Nima Sand Museum and Chugoku Mountain Sand Dunes: Sand Sacred Place with the World's Largest Hourglass

Along the coast of Nima Town, Oda City, Shimane is a sandy beach called "Kotogahama," famous for "singing sand" that makes a "squeak squeak" sound when walked on. The "Nima Sand Museum" standing here is a unique museum for experiencing the mysteries of sand.

World's Largest Hourglass "Sunagoyomi"

The "Sunagoyomi" (Sand Calendar) is a 5.2-meter total length giant hourglass with two 1-meter diameter glass spheres connected vertically. The sand inside the glass spheres amounts to 1 ton, precisely engineered to take one year (365 days) for all the sand to fall. The "inversion ceremony" on January 1 each year, turning the hourglass upside down, is a New Year's named event.

Singing Sand at Kotogahama

"Kotogahama" near Nima Sand Museum is known for making especially loud and clear sounds among Japan's singing sand beaches. The sound is clearest when the beach is clean, so it is carefully preserved by local residents.

Various Sand-Related Exhibits

The museum also offers sand and hourglass exhibits from around the world, sand art experiences, and workshops for making your own hourglasses.

Access

About 15 minutes on foot from JR Nima Station. About 20 minutes by car from Oda-shi Station.