I went to Tottori Sand Dunes Children's Land during Golden Week and it was a fantastic facility with plenty of playground equipment and restrooms, and it was easy on the wallet too!
Since it was Children's Day, we decided to visit ' IM Electronics Tottori Sand Dunes Children's Land, ' located near the Tottori Sand Dunes.
IM Electronics Tottori Sand Dunes Children's Land
When I woke up in the morning, I asked ChatGPT, 'What should I be careful about?' and received the crucial information that 'the park's opening hours have been extended.' I also received advice to 'arrive early to be on the safe side' and to 'be careful of sunburn, dehydration, and the heat of the playground equipment.'
I naively thought, 'Since I'm in Tottori, I might as well go see the sand dunes,' but apparently the key to success is 'don't try to cram in as much as possible, including the sand dunes.' The AI model used is GPT-5.5 Thinking.
Following the advice, we left early in the morning and arrived at Kodomo no Kuni (Children's Land) around 8:30 a.m. There are four parking lots at Kodomo no Kuni with a total capacity of 500 cars, but at 8:30 a.m. there were only a few dozen cars, so we were able to park close to the entrance.
A steam locomotive will greet you in the parking lot.
Just as we were about to enter, my child said, 'My stomach hurts,' so we headed straight to the restroom in the parking lot. While waiting for my child, I told ChatGPT that I had two children, aged 4 and 1, and asked them to 'think about how we should move around.'
According to ChatGPT, 'Focus on activities centered around 4-year-olds, and if they play three different games, it's a great success.' As mentioned in the section about the sand dunes, it seems important not to be greedy.
As soon as my child came out of the restroom, he said, 'I want to go home!' I had to soothe him for a while, but after a bit he seemed to want to play and agreed to come in. By around 9am, the first parking lot was full.
The entrance fee is 500 yen for high school students and older, 200 yen for junior high school students, and free for elementary school students and younger. However, on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, admission is free for university students and younger. Also, admission is always free for those 70 years and older, so it seems that a 'grandparents over 70 + child' combination can enter completely free of charge. This time, it cost 1000 yen for two adults.
Since it's Golden Week, various events are being held. They also offer free rentals of strollers and wheelchairs.
You pay directly at the entrance. In addition to cash, they also accepted credit cards, transportation IC cards, and PayPay. To manage the number of visitors during Golden Week, staff members came out from behind booths to serve those who needed to pay in cash with no change, directing them to a separate line.
I got a stamp rally card for the park.
The park map looks like this. For now, we decided to head towards the 'Fluffy Dome' at the very back.
An athletic course appears right away.
The entrance is in the center. There was a sign that said, 'Children under 6 years old must be accompanied by an adult.'
The four-year-old, who had said he was going to the 'bouncy dome,' disappeared into the playground in no time. It was quite difficult to keep an eye on him from the outside, and it's true that he could easily get lost without an adult accompanying him.
As I looked around while holding my one-year-old child, I noticed that preparations were underway for today's event, the 'Naomi Yamamoto Electone Concert.'
All the stairs in the park are equipped with ramps, allowing for smooth movement for wheelchairs and strollers.
After a while, a four-year-old returned from the playground. There's only one entrance/exit, so if you wait in the plaza, you won't miss them. Next, I'll go to the building next door.
It says 'Multipurpose Hall'.
There were also restrooms. Both the women's and men's restrooms had baby symbols. However, all used diapers had to be taken home.
This is what the inside of the multipurpose hall looks like. It seems like even small children aged 1 to 2 years old can easily play there.
To reach our original destination, the 'Fluffy Dome,' we leave the multipurpose hall and head further inside.
There was a woodworking workshop.
It seems that woodworking is possible.
The sign outside lists the types of crafts you can make. The cost of materials ranged from a few hundred yen to around 1000 yen.
On the opposite side is the 'Sand Workshop.' There was also a toilet here.
It seems they also have a limited-time menu for Golden Week.
The material costs for this are also only a few hundred yen.
Various food trucks were set up to satisfy the appetites of visitors during Golden Week.
We also have a cafe.
In addition to the regular menu, there was also a menu item called 'baby food.'
I went inside, but most of the menu items were sold out. When I asked, I was told that they only open for lunch at 10:30.
When ordering baby food, you had to choose one item from a selection of commercially available baby foods.
There's also a small children's book corner.
Since the four-year-old seemed more interested in playing than resting at the cafe, we decided to go our separate ways from here. As we left the cafe and continued further in, we spotted another playground.
That's a pretty impressive athletic course. Looks like fun.
There are also many food trucks set up further inside.
There was also a place nearby where we could rest.
It has a roof, so you can take a break while keeping an eye on your children playing on the playground equipment.
This time, we're heading to the 'Fluffy Dome' by going through the athletic course and continuing further in.
