History
Tottori is, by population, the smallest of Japan’s 47 prefectures — a fact it has leaned into rather than fought, turning quirky “we’re overlooked” trivia (for years, the running joke was that Tottori was the last prefecture without a Starbucks) into a fairly effective, cheerful regional brand.
Tottori and the wider world
That branding gets real substance from an unusual coincidence: two of the most successful manga creators in the medium’s history were both born in Tottori. Shigeru Mizuki, from Sakaiminato, created “GeGeGe no Kitaro,” which did more than perhaps any other single work to popularize yokai (traditional folklore spirits) as pop-culture figures, both in Japan and, through later translations, internationally. Gosho Aoyama, from Hokuei, created “Detective Conan” (released internationally as “Case Closed”), one of the best-selling manga franchises of all time, with an anime that has run continuously since 1996 and a devoted following well beyond Japan, including a particularly large audience in France. The prefecture markets itself accordingly as “Manga Kingdom Tottori,” with dedicated museums for both creators.
Neighbors: Tottori and the rest of San’in
Tottori and neighboring Shimane together make up the San’in region — the Sea of Japan-facing, less-visited counterpart to the Seto Inland Sea coast’s San’yo region — and share a mutual, entirely good-humored reputation as Japan’s most overlooked corner, a status both prefectures have turned into part of their appeal rather than a complaint.
Getting there and getting around
Tottori Airport and Tottori Station (served by limited express trains from Osaka or Okayama, roughly 2.5-3 hours) are the main gateways. A rental car is useful for reaching the Uradome Coast and Mizuki Shigeru Road in Sakaiminato.
