lake, the namesake of Koyama-cho.