Jeweled Waters around the Dunes of Tattori

Jewel-like waters and a clean rocky bay

Our next day on the North Coast of Honshu proved to be problematic. After leaving the beach hideaway, we followed the coast to the next town, Kazumi and turned inland planning to transit to the south coast. This was unexpectedly complex because the roads out of Kazumi were confusing and crisscrossed. After stopping at a wayside temple adorned with Japanese classical painting we wound our way south, stopping off an a huge and gross Buddhist temple atop a high hill which charged 800 yen, about 10 dollars NZ to view three giant Buddhas.

By contrast with Zen temples which are tasteful and integrally natural in their appreciation for trees and the use of gardens as a central expression of spirituality, this had huge buildings and temple guardians three times larger than usual, echoing some of the grosser aspects of Buddhist idolatrous worship we have seen in South East Asia and Tibet.

When we tried to continue south however, we found everyone giving us the crossed hands in an X indicating the road was blocked. We thus were forced to drive back north to sample more of the wild coast and along to Tottori, which was a blessing, because the water was clear and jewel-like with sumptuous little bays as if in a wonderland reminiscent of "Avatar".

At Tottori, there are famous kilometre wide, high sand dunes which became the title and implicit context of the movie "Woman of the Dunes". These were searing hot in the freak September heatwave sunshine and crossing to the highest one was like crossing the Sahara. In fact, if you wanted to pay the money, you could cross on camel back for a hefty fee.

Panoramas of the same bay

Temple at Kazumi with classical painting exhibit

Heading inland in the hopes of crossing the mountains to the south

A huge grotesque Buddhist temple belonging to a new cult

At this point we discovered the roads over the mountains south were blocked s we detoured back to the coast losing 30 kms but arriving at more absolutely beautiful jewel-like coastline.

A beach as we neared Tottori

The coast road to the Tottori giant sand dunes.

The dunes are absolutely huge.

Tiny people in the distance going up the dune

Tiny people below on the beach

Dune panorama

Camels and horses for the day was stinking hot like the Middle East