Yonago Travel Guide

Mt. Daisen's bare rocky ridge rising above slopes covered in autumn colours.
Mt. Daisen in autumn · Photo: Reggaeman / CC BY-SA 3.0

The main city of western Tottori Prefecture, Yonago is the base for Kaike Onsen, a seaside hot spring town; Mizuki Shigeru Road in Sakaiminato, lined with yokai statues; and Mt. Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region. Buses also run from the airport to Matsue Station in Shimane Prefecture.

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Korean MOFA travel advisory: no advisory · some areas have alerts

Elsewhere in the country: Level 3 (leave the country) — some regions: L3 (leave): within 30 km of Fukushima Daiichi NPP and government-designated evacuation zones / rest of Japan: no advisory

Visits to the listed regions should be cancelled or postponed (see Details for other areas).

Checked Oct 26, 2026 · Details ↗ This is the Korean government’s advisory — also check your own government’s travel advice.

Plan your Yonago trip

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On this page

At a glance

Currency
JPY (¥)
Power & plugs
100V · Type A/B
Driving side
Left
Tipping
Not expected
Local language
日本語
How long to stay
3 days / 2 nights (including Daisen and Matsue)

Emergency numbers

When to go

April–May and October–November are best for walking (average highs about 18°C in April, 23°C in May, 22°C in October and 17°C in November). July (about 227 mm) and September (about 214 mm) are the wettest months, and August is hot with an average high of about 32°C. December–February is cold, with average lows of 1–4°C and about 120–150 mm of precipitation a month. Matsuba crab, the local winter delicacy, is caught from early November to March.

Monthly climate normals

Warmest: Aug (avg high 31.7°C) · Coolest: Jan, Feb (avg low 1.3°C) · Wettest: Jul (227.2 mm)

High °CLow °CRain mm
Jan8.3°1.3°151.7
Feb9.2°1.3°117.5
Mar12.9°3.5°128.2
Apr18.4°8.0°106.3
May23.3°13.3°119.1
Jun26.0°18.2°169.5
Jul30.3°22.8°227.2
Aug31.7°23.7°128.4
Sep27.1°19.3°214.3
Oct22.1°13.1°131.1
Nov16.8°7.9°118.1
Dec11.1°3.5°145.9

Monthly averages of daily highs and lows, and average monthly rainfall. Any given year can differ.

Source: Japan Meteorological Agency · Yonago station · 1991–2020 normals —View source

Airport to the city

Airport bus → Yonago Station

Runs from Yonago Kitaro Airport to Yonago Station. If a flight is suspended or cancelled, the bus may not run either. Buses timed to some international flights go via Kaike Onsen (JPY 500) to Yonago Station (JPY 640); check the official timetable for operating days and periods.

Time About 25 min to Yonago StationCost JPY 640

JR Sakai Line (Yonago Airport Station)

From Yonago Airport Station (米子空港駅) on the JR Sakai Line, trains go to Yonago Station or Sakaiminato Station. Towards Sakaiminato there is also the on-demand shared bus "Minatoru" (JPY 100). Check JR West timetables for train times.

Time Check the official timetable.Cost JPY 240 to Yonago Station, JPY 190 to Sakaiminato Station

Airport bus → Matsue Station (Shimane)

A bus runs from the airport to Matsue Station in Shimane Prefecture. If a flight is suspended or cancelled, the bus may not run either.

Time About 45 minCost JPY 1,200

Taxi

Booking a taxi from the airport in advance is recommended. At busy times or early in the morning, bookings may not be possible.

Time About 30 min to Yonago Station, 15 min to Sakaiminato Station, 45 min to Matsue StationCost About JPY 5,500 to Yonago Station, JPY 2,400 to Sakaiminato Station, JPY 8,500 to Matsue Station

Getting around

JR trains

Sakaiminato is about 45 min from Yonago Station on the JR Sakai Line, which leaves from platform 0. Matsue is about 30 min from Yonago Station by JR. Check JR West timetables for train times.

Local buses and the Dandan Bus

Kaike Onsen is about 20 min by local bus from Yonago Station (about 5 km). Yonago's city loop bus, the Dandan Bus, costs JPY 150 for adults; on its History Course, get off at the Yonagojo-mae stop for the Yonago Castle ruins. On buses, only JPY 1,000 notes can be changed, so carry coins.

Tottori unlimited-ride bus pass

The Tottori-han Norihodai Tegata (鳥取藩乗放題手形) costs JPY 1,800 for 3 days of unlimited rides on local buses in Tottori Prefecture, the Yonago Station–airport bus and the Dandan Bus, among others. It is sold at the Yonago Station bus terminal, the Yonago Airport information desk and the Yonago City International Tourist Information Center, among other places. JR trains are not included.

