Tree on the Sea: Tottori Japan
Tree on the Sea: Tottori Japan
Overview
In this episode, John Daub takes viewers to a remote and stunning location in Tottori Prefecture, known for its pristine waters and unique natural formations. While Tottori is famous for its sand dunes (Sakyu) and Mount Daisen, John highlights a lesser-known gem called Sengan Matsushima in the Iwami area. The centerpiece is a solitary pine tree growing atop a rock jutting out of the Sea of Japan, accessible by boat or viewed from the shore.
John explains the logistical challenges of traveling in the San'in region, where train services are infrequent. To overcome this, he utilizes a special taxi service offered by the International Center Tottori, allowing him to hire a taxi for three hours for just 2,000 yen. This service enables him to reach remote sights like Sengan Matsushima before continuing his journey hitchhiking towards Fukui Prefecture.
The video captures the serene beauty of the coastline, the quiet atmosphere of the fishing town, and the practical realities of off-the-beaten-path travel in Japan. John shares his appreciation for the clean air, the sound of the waves, and the insight provided by his local taxi driver, emphasizing that sometimes paying for a shortcut enhances the travel experience rather than detracting from the adventure.
Highlights
- 00:02 John introduces the remote location in Tottori Prefecture and the striking view of the Sea of Japan.
- 00:52 Explanation of why this trip is special: visiting pristine, less crowded places.
- 01:38 Details on the International Center Tottori taxi deal: 2,000 yen for three hours.
- 02:17 John contrasts the fresh air of Iwami with Tokyo and introduces the location name.
- 03:00 Map overview of Sengan Matsushima and the San'in Kaigan Geopark area.
- 04:45 Discussion on transport limitations in the San'in region and the necessity of taxis or cars.
- 05:48 Close-up view of the tree on the rock and reflection on nature ("Life just finds a way").
- 07:36 Walking through the narrow streets of the old fishing town.
- 10:13 Reflection on hitchhiking strategies and using shortcuts like the taxi service.
- 11:46 Departure and mention of the Kickstarter DVD project.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Tottori Prefecture and the Sea of Japan view.
- 01:30 Explanation of the taxi service deal (2,000 yen/3 hours).
- 02:50 Map breakdown of Sengan Matsushima and San'in Kaigan Geopark.
- 05:40 Close inspection of the tree on the rock formation.
- 07:30 Walk through the town of Iwami back to the taxi.
- 10:00 Thoughts on hitchhiking logistics and transport shortcuts.
- 11:40 Conclusion and departure for Fukui Prefecture.
Japan Travel Tips
- Transport in San'in Region: Train services in rural Tottori can be infrequent (only 5-6 trains a day in some directions). Consider renting a car or using special taxi services.
- International Center Tottori Taxi Deal: Visitors can hire a taxi for 3 hours for 2,000 yen. This is an excellent way to reach remote sights not accessible by frequent public transport.
- Hitchhiking Strategy: John notes that hitchhiking doesn't mean struggling the whole time; using paid shortcuts (like the taxi) to get to better hitchhiking spots can save time and energy.
- Best Time to Visit: Spring offers beautiful weather, though John mentions it had been raining for four days prior. Clear days showcase the pristine water of the Sea of Japan.
- Drone Usage: John mentions flying a drone for later episodes; always check local regulations and privacy norms before flying in residential or protected areas.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Sakyu (Sand Dunes): Tottori is famous for its sand dunes (Tottori Sakyu), though this video focuses on the coastal rock formations.
- San'in Kaigan Geopark: A UNESCO Global Geopark covering the coastline of Tottori, Hyogo, and Kyoto. It highlights geological heritage and nature.
- Arigato gozaimasu (Thank you very much): John uses this polite phrase to thank his driver and the viewers.
- Remote Travel Culture: The video highlights the inaka (countryside) pace of life, where transport is scarce but nature is preserved. Locals are often helpful (e.g., the taxi driver acting as a guide).
