The study and protection of land and life is as important to us humans, as it is to the other indigenous life. Tottori prefecture knows this well and has set aside much of the prefecture’s beauty for this important cause. San’in Kaigan Geopark Museum was created to share this message and the beauty found in Tottori’s lands.

General Information

San’in Kaigan Geopark Museum (kaigan means beach or coast in Japanese) is a part of a greater collection of parks and locations in the area known as San’in Kaigan Geopark. The Geopark is an expansive (approx. 120km/75mi long) collection of diverse geological landforms (sand dunes, caves, coastal land formations, volcanoes, various unique rock & strata forms, and more), the region’s biodiversity (plants, animals, and ecosystems found on land and sea), the various culture and industry of the area (past and present), and the scientific study and protection of the previously mentioned. This Geopark is also globally recognized and protected by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a Nature Heritage site. While much of it can be explored (which would require quite a bit of hiking), San’in Kaigan Geopark Museum is a peek into the scientific study portion of the Geopark.

San’in Kaigan Nature Museum isn’t a large museum (so it won’t take too long to explore), nevertheless it features some very interesting exhibits. There is a fair amount of information available on many local minerals, plants, and sea life on display. The museum even has several small aquariums with sea life you usually can’t see without scuba gear, or you can find yourself starring eye-to-eye with a preserved giant squid! There is even a small interactive science lab where the young and old alike can explore using various scientific tools.

Admission is Free. Hours of operation are from 9:00 until 17:00 every day, except Monday when they are closed.

Getting There

San’in Kaigan Geopark Museum is in Iwami District, Tottori Prefecture. Even though the closest station is Iwami Station, it is not fully accessible, so taking an accessible taxi from Tottori Station is recommended.  Accessible parking is available near the entrance of the museum.

Accessibility

San’in Kaigan Geopark Museum has wide open areas to move around in and is easy for wheelchair users to navigate.  The one elevated area in the center of the museum has a ramp at a gentle incline.

In addition to the small theater, a few chairs are available to rest on in the center of the museum as well as near reception.  Rental wheelchairs are available at the front desk.

Seeing-eye dogs are allowed in the building.  While no tactile blocks are available within the museum, there is a path of blocks from the parking lot to the building. A braille map is available near the entrance but is written in Japanese braille.

There is a wheelchair accessible toilet available outside the building in the parking lot with ostomate facilities, a full-sized changing bed, and a backrest for the toilet.  Another accessible toilet is available within the museum, but it is only a partitioned-off section of the regular washroom and only has a toilet (no backrest) and a sink.

Conclusion

If you are interested in geology or marine biology, then you probably will want to visit San’in Kaigan Geopark Museum.