Skip Osaka and Kyoto. You should pack your bags for a holiday to Tottori, and here's why

By TReina - Thursday, February 7, 2019 - No Comments

Osaka? Kyoto? No, instead pack your bags for a holiday to Tottori Prefecture. Because...

Tottori is a foodie’s paradise!

Not only do you get delicately plated kaiseki dinners from ryokan in the area, you can even indulge in sweet treats as Tottori is famous for their wide array of sweet treats, ranging from the usual Japanese-style wagashi to rich swirls of their milk and pear ice-creams.

≧(´▽｀)≦ So delicious~~~

Although you might not have gotten this impression from the sightseeing-focused advertising done by H.I.S.Travel and partnership with Sony Entertainment, but take the word from someone who has just been to Tottori for fall 2018 – Tottori is indeed filled to the brim with mouth-watering delicacies! In fact, I daresay that if you love beef and seafood, you definitely wouldn’t want to miss a trip down to Tottori!

The tuna just melts on your tongue (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*

And here’s three reasons why you should plan a page in your itinerary for Tottori alongside your trip to Kyoto or Osaka -- or rather, scratch that and forego those two major cities altogether and take a look here for my itinerary for inspiration on how to spend two fulfilling weeks just in Tottori alone.

Now, let’s get started. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

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1. You can eat wagyu beef crowned as Best in Japan!

Food is akin to a sanctuary for Singaporeans, and we all know that Japan is a paradise as far as food goes. Exquisitely plated seafood, picture-perfect fruits, creamy dairy products… you name it, and Japan has it; but putting all of those aside, we have something in another realm of its own -- wagyu beef.

When it comes to wagyu, the first thought that usually comes to mind is Kobe beef. And while that is not wrong, wagyu simply refers to Japanese beef, and Tottori has their very own kind of wagyu beef as well: more specifically, the kind that was crowned Best Wagyu Beef in the 11^th National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu (a.k.a. Wagyu Olympics) in 2017. As the Olympics is only held every 5 years, rest assured that you will still be having a taste of the best even in 2019.

On a side note, I’ll like to recommend visiting a yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) store named FukuFuku, located about 5 minutes on foot from Tottori station.

The owner is fully proficient in English (you can ask for recommendations for cuts!) and takes a lot of pride and joy in his work – from driving 50 minutes each day to get the best cuts of meat, to preparing and plating them carefully and beautifully for each customer.

Yes, you read that correctly. It takes less than an hour! Which means that the beef you'll be consuming would be fresh, and is not processed for prolonging shelf life.

Just look at that marbling ♥ ੧(❛▿❛✿)

Besides, you can really feel his effort shine through the plates of food. His cuts of Tottori beef came with Instagram-worthy marbling and tantalizing juiciness that envelopes your mouth from the very moment you bite into it! Not to mention, there was absolutely no lingering aftertaste and you just feel as if you can continue eating on and on forever.

We ended up being blissfully bloated after ordering three plates of the premium beef and even still the bill barely totaled up to SGD$150 for 4 people.

W h a t a s t e a l !

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2. Fresh seafood right from the coast!

In Nov-Dec, from late fall to winter, they have a specialty crab (Matsuba crab) that’s said to be larger and a lot juicier than your average crab.

Unfortunately, my trip was from late October to early November and coupled with the typhoon messing up the change of seasons and migration patterns slightly, I couldn’t try this delicacy at its peak. However, rest assured that I am already making plans to head back to Tottori once more within the next three years, but until then, I’ll just satisfy this disappointment and cravings with the images of Matsuba crab Milkcananime’s lovely readers send in!

Also, there's another noteworthy seafood dish – Asari clam miso soup ♥ – which revolves around Asari clams fresh from Lake Togo!

This lake is found in Yurihama in Tottori prefecture and there are many onsen inns that have sprung up around the lake, to allow guests to enjoy lavish meals clad with seafood dishes and relax in onsen baths that overlook the lake!

The onsen inn that I chose in the region is Togo Onsen Kosenkaku Yojokan, which provides an incredibly authentic experience – going from their impeccable service and cleanliness to their cozy Japanese style rooms and mouthwatering ten course kaiseki dinners.

Western style rooms are also available if you prefer them!

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3. Tourists enjoy 50% off attractions!

Behold! The very last point is about money, and it involves what most of us tourists love to do: sightseeing! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Sightseeing is one of the more important aspects of travelling to me since it helps me learn more about the history and culture of the country. Some natural landscapes like flower fields and waterfalls, are also things that we can never find in urban Singapore.

So, imagine my excitement to find out that most of the tourist attractions in Tottori now still have their entrance fee for tourist attractions reduced by up to 50%! This is a deal includes all foreigners (bring along your passport), regardless of age, and that’s probably a deal that you’d never find in any major cities!

One perfect example of a wonderful place that I’ve been to that had the 50% off for tourists deal was the Hanakairo Flower Park in Tottori ♥

As I went near Halloween, there was still a ton of Halloween decorations all around Tottori!

The way we are able to view the mountain range together with the breathtaking flower field is spectacular~

Not only is the entire park filled with flowers of different species and colors, there was even a section of the park dedicated to showcasing flower arrangement pieces made by the locals! Be sure to check it out if you do go there as there are some really intricately arranged pieces!

Another tourist place that is commonly forgotten in brochures would be Enchoen Garden!

This garden is a Chinese-style garden and when you step into it, you'll feel like you are transported back in time and place to the Forbidden Palace ♥

Definitely a place where many Singaporeans can connect to, both culturally and through all the Chinese TV drama shows~

Moreover, if you are a Buddhist, Tottori also has its own fair share of temples, whereby quite a few feature Guan Yin. It'll probably be a good experience to visit these temples during your stay in Tottori and see how the temples and praying styles differ between your country and in Japan.

That's all for today. Stay tuned for the upcoming posts where I will highlight points from my itinerary and also review all the key sightseeing and food locations I've been to in Tottori (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*

Meanwhile, enjoy this video about the 8 beautiful aspects of Tottori, presented by Tottori's Governor himself!