Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses and Hawai Onsen Relaxing Course

A calm old townscape of white walls and red tiles, and a hot spring by the lake. This is a day to take it slow and soak up the mood of central Tottori.

Course Route

10:00 Start at the Kurayoshi warehouse tourist office Pick up a walking map at the tourist office, also known as Akagawara Building No 10. It makes an ideal starting point, and you can also check nearby sights and event information here.

10:15 Walk the white wall warehouse district Stroll the roughly 550 meter route where white walled warehouses line the Tamagawa stream, passing historic soy sauce cellars and sake breweries. The Utsubuki Tamagawa area is designated a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, keeping the look of the Edo and Meiji eras.

11:00 Shop for souvenirs in the red tile buildings Stop by places such as Akagawara Building No 1 to look for local crafts and sweets. Former sake and soy sauce cellars converted into the Akagawara buildings are scattered from No 1 onward, each with its own character.

12:00 Lunch and cafe time Take a relaxed break at an old house cafe that blends into the townscape. Some shops serve the local Utsubuki Koen dango dumplings and set meals made with local ingredients.

13:30 Move to Hawai Onsen It is about 20 minutes by car to the hot spring town spreading along Lake Togo. Using public transport, connect by bus or taxi via JR Kurayoshi Station.

14:00 Relax at Hawai Onsen Soak in a bath overlooking the lake and gently ease the fatigue of travel. Some inns accept day visitors, so you can enjoy the hot spring even without staying overnight.

15:30 Course ends

Highlights

The Kurayoshi white wall warehouse district is a townscape from the Edo to Meiji eras, where white plaster walls and red Sekishu tiled warehouses line the Tamagawa stream. Former merchant houses still remain, and simply walking through feels like stepping back in time. Hawai Onsen faces Lake Togo, and its open air baths that seem to float on the lake are a local specialty. Together with nearby Togo Onsen, it forms the hot spring resort around Lake Togo.

Practical Travel Notes

Time needed Strolling the warehouse district takes one to one and a half hours, or about half a day with souvenir hunting and a cafe stop. Even with a bath at Hawai Onsen, the itinerary fits comfortably from morning to late afternoon.

Getting there From JR Kurayoshi Station it is about 12 minutes by bus to the Akagawara and white wall warehouse stop, then about 5 minutes on foot. By car it is about an hour from Tottori or Yonago stations. Local buses are the main way from Kurayoshi Station into the town center. Hawai Onsen is about 20 minutes by car from central Kurayoshi, set on the far side of Lake Togo.

Getting around The warehouse district is flat and easy to walk. The stone paths and lanes weave together, so walking with the map from the tourist office in hand helps you avoid getting lost and lets you enjoy the mood of the hidden alleys.

Crowds and budget Weekdays are relatively calm, letting you savor the quiet townscape at leisure. The stroll itself is free, so costs center on lunch, a cafe, souvenirs, and the hot spring bathing fee. Day bathing fees vary by facility, so check at the inn where you stop.

A Quick Tip

Many cafes and craft shops in the warehouse district close in the late afternoon, so morning to midday is best for strolling. Bathing at dusk lets you watch the sun set over the lake for a special finish. If you have time, a walk along the Hawai Onsen lakeshore to watch the shifting colors of the sky mirrored on the water is memorable too.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• The premise of this itinerary: A one-day course taking about 5 and a half hours (10:00-15:30) / it is about 20 minutes by car from central Kurayoshi to Hawai Onsen. Using public transport, you can get around by local bus and on foot
• Opening hours / closing days of each facility: Town-walking maps are handed out at the Kurayoshi Shirakabe Dozogun Tourist Information Center (2568-1 Uomachi, Kurayoshi City / TEL 0858-22-1200). Ishitani Seikado Main Store, home of Utsubuki Park dango, has shop hours of 8:00-17:30 and cafe hours of 8:00-17:00 (last order 16:30), closed only on New Year's Day. Each of the Akagawara buildings has its own opening hours and closing days
• Price guide: Strolling the white-walled storehouse district is free of charge. For day-use bathing: Hawai Yu-Town (public bathhouse) 450 yen for adults and 260 yen for junior high school students; Kokumin Shukusha Suimeiso 770 yen for adults; Sennentei 1,000 yen for adults; Koya 1,800 yen for adults; and Yu-Asis Togo Ryuhokaku 1,070 yen for adults for full use of the facility or 450 yen for the Chinese bath only
• Reception hours for day-use bathing: Hawai Yu-Town 9:00-21:00 (reception until 20:30 / closed on Thursdays; except on the 4th Thursday it opens from 17:00), Sennentei 11:00-20:00, Kokumin Shukusha Suimeiso 10:30-13:00, Koya 11:00-20:00 (open Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only), and Yu-Asis Togo Ryuhokaku with the bathing zone 10:00-21:00 and the Chinese bath 10:00-21:30 (closed on the 4th Tuesday). * Since Suimeiso only takes visitors until 13:00, Sennentei or Hawai Yu-Town are the sure options if you want to bathe in the 2 p.m. hour
• Access: The Kurayoshi Shirakabe Dozogun storehouse district is about 1 hour by car from the areas around Tottori Station and Yonago Station. Local buses toward "Kurayoshi city center, Shirakabe Dozogun and Akagawara" leave from the bus terminal at JR Kurayoshi Station
• What needs to be reserved: Day-use bathing at the ryokan may have its hours changed or be suspended on a given day, so check with each inn in advance. At Koya, priority is given to those with reservations
• Points to note and safety: The stone paving and narrow lanes form a maze, so wear comfortable walking shoes. Many of the shops in the storehouse district close in the late afternoon, so strolling from the morning through midday is recommended

* If you plan to get around by local bus, the "Yu-Yu 2-Day Pass" (1,300 yen), which gives 2 days of travel on the bus sections linking Kurayoshi Shirakabe Dozogun, Misasa Onsen, Hawai Onsen and Togo Onsen, is handy. It is sold at places including the tourist information center inside JR Kurayoshi Station and the Kurayoshi Shirakabe Dozogun Tourist Information Center.

(Sources: Hawai Onsen and Togo Onsen Ryokan Association official website, Kurayoshi Tourist Information (Kurayoshi Tourism MICE Association), Akagawara Co., Ltd. official website. As of July 2026)