People
- John Daub: Host and creator of Only in Japan Go. He is traveling through the San'in region, hitchhiking towards Fukui.
- Taxi Driver: Unnamed local driver provided through the International Center Tottori service. He acts as a guide, showing John around the site and providing local insight.
Key Takeaways
- Rural Japan (like Tottori) often requires alternative transport solutions like special taxi deals or rental cars due to infrequent trains.
- Sengan Matsushima is a hidden gem in Iwami, featuring a unique tree growing on a rock in the sea.
- Combining paid transport (taxi) with budget travel (hitchhiking) can optimize time and access to remote locations.
- The San'in region offers pristine nature and quiet towns away from the crowds of Tokyo or Kyoto.
Notable Quotes
- 00:02 "This is a sight that you just have to see to believe."
- 00:52 "This, my friends, is why I'm doing this trip, to come to places like this."
- 02:17 "Gosh, and the air here, this is absolutely not Tokyo. This is not Tokyo."
- 05:48 "How does a tree grow in a rock? I have no idea, but life just finds a way, my friends."
- 10:13 "It doesn't mean that hitchhiking you have to be struggling the whole time. You find shortcuts."
Related Topics
- Tottori Sand Dunes
- Hitchhiking in Japan
- San'in Region Travel
- UNESCO Geoparks in Japan
- Rural Transport Solutions
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #tottori #iwami #sengan-matsushima #sanin-kaigan-geopark #travel #hitchhiking #taxi-service #nature #sea-of-japan #japan-travel #remote-japan #tottori-prefecture
Full Transcript
00:02 John Daub: Hello everybody, we are now live from Tottori Prefecture, not quite in Fukui yet. And this is a sight that you just have to see to believe. I had to bring you here and go live because this area of Tottori is very remote and very secretive. It's not known to a lot of people. And you can see down there how clean the water is, the Sea of Japan. But what makes this really striking is this little cove here has right here a rock jutting out and on the top of it is this tree. And you can take a boat through it. And it's one of the more beautiful sights in Tottori Prefecture, which is famous for the sand dunes and Daisen and a lot of other stuff.
00:52 John Daub: But this, my friends, is why I'm doing this trip, to come to places like this. And look at the sea. It's just so clean and pristine and the waves crashing on the rocks and coming in on the surf, hitting the beach. It's a beautiful sound. There's a path that goes down there. I don't have time because I have to start hitchhiking towards Fukui Prefecture. But I just wanted to bring you here today. There's not enough trains frequently going to the interchanges where I can get the next hitchhiking ride.
01:38 John Daub: Get this, alright. The International Center Tottori had this deal. Three hours, you can hire a taxi for 2,000 yen. So, I'm sort of hitchhiking by taxi, in a way, and the driver brought me here. And then after this, I'm going to fly the drone and then go over to the interchange and start hitchhiking. It's sort of late, but when I woke up, I didn't realize there were only five or six trains a day going towards the direction where I need to get to. So, I'm going to hitchhike out of the city. But hey, it brought me here. It brought me to this site, which you see behind me, which is just so stunning.
02:17 John Daub: Gosh, and the air here, this is absolutely not Tokyo. This is not Tokyo. So, I wanted to bring you to this little cove here. This place is called Iwami. And Iwami is not far from Tottori City, which is where the Tottori Sakyu (sand dunes) are. On a beautiful day like today, I'm going to take you to Iwami. If you're in a place where it's been raining for the last four days, I thought it would be nice to come here, bring you with me. Yeah, I'm loving this. I don't want to go. But I'm already a week behind. So, let me show you on the map.
03:00 John Daub: It's called Sengan Matsushima, and you can see what it looks like from another angle. I left my drone in the taxi, so I can't use it, but here is another map of the San'in Kaigan Geopark area. And you can see it's quite big actually. This is most of Tottori Prefecture and it goes towards Hyogo through Hyogo and Kyoto. Kyoto is actually a very large prefecture. It's not just the city of Kyoto and we're here. You can see down there. And just over there is this wonderful beautiful sight soak that in folks.