We arrived at a large fork in the road. To the left is 'Sand Park.' The sign says the inflatable dome is to the right, so we'll go right.
Along the way, there was a wading pool where you could splash around in the water. It seems you can also enjoy water play there in the summer.
There was also a water slide.
There was a fountain plaza next door, but it was under maintenance.
There are various battery-powered cars on display.
Of course I played it. For 100 yen, you can move around about one lap of the circular course.
Next to the battery-powered car, you'll find the boarding areas for the rail train and cycle monorail. The rail train is decorated with designs of Sandshrew and Alolan Sandshrew from Pokémon, who have been appointed as Tottori Hometown Ambassadors.
I was also interested in the rail train, but this time we decided to play on the cycle monorail. It's available for children aged 3 and up, and costs 100 yen per person.
Purchase a ticket from the ticket vending machine.
We lined up on the stairs. The queue stretched all the way down to the bottom of the stairs, but our turn came in about 10 minutes.
Children under 120cm tall must be accompanied by someone who is 120cm or taller.
I was told that adults sit on the far side. Since my camera didn't have a strap attached, I couldn't take photos while riding the cycle monorail.
My four-year-old urged me to 'ped really fast!', and before I knew it, we'd finished one lap. It felt a little wasteful that it was over so quickly, but he seemed to be having fun, so it's okay.
There was also a toilet near the cycle monorail. Since there are many toilets throughout the park, you don't have to worry if your child suddenly needs to go to the toilet.
There was also a corner with unusual bicycles. Apparently, you can play with them for 100 yen for 10 minutes.
We can finally see our original goal, the 'Fluffy Dome.'
The bouncy dome is available for children aged 3 to 6.
They were jumping around barefoot on top of the dome. Sand had been laid around the dome so that it would be safe even if they ran down from it. Adults are not allowed to ride it.
A washing area was provided, anticipating that sand might get on your feet. It's a good idea to bring a towel.
We could hear cheerful voices coming from next to the inflatable dome.
Upon checking, it turned out to be an attraction called 'F-1,' where you drive battery-powered cars around a course. This also looked fun, but it was only available for children aged 5 to 6th grade, so we decided to pass on it this time.
We left the Fluffy Dome and arrived at Sand Park.
As the name suggests, you can play in a large sandbox.
Handwashing facilities are also available.
There was also a small athletic area.
The children are playing in a line.
As I walked from Sand Park towards the hill, I saw several tents pitched. Apparently, it's okay to use tents as long as you don't drive pegs or stakes into the ground.
Looking down from the hill, you can see food trucks and an athletic playground. It was almost 11 o'clock, but it didn't seem particularly crowded.
If you continue up the hill, you'll find fire trucks and ambulances on display, and you can go inside and take a look around.
There's a toilet here too. It has a rather unique shape.
Next to it were swings, slides, and other 'inclusive play equipment' designed so that all children, regardless of disability, age, or physical ability, can play together and have fun in the same place.
Further up the hill, a three-pronged slide appears.
There's also a Tarzan rope swing.
Some people were playing basketball.
We arrived at a corner decorated with a waterside theme.
Here's another sandbox. A handwashing station is also provided here.
Various playground equipment is lined up all the way up the hill.
Lots of children were playing on the bouldering wall.
The second Tarzan rope swing. There was plenty of shade in this area, and some people were having lunch on picnic blankets.
There's a large, castle-like playground structure in the back, which really stands out.
When I got closer, I found a slide with an incredibly steep angle.
It's apparently called a 'freefall slide.' As an adult, I thought it looked quite scary, but lots of children were sliding down it one after another.
There's also a slide next to it that even small children can play on.
Further inside, there was a wooden playground set up.
There was a vast grassy field on top of the hill.
There are stairs at the back of the square.
When I climbed up, I found the 'Bell of Hope' and was able to ring it.
This is what the plaza looks like from above. It was a beautiful sunny day, but the temperature was only around 24℃, and a cool breeze was blowing, making it a perfect day for sightseeing.
I had underestimated the Golden Week crowds, and had planned to go to the Tottori Sand Dunes in the afternoon. However, when I left Kodomo no Kuni (Children's Land) around 12:30 PM, there was a line of cars waiting to enter that stretched for 700 to 800 meters, as shown by the red line in the diagram below. Thinking, 'If it's this bad at Kodomo no Kuni, the Tottori Sand Dunes must be even worse,' I decided to turn back.
In the end, the kids slept soundly in the car on the way home and also slept soundly at night, so it seems they used up quite a bit of energy even just during the morning. If we had dragged them all the way to the Tottori Sand Dunes, they might have run out of energy and it would have been a real struggle, so ChatGPT's advice to 'retreat with some energy left' was absolutely correct.
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