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Video length: 3 min
Tourism: discovering the Pilat dune of Japan
Tourism: discovering the Pilat dune of Japan
(France 2)
The Tottori dune, in Japan, looks exactly like the Pilat dune, in Gironde. A must-see, this tourist site welcomes a million visitors each year.
Lapped by the waves of the Sea of Japan, the Tottori dunes stretch 16 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide. The highest dune rises to almost 50 meters. At the top, it offers a surprising landscape of a stretch of sand. To discover it, you have to be ready to tread on the soft sand and climb its steep slopes. “It’s not at all what you expect when you come to Japan”assures a tourist.
Thousand-year-old dunes
Very photographed camels roam this small Japanese Sahara. Guided tours also allow you to discover the history of these thousand-year-old dunes. “Between the layers of sand we found volcanic ash”, some of which date back more than 100,000 years, explains a guide. According to a photographer, the dune changes with the seasons. In winter, snow sometimes covers the dunes. Finally, it is also possible to surf on fine sand or in the air with a paraglider. Tottori Dune attracts nearly a million visitors each year.