04:45 John Daub: That's the driver. He's showing me around. This is a really fantastic service from Tottori Prefecture. Being able to have access to this because there's just not enough transport. The transport around the cities is too infrequent. So you sort of have to have a taxi in this side of Japan to get around or rent a car. Yeah, I'm still hitchhiking. I'm gonna be starting today a little bit later than normal in about an hour. But the only way to get out here was either wait for a train for two hours or take this special taxi service and walk.
05:48 John Daub: Alright, now this is nice. Alright, here we go. This angle, you can see right through it. That's awesome. Look at that. This is right now, it's a little bit after 11 a.m. here in Tottori Prefecture in the city of Iwami. I-W-A-M-I. And you can see, stunning. How does a tree grow in a rock? I have no idea, but life just finds a way, my friends. Life just finds a way. Don't ask how. Yeah, beautiful tree. It's just stunning, isn't it? I'm glad to be sharing this experience with you.
06:57 John Daub: So I'm going to go down now through the town. Arigato gozaimasu (Thank you very much). So I'm going to be going down through the town and you get a chance to see. That's where I was before, down there on that platform. Yeah, and that's the sea. And now I'm going to go down through the town. It's sort of a neat walk because this is it. Again, this is Sengan Matsushima in Iwami in Tottori Prefecture. It's a short ride outside of the city of Tottori.
07:36 John Daub: And again, the city of Tottori is giving this special deal where you can get a taxi for 2,000 yen. And to be honest with you, there's no way I'd be able to hitchhike here or even take the train. But a taxi is probably the best way to get here or rent a car. Ah, such a natural area. It's beautiful. And now we're going to walk back to the taxi. But I think I'm going to keep this going a little longer. You know why? Because walking through between these really narrow buildings, I think where time has sort of stood still a little bit. They seem a little bit old, these buildings.
08:25 John Daub: We're going to walk through it. Go back to the taxi and then to the town. I'm going to find a place to fly the drone. Ah! I love places like this. So much personality and things to see here. And we came up the mountain to get up to this spot. And now I'm going back down. It looks like a lot of things haven't changed here for decades. Looks like a new bicycle, sort of. Like 10 years old. You can hear the birds chirping. It's just quiet here. Oh, look at the cat. Hello little kitty. Oh. Bye bye.
10:13 John Daub: Damn, that taxi driver moves fast. Alright folks, I thought I just wanted to share that with you. What a view. What an experience. Gosh! I wouldn't have been out here if it wasn't just for pure luck to find this taxi service as a means to get to my next place to hitchhike. And now that I've found where I'm going to hitchhike from and I have a driver to take me to that exact spot, it just makes life a lot easier. And it doesn't mean that hitchhiking you have to be struggling the whole time. You find shortcuts. You find ways to make life off the road a lot better. And this is one of the ways.
10:48 John Daub: And again, 2,000 yen, 20 bucks for three hours. And the driver knows so much. He's local and knows so much about this area. That kind of insight is another reason why I'm doing the trip. So even though it's a taxi, it's still a ride. So with that, I'm going to try and find a place to get the drone and then hitchhike. It's a nice cozy town. That was a nice road, wasn't it? Leading up there, definitely Tottori City is a place you have to go. And you can see the taxi up ahead. That's where we're getting in. My bags are. A nice little fishing town. Very quiet. I don't think there are many tourists here.
11:46 John Daub: All right, everybody, I'm off my taxi tour before I start the hitchhiking. Hard life I live. Look at that auto door. Thank you. So I hope you enjoyed that little mini tour of Iwami. I'm going to try to get the drone up into the sky and film it for a later episode of Only in Japan and for the DVD on Kickstarter. If you haven't supported the DVD, I humbly ask you to purchase the DVD on Kickstarter or postcard to help this trip. And I'm going to be on the road a couple of hours. See you later. So hope you all enjoyed that little mini tour. See you on the road again soon.