Tottori, Jun 15, 2023 (CNN) - Sprawling heaps of golden grains of sand rise in peaks toward the hot sun. From the base of the desert’s tallest dune, a bright blue sky peeks out from beyond the vast expanse.
You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d landed in the Middle East. But these are the Tottori Sand Dunes, wedged along the coast of Japan’s sparsely populated San’in region, the country’s very own slice of desert.
The dunes extend 16 kilometers (10 miles) across the coast, with their tallest peaks jutting over 45 meters (150 feet) high. They’ve been around for thousands of years, but are slowly disappearing – not because of climate change, but because of the community’s efforts to protect the planet.
A dwindling treasure
The Tottori dunes are located on the western coast of Honshu, Japan’s largest and most populous island.
Tottori is Japan’s least populous prefecture. Osaka is about 200 km (124 miles) away; Hiroshima is 300 km (186) miles in the other direction.
鳥取砂丘のオアシスにふる雨の様子を動画で撮影。
— 鳥取砂丘ビジターセンター (@Sakyu_visitor) June 14, 2023
静かなところで音量を上げて聞いてみると、
雨粒が水面に落ちる音も楽しめます。 pic.twitter.com/m9RpN3J5bL
The dunes were formed over the course of 100,000 years, as sand transported from the nearby Chūgoku Mountains via the Sendai River was deposited into the Sea of Japan. Over the centuries, wind and currents moved the sand back onto the shore. ...continue reading