Rental bikes

Rent from the Yonago City International Tourist Information Center on the 1st floor of JR Yonago Station: JPY 1,000 a day for a standard bike, JPY 2,000 for an e-bike, rentals 9:30–17:00. Photo ID is required. You can also ride the Yumigahama cycling road, opened in 2020.

Where to stay

Around Yonago Station

Good for: First visit, easy transport

The airport bus, the JR Sakai Line and local buses to Daisen and Kaike Onsen all leave from the station. The International Tourist Information Center on the 1st floor (9:00–17:30, closed 31 Dec and 1 Jan) offers luggage storage and bike rental.

Kaike Onsen

Good for: Hot spring stay, seaside walks

A seaside hot spring town about 5 km from Yonago Station, about 20 min by bus or 15 min by taxi. Mt. Daisen rises beyond the white-sand, pine-lined beach.

Sakaiminato

Good for: Yokai street, seafood

About 45 min from Yonago Station on the JR Sakai Line. Taxis are scarce at night, so book ahead if you plan to travel late.

Map of stays in Yonago

Compare prices from many booking sites on the map

Search stays in Yonago in the app

Map & prices: Stay22 — you book on each site

Top sights

  1. Mizuki Shigeru Road (Sakaiminato)

    Created in 1993, this street runs about 800 m from Sakaiminato Station to the Mizuki Shigeru Museum. Both sides are lined with 178 bronze statues of yokai from manga such as GeGeGe no Kitaro. Every night from sunset until 10 pm the statues are lit up and yokai silhouettes are projected onto the street.

  2. Mizuki Shigeru Museum

    Traces the life and work of Sakaiminato-born manga artist Mizuki Shigeru, from his childhood and harsh wartime experiences to his success as a manga artist. There is also a "yokai cave" hiding 43 yokai. Open 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30), every day of the year. Admission: adults JPY 1,000, junior high and high school students JPY 500, elementary students JPY 300, preschoolers free. About 10 min on foot from JR Sakaiminato Station.

  3. Yonago Castle ruins

    Kikkawa Hiroie began building the castle around 1591, and Nakamura Kazutada completed it after 1601. It was dismantled in the early Meiji era, and only its stone walls remain. From the keep site at about 90 m, a 360° view takes in Mt. Daisen to the east, Nakaumi to the west and the city and the Sea of Japan to the north; on clear days you can see the Oki Islands. About 20 min on foot from JR Yonago Station.

    Tall stone walls of the Yonago Castle ruins under a blue sky, with a grassy slope below.
    Yonago Castle ruins · Photo: Sengoku40 / CC BY-SA 3.0
  4. Kamogawa River and the old town

    White-walled storehouses and old merchant houses line the Kamogawa, once the outer moat of Yonago Castle, and Teramachi street has nine temples in a row. A guided town walk with a local guide costs JPY 2,000 per person per hour; the boat course around the Kamogawa and Nakaumi, the fifth-largest in Japan by area, costs JPY 2,500 (boat JPY 1,500 plus guide JPY 1,000). Book in principle at least two days ahead.

  5. Kaike Onsen

    Found in 1900 when fishermen saw bubbles rising from the sea. The water is a sodium-calcium chloride spring, with source temperatures of 63–83°C. In summer you can swim in the sea, and Japan's first triathlon was held here in 1981; the race is still held every July. Day-bathing fees vary by facility.

    Clear water and a white-sand beach at Kaike, with pines and hot spring hotels along the shore.
    Kaike Onsen beach · Photo: Zai零細系統保護協会 / Public domain
  6. Mt. Daisen

    The highest mountain in the Chugoku region; seen from Yonago, its gentle slopes resemble Mt. Fuji, earning it the name "Hoki Fuji." The highest peak, Kengamine (1,729 m), is off limits because it has been at risk of collapse since an earthquake in 2000, but you can climb to Misen (1,709 m). A round trip takes about 3–5 hours, through one of western Japan's largest beech forests. The summer mountain-opening festival is held every year on the first Saturday and Sunday of June, with a torch procession the night before.

