Hawai Onsen - Splendid Nature And Hot Springs Near Kurayoshi, Tottori

Hawai Onsen - Excellent Hot Springs in Central Tottori

Picture courtesy of ©Tottori Pref.

Tottori Prefecture has many famous places to visit from east to west, such as the Tottori Sand Dunes and Uradome Coast in the eastern part, and Mt. Daisen and anime-related sightseeing spots in the western part of the prefecture.

If you haven’t decided where to stay on a trip to all the great places in Tottori, we bring you Hawai Onsen, a town located in the central part of Tottori Prefecture. In addition to the wonderful scenery that will make a great background in your photos, delicious local cuisine, and hot springs, another great advantage is the location of this town, which makes it easier to reach both the eastern and western parts of Tottori.

In this article, we will introduce the must-see places in the eastern and western parts of Tottori, along with the charming points of Hawai Onsen, which is located mid-way between east and west.

Great Places to Visit in Tottori while Staying at Hawai Onsen

Hawai Onsen can be easily reached by taking the Nihon Kotsu bus on the Hashizu Line from the bus terminal in front of JR Kurayoshi Station (about 16 minutes).

You can get to JR Kurayoshi Station either from JR Tottori Station, which is ideal as the start point of your sightseeing trip to eastern Tottori, or from JR Yonago Station, if you plan on sightseeing in western Tottori. It will take about 30 minutes from either of these stations by the limited express train.

Picture courtesy of Tottori Prefecture

If you’re visiting from Osaka, use the Pyonpyon Kani bus to get to Hawai Onsen or Misasa Onsen.

If you get on the 9:00 bus that departs from Plaza Motor Pool (Osaka City, Kita Ward, Toyosaki 3-10-9), you should arrive at Hawai Onsen at 14:15, with a stop for lunch at Tottori Sand Dunes (the estimated lunchtime is a little bit over one hour).

Getting back to Osaka is just as easy. If you take the bus that departs from Hawai Onsen at 14:45, you should reach Osaka Station at around 19:15, with a 30-minute break. A round-trip ticket costs 4,800 yen for adults and 4,300 yen for students/children (*1).

Ticket reservations for the Pyonpyon Kani Bus can be made at the ryokan you're staying at in Hawai Onsen. For example, if you decide on stayng at Sennentei, the ryokan introduced in this artticle below, you can inquire about it when making your room reservation.

*1: The Pyonpyon Kani Bus will be operating until March 31, 2019.

For further information on traveling to Tottori, please refer to the following article.

Eastern Tottori - Tottori Sand Dunes, The Sand Museum, Tottori Castle

In the photo, upper left corner: Tottori Castle; upper right corner: The Sand Museum; down: Tottori Sand Dunes

The city of Tottori is located in the central area of eastern Tottori. Close to it lie the largest and breathtakingly magical sand dunes in Japan: the Tottori Sand Dunes.

In the vicinity of the dunes, you’ll find the world’s one and only Sand Museum, displaying sand sculptures, as well as Uradome Coast, whose crystal clear sea has a transparency of up to 25 meters in depth.

Furthermore, you can also visit the Tottori City to admire the fascinating view of the Tottori Castle site.

Western Tottori - Mt. Daisen, Mizuki Shigeru Road, Wagyu and Seafood Cuisine

In the photo, up: Mt. Daisen (the left photo is from The Tottori Daisen Tour - From Fine Cuisine To Museums); down left: snow crab; down right: Tottori Wagyu beef

Western Tottori has Yonago City in its center, which is close to Mr. Daisen. This mountain is renowned countrywide for its wonderful scenery and for the mountain religion that developed here long ago. Nowadays, Mt. Daisen is a popular location for winter sports and hiking in the summer.

Mizuki Shigeru Road, inspired by the popular manga “GeGeGe no Kitaro”, is located in Sakaiminato City, about 50 minutes by train from Yonago.

At the foot of Mt. Daisen there are many restaurants that provide dishes made with the some of the best Japanese beef, which is produced in the area. Sakaiminato also boasts one of the most prominent fishing ports in Japan. In other wrds, visitors to western Tottori can enjoy excellent beef and seafood dishes.

Hawai Onsen - Beautiful Views and Japanese Bath Culture

Picture courtesy of ©Tottori Pref.

Hawai Onsen is a hot spring town located on the shore of Lake Togo. Its tradition dates back to the Edo Period, and it has many ryokans (Japanese inns) where you can relish great cuisine and onsen baths.

The hot spring that gushes forth from the bottom of Lake Togo is said to be good in treating neuralgia, muscular pain, and arthralgia, thanks to its high ratio of sodium chloride. If you wish to rest both your body and soul, just relax at a bath while enjoying the view of Lake Togo.

At Hawai Onsen, you can enjoy outdoor activities, as well.

The Best Three Activities to Enjoy at Hawai Onsen

Picture courtesy of ©Tottori Pref.

