Location
Tottori Prefecture is located in the western part of Honshu, the main island of the Japanese archipelago, in the northeastern part of the Chugoku region. It is a long and narrow prefecture, spanning approximately 120 km east to west and between 20 and 50 km north to south. The northern part of the prefecture faces the Sea of Japan, bordered by a beautiful coastline decorated with green pines and white sand, including the Tottori Sand Dunes. To the south lie the Chugoku Mountains and the greatest peak in the region, Mount Daisen. Within the diverse topography of these mountainous areas, there are three major river basins in which open plains have formed. The prefecture’s central cities, Tottori, Kurayoshi, and Yonago, have developed in these three basins. The prefecture’s climate is relatively warm and displays brilliant changes between the four seasons, with mostly good weather between spring and autumn and snowfall in the winter. Moreover, because it suffers few typhoons and other natural disasters, Tottori truly has gentle climactic conditions.
Tottori At-A-Glance
- Area: 3,507 km2
- Population: Approximately 600,000
- Number of Households: Approximately 210,000
- Number of Municipalities: 4 cities, 14 towns, 1 village
- Prefectural Capital: Tottori City
The Origin of the Name “Tottori”
According to a passage in Japan’s oldest historical record, the Records of Ancient Matters, the Imperial Court in ancient Japan had birds caught from all over the country and ordered that these fowl to be paid to them as tax. At that time, the area now known as Tottori was a wetland filled with lakes and marshes, and many hunters resided there and made their living catching birds that gathered at the waterside. When a political administration took hold in ancient Japan these people were incorporated into the new system of government, and they were given the name “Tottoribe” (those who catch birds) as a means to subordinate them. Thus, the name “Tottori” was born to describe this area.