Tottori

What to see and do in Tottori

Tottori is a relatively unexplored prefecture in Japan, which is surprising considering it contains the largest sand dunes in the country - sand dunes in Japan? Yes, that’s exactly right. I had no idea that this existed until I started researching! The sand dunes are apparently built from sediment from the nearby Chugoku Mountains that gets washed back from the sea due to strong currents and wind from the Sea of Japan and then form dunes that can span up to 50 metres high.

But that’s not all this quiet prefecture has to offer, it also has the most dangerous national treasure in the form of the Nageiredo Temple that sits on a cliff edge at the top of the 900m tall Mount Mitoku (nearly as tall as England’s largest mountain Scafell Pike at 978m). To get to the temple you have to climb, rather than hike, up the natural surfaces of the mountain as there are no paths made by humans to help, the only aide being some chains that you can grab on to whilst pulling yourself up!

For those of you who don’t want to risk your life when on holiday, there are other more gentle parts of Tottori as well, such as the Misasa Onsen, which apparently has amazing curative powers due to being the world’s most radium-enriched hot spring. Not only can you heal all your ailments (of which there may be many if you took a trip up Mount Mitoku), but legend has it that if you are single and you rub the frog on the Koitani Bridge, you will find a spouse (hopefully that’s what you wanted!).

Tottori sounds like a quiet prefecture, which hasn’t really been touched by tourism too much yet. I expect it will have some strong traditional Japanese culture, given how isolated it’s been for so long. With a few interesting geological sites too, it would be worth a visit. If not for the sites, then at least for the main reason we are here…

Gyukotsu ramen

Ramen in Japan generally comes from pork or chicken bones but in Tottori the broth comes from beef bones instead. This is unique to the prefecture and even the folk in Tottori didn’t realise it was not common across Japan until after 2000 when food bloggers started writing about it. One of the reasons beef bones were introduced was that after the Second World War, chicken bones were expensive to purchase whereas beef bones were considered waste and therefore they were free. Initially the broth was a mixture of both beef and pork bones but gradually the pork bones got dropped. This may be in part due to the second reason beef bones were used, which was because repatriates after the war wanted to recreate the beef noodle soup they had in northeast China. Some believe the origin may be related to Lanzhou beef noodles. However it happened, it sounds interesting and delicious.

The broth is clear and golden-amber. Long-simmered beef bones, often with a small proportion of pork, give it a sweetness that has no equivalent in chicken or pork stocks. Rendered beef fat is spooned over the surface of each bowl before serving, where it forms a thin aromatic layer reminiscent of a sukiyaki pan. Medium-thick noodles, soy tare, sliced chashu, bamboo shoots, spring onion, and plain kamaboko fish cake complete the standard bowl.

Beyond the bowl

Tottori snow crab Matsuba gani is pulled from the cold Sea of Japan between November and March and is considered among Japan’s finest. The coastal sand dunes grow rakkyo shallots and nagaimo yam in soils too light for most other crops. The Nijisseiki pear, round and pale and exceptionally juicy, is Tottori’s most famous agricultural export and has been grown here since the late nineteenth century.

Finally, oden (simmered fish cakes, konjac, and vegetables) is cooked in a dashi made from katsuobushi, dried shiira fish, kombu, and beef bone marrow. Customers at some traditional shops help themselves to oden from a pot near the entrance while waiting for their ramen. Doesn’t that just sound delightful?

Note: Konjac is a species of flowering plant that apparently is 97% water and has basically zero carbs, so people on low-calorie diets often eat this to feel satiated without adding calories.

What to eat

• Gyukotsu ramen: Clear beef bone broth, sweet and fragrant, finished with rendered beef fat — the taste that defines the prefecture
• Matsuba crab: Sea of Japan snow crab, in season from November to March
• Nijisseiki pears: Tottori’s most famous produce — light, juicy, and aromatic
• Rakkyo: Pickled coastal shallots; earthy and sharp, served as a condiment
• Oden at gyukotsu shops: Simmered in a broth enriched with beef bone marrow — try it while waiting for ramen