1. Leisure Sports

There is a walking course around Lake Togo. By taking up this activity, you can admire the scenery of the lake shore and visit ancient shrines and mesmerizing waterfalls while doing Nordic walking.

Visitors to Hawai Onsen can also test their skill at cycling or ground golf.

2. Visiting Unique Sightseeing Spots

There are several unique sightseeing spots to visit nearby, as well. One especially popular is Enchoen, the largest Chinese garden in Japan, built according to the preference of past Chinese emperors. There are several Chinese-style buildings standing in this garden.

The Yurihama area is home to Nokyo, a garden with more than 1,000 plum trees that go in full bloom in February. Visitors can admire them with Lake Togo and the Sea of Japan in the background.

In early summer, on the other hand, you can admire white and purple irises at Ayame Pond in the Lake Togo Hawai Lakeside Park.

3. The Local Foot Baths

There are seven public ashiyu (foot baths) in Hawai Onsen that can be used free of charge. They all have peculiar designs – for example, one is at the bus stop and you can sit on the bus stop bench soaking your feet in the ashiyu while another one is boat-shaped. Remember to bring your own towel when trying the ashiyu baths!

Enjoy Japan's Bathing Culture at Hawai Onsen: Sennentei, the Floating Ryokan

Picture courtesy of Sennentei
There are several Japanese inns at Hawai Onsen. We would like to introduce Sennentei, a well-established ryokan that was built more than one hundred years ago.

Sennentei is located on a small island-like structure soaring up above the waters of Lake Togo. This is why, depending on the angle you’re looking from, the ryokan seems to be floating above the water.

Although the interior is full of the high-class appeal of a distinguished ryokan, the price for a room, meals included, on a weekday (2 persons per one room) is only about 10,000 - 20,000 yen per person, and there are many rooms to choose from for that price.

Near the check-in counter, you’ll find yukatas and obi (kimono belts) of various colors and types, so choose the one to your liking to wear during your stay.

The traditional Japanese interior will make you feel as if you’re staying at a luxurious hotel. The view of the vast lake and of the surrounding mountains, visible from every room, is fantastic.

Sennentei’s Baths with Spectacular Lake Views

Picture courtesy of Sennentei
At Sennentei, guests can enjoy several different baths, such as Kosuke-yu and Sennen no Yu, which have open-air baths, or Senryo no Yu and Manryo no Yu, where you can enjoy the view of the lake from the room, and many more.

The open-air baths are built in such a way as to appear as part of the lake, so it feels as if you’re bathing in the lake itself. It is hard to believe that there is any other place that gives one such an exhilarating sensation when admiring a lake.

Picture courtesy of Sennentei
In order to have a great time in the bathing area, head to the changing room first and store your clothes and valuables in the locker.

Upon entering the bathing area, you should first wash up, both your body and hair. After you’ve finished, you can enter the hot spring bath. If you want to relax in the open-air bath in the winter, first soak for a while indoors to warm up. If you wish to learn more about Japan's onsen culture, take a look at this MATCHA article.

Picture courtesy of Sennentei
If you enjoy getting up early, how about bathing in the morning, too? It is a very pleasant experience, especially if you get to gaze upon the rising sun, admire the birds, or watch the fish swimming in the lake.

Savor Tottori’s Trademark Seafood and Beef at Sennentei

Sennentei also gives its guests the opportunity to taste Tottori’s famous foods such as crab and Japanese beef. Each meal course is special as it includes seasonal ingredients, but our recommendation is the Tottori beef course.

Our evening course started with fried tempura and fresh sashimi. Then, we had Tottori beef grilled at the table in front of us, and fresh fish and vegetable hot pot (nabe in Japanese).

Tottori beef is known by the brand name Orein 55 (Oleic 55). The reason for this naming is that this beef is especially rich in Oleic acid, which is believed to be a preventive for lifestyle diseases.

The breakfast is served as a buffet and features Japanese and western-style dishes. As for the Japanese cuisine, guests can enjoy seafood and handmade tofu, local rice, salad, and dishes made with eggs.

After a feast such as this, you’ll feel full of zest for the rest of your trip!

Millennium Pavilion

4-62 Hawaionsen, Yurihama-cho, Tohaku-gun, Tottori 682-0715

Stop by Kurayoshi - A Historic Cityscape near Hawai Onsen

In addition to the above-mentioned sites, central Tottori also boasts the nostalgic townscape of Kurayoshi's White Wall Warehouses distrcit, Misasa Onsen, a hot spring resort that is just as loved as Hawai Onsen, and the world of the popular manga “Detective Conan” at Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory.

Why not visit these sites, too, on your way to visiting all the charming areas of eastern and western Tottori?

Find out more about other great travel destinations on the official website of Tottori Prefecture: http://www.tottori-tour.jp/en/

Also, remember to check out MATCHA’s special feature on Tottori as well!

Sponsored by Tottori Prefecture