    Pampas grass in the foreground with the autumn-tinted slopes of Mt. Daisen behind.
    Mt. Daisen · Photo: mstk east / CC BY 2.0
  7. Daisen-ji Temple and Ogamiyama Shrine Okumiya

    Daisen-ji is a Tendai temple founded in 718. Its main hall was rebuilt in 1951 after a fire, and the oldest building, the Amida-do, is a national Important Cultural Property. Entry is JPY 300 for adults and JPY 200 for children, including the Reihokaku treasure hall (open 1 April–30 November, 9:00–16:00; closed December–March). An approach of natural stone paving about 700 m long leads up to Ogamiyama Shrine Okumiya, the largest gongen-style shrine in Japan. About 50 min by bus from Yonago Station; get off at the Daisen-ji stop.

    The curved-roof hall of Ogamiyama Shrine Okumiya at the top of stone steps, surrounded by forest.
    Ogamiyama Shrine Okumiya · Photo: mstk east / CC BY 2.0
  8. Matsue Castle (Shimane, day trip)

    A castle whose keep is a National Treasure. It is about 30 min from Yonago by JR, or about 45 min (JPY 1,200) from the airport by bus to Matsue Station. From 1 July 2026, keep admission is JPY 1,200 for adults and free for elementary and junior high students. Hours: April–September 8:30–18:00 (last entry 17:30), October–March 8:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30), open every day. Major repairs to the keep are planned from June 2027 to December 2030, so check official information for that period.

    Matsue Castle's keep with black-boarded walls and layered roofs on a stone base.
    Matsue Castle · Photo: 663highland / CC BY-SA 3.0

Tours & tickets →

What to eat

Matsuba crab (snow crab)

The adult male snow crab, caught in the Sea of Japan from early November to March, is Tottori's signature winter food. Tottori Prefecture lands more crab than any other in Japan. Boiling is the most popular way to eat it; the female, seko-gani, is smaller and cheaper.

Beni-zuwai crab (red snow crab)

Sakaiminato lands more red snow crab than any other port in Japan. It comes in from September to July and is about the same size and shape as Matsuba crab.

Shiro-ika (white squid)

Swordtip squid caught with poles from early summer to late autumn is called shiro-ika here. It is very sweet and popular as sashimi.

Iwagaki (rock oysters)

Tottori rock oysters are gathered by divers and grow up to 20 cm long. They are in season from early summer until around Obon and are eaten raw with a squeeze of lemon.

Sakaiminato tuna

Large catches of Pacific bluefin tuna arrive at Sakaiminato port from June to August. Try it as sashimi and in dishes that use the whole fish from head to tail.

Tottori Wagyu "Oleic 55"

Tottori has raised wagyu since the Edo period; this beef has fat that is over 55% oleic acid, giving a tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Daily budget (per person)

BudgetTransport: airport bus to Yonago Station JPY 640, Dandan Bus JPY 150 per ride, rental bike JPY 1,000 a day. Entry: Mizuki Shigeru Museum JPY 1,000, Daisen-ji JPY 300. Hotel and food costs vary by date; check booking sites
Mid-rangeThe Tottori-han Norihodai Tegata (3 days, JPY 1,800) covers local buses in the prefecture and the Yonago Station–airport bus. Add Matsue Castle keep JPY 1,200 and the airport–Matsue Station bus JPY 1,200. Check booking sites for hotels and food
ComfortAdd a guided walk of Yonago's old town (JPY 2,000 per person per hour) or the Kamogawa–Nakaumi boat course (JPY 2,500). Hot spring accommodation is most of the budget, so compare prices for your dates on booking sites

According to a Japan Tourism Agency survey (2025), foreign leisure travellers visiting Tottori Prefecture spent an average of about ¥43,000 per person per visit (excluding travel between prefectures). This is the average for all of Tottori Prefecture, not just this city. Actual costs vary widely with itinerary and accommodation.

Amounts are rough figures in local currency. Check exchange rates before you go.

Suggested itinerary

  1. Day 1

    From the airport, JR Sakai Line or Minatoru to Sakaiminato → Mizuki Shigeru Museum → Mizuki Shigeru Road (lit up from sunset) → JR to Yonago → stay at Kaike Onsen.

  2. Day 2

    Bus from Yonago Station to Daisen (about 50 min) → Daisen-ji and the stone approach to Ogamiyama Shrine → if you're fit, climb Misen (3–5 hours round trip) → back to Yonago for seasonal seafood.

  3. Day 3

    Morning views of Daisen and Nakaumi from the Yonago Castle ruins → walk the Kamogawa old town → JR to Matsue (about 30 min) for Matsue Castle → airport bus from Matsue Station (about 45 min).

Local tips

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Prices and times are approximate as of 2026-09 and may change. Always re-check visa and entry rules with official sources before you travel.

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