One has to be a stone fish not to fall in love with Japan. The same element can yield totally different experiences.

Tottori is renowned for its sand dunes. What made the trip memorable for me was showing up in winter and seeing it being dotted with snow. It was unbelievably cold, with the strong wind whipping me across the sea. But my heart was rejoicing at this rare natural sight.

Ibusuki attracts visitors due to its sand bathing. Again, I arrived in the thick of winter. Alas, this meant that I didn’t get to be buried under the sand onsen at a location close to the sea and have the waves sing me a lullaby. Still, I went ahead with the option under a sheltered area and felt the sensation of the warm sand tickling my skin like ant bites. I still bemoaned that I had gotten out of the bath too soon, thinking that I could reenter it when I caught a breather. That was a rookie mistake, so if you get a chance to do this, stay as long under the hot sand as you can!