Tour Overview

Deep in the mountains of eastern Tottori Prefecture, along the upper reaches of the Hatto River at the foot of Mt. Hyonosen, one of Japan's 100 Famous Mountains, Wakasa Town has long developed as a post town on one of the few major land routes in the San'in region connecting the Sea of Japan and the Seto Inland Sea (also known as the Saba Kaido and Ise Kaido). Onigajo Castle, built in the 1400s, is designated as a "National Historic Site" as a precious castle ruin where the landscape of its demolition upon abandonment remains intact. Subsequently, it developed not only as a post town but also as a castle town, and after the Meiji era following the castle's abandonment, it flourished through forestry, possessing a unique history of prosperity and decline.

Furthermore, it is the terminal station of the popular local line "Wakasa Railway," which could be called a proof of its prosperity. The Wakasa station building, platforms, water tower, and the locomotive turntable—said to be one of only two currently operating in Japan—are Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. Additionally, classic old-model vehicles such as the C12 steam locomotive and the DD16 diesel locomotive (one of only two operational in Japan today) are exhibited and preserved, gaining great popularity.

In the center of the town, sandwiched between murmuring irrigation canals, is Kariya Street, featuring arcades created in 1885 by extending the eaves of houses, and Wakasa Kura Street, lined with earthen storehouses, both designated as National Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Also, the Wakasa Shrine, said to have been built by the first lord of Onigajo Castle, retains ancient structures and precincts that evoke a sense of having slipped back in time. At Iwayado Fudoson, built in a huge depression in a cliff and designated as a National Important Cultural Property, you can see traditional Goma fire rituals and mysterious ancient Buddhist statues found nowhere else during its bi-annual restricted internal viewing.

Wakasa Town, which "developed uniquely in a mountainous area"—a rarity in Japan—retains numerous traditional buildings and cultures. Through dialogue with people born and raised in the town center and migrants living within the traditional important building district, you can deeply understand the charm and history of Wakasa Town. In addition to its historical aspects, the surrounding mountains are inhabited by golden eagles and giant salamanders, fireflies dance wildly in early summer, and the nature is so rich that on clear days you can see a starry sky where constellations are indistinguishable.