Tottori Prefecture

Tottori Prefecture, written as 鳥取県 in Japanese, is one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, located in the Chūgoku region on the island of Honshu. It is the least populous prefecture in the country, with a population of 538,525 as of 2023, and covers an area of 3,507 square kilometers. To its west lies Shimane Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture is to the southwest, Okayama Prefecture to the south, and Hyōgo Prefecture to the east. The capital and largest city is Tottori, followed by Yonago, Kurayoshi, and Sakaiminato. The prefecture is known for the Tottori Sand Dunes, Japan’s largest dune system, and Mount Daisen, the tallest peak in the Chūgoku Mountains. Despite its small population, Tottori households consume more coffee per capita than any other prefecture in Japan.

The name “Tottori” comes from two kanji: the first, 鳥, means “bird,” and the second, 取, means “to get.” Early residents caught waterfowl in the area, which were plentiful. The name first appears in the Nihon Shoki, in the 23rd year of Emperor Suinin’s reign (213 AD). According to the text, an elder from Izumo named Yukuha Tana presented a swan to the emperor. The imperial prince Homatsu-wake, then 30 years old, could not speak, but after playing with the swan, he learned to talk. Yukuha Tana was richly rewarded and given the title Tottori no Miyakko.

Archaeological evidence shows that Tottori Prefecture was settled early in Japan’s prehistoric period, with remains from the Jōmon period (14,000–300 BC). The largest known Yayoi period (300 BC–250 AD) settlement in Japan, the Mukibanda Yayoi remains, lies in the low foothills of Mount Daisen, spanning the cities of Daisen and Yonago. Numerous kofun tumuli from the Kofun period (250–538) are scattered across the prefecture. Under the Taika reforms of 645, the area became two provinces: Hōki and Inaba.

During the Genpei War (1180–1185), Tottori served as a base for anti-Taira forces, particularly at the temples Daisen-ji and Sanbutsu-ji. By the Kamakura period (1185–1333), shōen estates were established to support the imperial court and temples. In the Sengoku period (15th–17th century), various clans, notably the Yamana, controlled the region. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the area was pacified, and the Tokugawa shogunate placed the Ikeda clan at Tottori Castle. The Ikeda family governed the area throughout the Edo period (1603–1868), using its resources to support the shogunate.

The two provinces remained until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, and Tottori Prefecture’s current boundaries were set in 1888. Following Japan’s colonization of Korea and Taiwan, and the establishment of Manchukuo in 1932, Tottori’s harbors on the Sea of Japan became busy transit points for goods between Japan and its colonies. Before World War II ended, the 1943 Tottori earthquake, a magnitude 7.2 quake, destroyed 80% of Tottori city and heavily damaged the surrounding area. Postwar land reform greatly increased agricultural production in the prefecture.

Geographically, Tottori is home to the Tottori Sand Dunes, Japan’s only large dune system. As of April 1, 2012, 14% of the prefecture’s land was designated as Natural Parks, including Daisen-Oki and Sanin Kaigan National Parks; Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku and Hyōnosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Parks; and Misasa-Tōgōko, Nishi Inaba, and Okuhino Prefectural Natural Parks. Mount Misumi lies within the former Mochigase area, which merged into Tottori city in 2004.

The prefecture has four cities: Tottori, Yonago, Kurayoshi, and Sakaiminato. Towns and villages are organized into districts, and several mergers have occurred over time. According to Japanese census data, Tottori remains the least populated prefecture.

Economically, Tottori is heavily agricultural, shipping products like nashi pears, nagaimo yams, Japanese scallions, negi, and watermelons to major cities. It is also a major rice producer. Linguistically, the region once had extensive diversity. While the standard Tokyo dialect is now common, several other dialects are still used, many grouped with Western Japanese, including Chugoku and Umpaku dialects.

Sports teams based in Tottori include the football club Gainare Tottori, located in Yonago. Educational institutions include Tottori University, Tottori University of Environmental Studies, Tottori College, and Tottori College of Nursing.

Notable places in Tottori City include Jinpūkaku, a late Meiji period residence, and the Tottori Sand Dunes. In Daisen and Yonago, visitors find Mount Daisen, the highest peak in the Chūgoku Mountains, and the Mukibanda Yayoi remains, the largest Yayoi settlement site in Japan. In Yonago and Sakaiminato, Nakaumi, a brackish lake shared with Shimane Prefecture, is the fifth largest lake in Japan. Misasa features Misasa Onsen and Sanbutsu-ji, a Heian period temple designated a National Treasure. Sakaiminato is known for Kitarō Road, a street dedicated to Shigeru Mizuki.