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[title]Japan’s culture is unmatched. The food? Elite. But while you’re out learning history lessons and filling your belly up with soul food, don’t forget about Japan’s natural scenery – it’s so beautiful that photos won’t do it justice. Taking a look beyond the hotspots can lead you to some of the most spectacular natural wonders – we’re talking just as breathtaking as Mt Fuji and sakura in bloom.
In the country’s scenic Chugoku region, a five-prefecture area with Hiroshima at the centre, two natural sights remain relatively undiscovered by travellers. The Tottori Sand Dunes are a 16-kilometre stretch of steep sand on the Sea of Japan in Tottori Prefecture, and Sandankyo Gorge is a 13-kilometre forested gorge in the lush mountains of Hiroshima Prefecture.
Here’s how to discover them at your own pace.
Hike and boat ride at Sandankyo Gorge
After an 80-minute bus ride northwest of Hiroshima City, you’ll arrive at Sandankyo Gorge where the lush Shibaki River runs through the Chugoku Mountains. The gorge has been designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty by the national government's Agency for Cultural Affairs and the wider town of Akiota holds certification as a Forest Therapy Base, with a network of trails available for anyone in need of some mindful time in nature.
Let your stresses melt away along the riverside trail from Sandankyo to Kurobuchi, which is dotted with emerald pools and waterfalls. Once you reach the end of the 50-minute walk, travellers can continue by traditional wooden boat deeper into the gorge through cedar-lined scenery or pay a visit to the riverside restaurant, Kurobuchiso, known for its grilled local sweetfish. Visit in the warmer months if you want to spot fireflies and join guided walking and boat tours, which are available from dawn to dusk.
Sandboard at Tottori Sand Dunes
More than 100,000 years ago the Tottori Sand Dunes came to be as the nearby Sendai River was washed out to sea and redeposited along the coast. Today, the sea tides and wind continue to shape the dunes providing an ever-changing, otherworldly landscape. Travellers can take in the watercolour coast of the Sea of Japan and walk along the vast expanse of sand, which leads off in all other directions and disappears into the horizon as it stretches out 16 kilometres long and two kilometres wide.
Feel worlds away with a walk through the dune, a peruse of the one-of-a-kind sand sculptures at the adjacent Sand Museum, a shot at sandboarding down the slopes or even paragliding overhead. Forming part of the San’in Kaigan UNESCO Global Geopark, Tottori Sand Dunes are accessible by rail and buses available to drop you off in the morning or at noon.