How Many Days in Yonago? A 3-Day Route and Transport

The big picture: 3 days with Daisen and Matsue

The Yonago guide recommends 3 days / 2 nights (including Daisen and Matsue). Yonago, the main city of western Tottori Prefecture, is the base for Sakaiminato with its yokai statues, the seaside hot spring town of Kaike Onsen and Mt. Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region. Matsue in Shimane Prefecture is about 30 min from Yonago Station by JR, so it fits into one day of the trip.

This route follows the guide's own plan: Sakaiminato and Kaike Onsen on day 1, Daisen on day 2, and central Yonago and Matsue Castle on day 3. The airport bus, the JR Sakai Line and local buses to Daisen and Kaike Onsen all leave from Yonago Station, so planning around the station keeps things simple.

• Full Yonago travel guide →
• Incheon → Yonago flights →

Day 1: Airport, Sakaiminato and Kaike Onsen

From Yonago Kitaro Airport, take the JR Sakai Line from Yonago Airport Station (米子空港駅) to Sakaiminato Station (JPY 190), or use the on-demand shared bus "Minatoru" (JPY 100). Check JR West timetables for train times.

The Mizuki Shigeru Museum is about 10 min on foot from Sakaiminato Station. It 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, and has a "yokai cave" hiding 43 yokai. The roughly 800 m between the station and the museum is Mizuki Shigeru Road, created in 1993. Both sides are lined with 178 bronze statues of yokai from manga such as GeGeGe no Kitaro, and every night from sunset until 10 pm the statues are lit up and yokai silhouettes are projected onto the street, so stay into the evening.

Then take the JR Sakai Line back to Yonago Station (Yonago Station–Sakaiminato is about 45 min). Kaike Onsen is about 20 min by local bus from Yonago Station (about 5 km). Taxis are scarce at night in Sakaiminato, so book ahead if you plan to travel late.

• Mizuki Shigeru Museum: 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30), open every day of the year
• Admission: adults JPY 1,000, junior high and high school students JPY 500, elementary students JPY 300, preschoolers free
• On local buses, only JPY 1,000 notes can be changed, so carry coins

Day 2: Daisen-ji, Ogamiyama Shrine and, if you're fit, Misen

Take the bus from Yonago Station (about 50 min) and get off at the Daisen-ji stop. 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. An approach of natural stone paving about 700 m long leads up to Ogamiyama Shrine Okumiya, the largest gongen-style shrine in Japan.

If you're fit, climb Misen (1,709 m). A round trip takes about 3–5 hours, through one of western Japan's largest beech forests. The highest peak, Kengamine (1,729 m), is off limits because it has been at risk of collapse since an earthquake in 2000. Check official information for the latest trail conditions.

In the evening, head back to Yonago for seasonal seafood. According to the guide, red snow crab (beni-zuwai) comes into Sakaiminato from September to July, Matsuba crab is a winter delicacy caught from early November to March, and shiro-ika (white squid), caught with poles from early summer to late autumn, is popular as sashimi.

• Daisen-ji entry: adults JPY 300, children JPY 200 (including the Reihokaku treasure hall)
• Reihokaku: open 1 April–30 November, 9:00–16:00; closed December–March

Day 3: Yonago Castle ruins, the Kamogawa old town and Matsue Castle

In the morning, walk about 20 min from JR Yonago Station up to the Yonago Castle ruins, or ride the History Course of the Dandan Bus, Yonago's city loop bus (JPY 150 for adults), to the Yonagojo-mae stop. Kikkawa Hiroie began building the castle around 1591 and Nakamura Kazutada completed it after 1601; only its stone walls remain today. 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, and on clear days you can see the Oki Islands.

Back down, walk along the Kamogawa, once the castle's outer moat, past white-walled storehouses and old merchant houses, and along Teramachi street with its nine temples in a row. A guided town walk with a local guide (JPY 2,000 per person per hour) and a boat course around the Kamogawa and Nakaumi (JPY 2,500) are also available; book in principle at least two days ahead.

In the afternoon, take JR from Yonago Station to Matsue in Shimane Prefecture (about 30 min) to see Matsue Castle, whose keep is a National Treasure. To leave, the airport bus from Matsue Station takes about 45 min (JPY 1,200). If a flight is suspended or cancelled, the bus may not run either.

• Matsue Castle keep admission: from 1 July 2026, adults JPY 1,200, elementary and junior high students free
• 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

Where to stay and getting around: Yonago Station or Kaike Onsen

Choose between the two areas the guide names. The Yonago Station area suits a first visit: the airport bus, the JR Sakai Line and local buses to Daisen and Kaike Onsen all leave from the station, and 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 is a seaside hot spring town about 5 km from Yonago Station, about 20 min by bus or 15 min by taxi, with Mt. Daisen rising beyond its white-sand, pine-lined beach.

Kaike Onsen was found in 1900 when fishermen saw bubbles rising from the sea. Day-bathing fees vary by facility.

• Airport bus: airport to Yonago Station about 25 min, JPY 640
• JR Sakai Line: from Yonago Airport Station JPY 240 to Yonago Station, JPY 190 to Sakaiminato Station. From platform 0 at Yonago Station to Sakaiminato about 45 min
• Tottori-han Norihodai Tegata (鳥取藩乗放題手形): 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. JR trains are not included
• Rental bikes: at the Yonago City International Tourist Information Center on the 1st floor of Yonago Station, JPY 1,000 a day for a standard bike, JPY 2,000 for an e-bike, 9:30–17:00, photo ID required. You can also ride the Yumigahama cycling road, opened in 2020
• Taxis: booking a taxi from the airport in advance is recommended

Budget and when to go: April–May and October–November

Transport and entry costs in the guide: airport bus to Yonago Station JPY 640, Dandan Bus JPY 150 per ride, Mizuki Shigeru Museum JPY 1,000, Daisen-ji JPY 300, Matsue Castle keep JPY 1,200 and the airport–Matsue Station bus JPY 1,200. The Tottori-han Norihodai Tegata (3 days, JPY 1,800) covers local buses in the prefecture and the Yonago Station–airport bus. Hotel and food costs vary by date. 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.

The guide picks April–May and October–November as the best months for walking. Japan Meteorological Agency normals for Yonago station (1991–2020) give average highs and lows of about 18°C and 8°C in April, 23°C and 13°C in May, 22°C and 13°C in October and 17°C and 8°C in November, with about 106 mm, 119 mm, 131 mm and 118 mm of precipitation respectively.

July has the most precipitation (about 227 mm), followed by September (about 214 mm). August is hot, with an average high of about 32°C, and December–February is cold, with average lows of about 1–4°C. If you want Matsuba crab, the winter delicacy, go between early November and March.

• Full Yonago travel guide →

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