Geography

Tottori faces the Sea of Japan on the north. In the south, Tottori meets Okayama at the Chugoku mountain range, while on the east is Hyogo and the west is Shimane. Tottori's total area is very small and is the nation's least populated prefecture. Towards the north are a number of volcanoes and in the east are three smaller plains, Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago. Along the shoreline are stretches of beautiful sandy beaches and sand dunes. Summers bring heavy rainfalls, and winters offer few sunny days and heavy snowfalls.

Industry & Economy

Due to its small population Tottori has the lowest gross agricultural production in the nation. Although the percentage of farmers is very high, production is low due to cold weather and a lack of flat lands. It does lead the nation in pears and is fourth in watermelons. With its excellent seaports Tottori has the biggest fishing haul among the prefectures on the Sea of Japan side, and is fourth in the nation. Uranium is mined around the Ningyo Pass located in the southern part of the prefecture.

Cultural Background

A Iarge number of people, mainly metal work craftsmen from Korea, came to Tottori hundreds of years ago to cash in on metallic sands. This made Tottori quite progressive in its outlook. Until the Edo era the ocean was the main means of transportation, making port towns such as Sakai and Tottori cultural centers. These became less important once road and railway systems were developed. Now the area is often referred to as Ura Nihon (Japan's back side). The people of Tottori are known to be very conservative with tight-knit communities.

Religious Milieu

Tottori prefecture has a higher percentage of Buddhist followers than any other prefecture in the Chugoku district except Hiroshima, and the least percent of Christians. Although Buddhists were active in Tottori as early as the Nara era, only a few of the old temples remain. Among them are the ruins of Kokubunji at Kurayoshi and Saiono in the outskirts. Daisen established a monastery around the 8th - 9th century as the sacred headquarters of mountain asceticism and this still remains. There are no records of Kirishitan in the area, but it is believed that there were a number of converts. When Christianity became illegal, imprisoned Chlistians were treated relatively fairly by the lord, but later the Christians exiled from Uragami and Nagasaki were treated very cruelly.

The Mission

In the early years of the Meiji era missionaries were able to establish churches in the cities of Kurayoshi, Tottori, and Yonago. In the later years of the Meiji era, Toyo Senkyokai (later renamed Holiness) actively ministered in Yonago. The ministry was launched by the famous missionary, B.F. Buxton, headquartered in Matsue, reaching even throughout the San'in district.