Walking Through Sakaiminato’s Yokai Town
Sakaiminato, in western Tottori Prefecture, is home to Mizuki Shigeru Road, one of Japan’s most unusual shopping streets.
Lined with bronze statues of yokai from the world of manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, it is a place where folklore, imagination, and everyday life quietly come together.
During the day, the street feels cheerful and welcoming, filled with families, souvenir shops, and familiar characters like Kitaro and Medama Oyaji.
But as evening falls over this seaside town, the atmosphere begins to change.
The harbor grows quiet.
The crowds slowly disappear.
And walking the same street again after dark, it feels as though the yokai have quietly come back to life.
This journey follows Mizuki Shigeru Road from daylight to night—
from the lively shopping street, to the harbor at sunset, and finally back through the mysterious streets beneath the evening lights.
Contents
- Entering Sakaiminato — The Town of Yokai
- Walking Along Mizuki Shigeru Road
- Searching for Yokai
- Discoveries Beyond the Yokai
- Tasting the Flavors of Sakaiminato
- Toward the Harbor at Sunset
- Looking Across the Water to Mihonoseki
- Returning to Mizuki Shigeru Road
- The Yokai Stamp Rally at Night
- When the Yokai Shadows Appear
- Cats in the Night
- Sakaiminato Station — Where the Yokai Gather
- Stay Overnight in Sakaiminato
Entering Sakaiminato — The Town of Yokai
The moment you arrive in Sakaiminato, you begin noticing yokai everywhere.
Not only along Mizuki Shigeru Road.
At the station.
On street lamps.
Even sitting quietly on benches.
Simply walking through town feels like stepping into the world of Shigeru Mizuki.
During the day, however, there is nothing frightening about it.
The atmosphere is playful, welcoming, and full of quiet surprises.
Our walk begins beneath the bright afternoon sun.
Walking Along Mizuki Shigeru Road
Along the street stand bronze statues of yokai, each with its own story.
Some hide beside the pavement.
Others peek into shop windows.
Every few steps, there is another reason to stop.
Recognizing a familiar character is always exciting.
But discovering a yokai you’ve never seen before is just as enjoyable.
With each statue, the remarkable imagination of Shigeru Mizuki unfolds a little further.
During the day, visitors fill the street.
Shops display yokai-themed souvenirs and sweets.
Children search for their favorite characters.
Despite being a town of ghosts and spirits, the atmosphere is surprisingly bright and cheerful.
It is a place where imagination feels welcoming rather than frightening.
Searching for Yokai
One of the most enjoyable experiences on Mizuki Shigeru Road is the Yokai Stamp Rally.
“I want to collect them all.”
With guidebook in hand, I set off to find all 35 yokai stamps scattered throughout town.
The stamp stations are not only found outside souvenir shops.
Some are tucked away beside police boxes or in unexpected corners of the neighborhood.
Finding them becomes part of the adventure.
Collect all thirty-five stamps, and you’ll receive a special commemorative stamp along with a sparkling souvenir sticker.
Before long, I realized I was no longer simply walking through town.
I was searching for yokai.
Searching for stamp stations.
Peeking into interesting shops.
Every discovery made it just a little harder to keep moving forward.
Discoveries Beyond the Yokai
As I wandered along Mizuki Shigeru Road, I found myself noticing more than just yokai.
Outside one shop stood rows of traditional sake barrels.
A little farther along, I came across a local brewery that has been producing sake in Sakaiminato for generations.
Even here, in a town famous for ghosts and folklore, the culture of the sea quietly reveals itself.
Not far away, another curious sight caught my attention.
A traditional Japanese sweet shaped like a giant eyeball.
At first glance, it looked as though Medama Oyaji himself had wandered into the confectionery shop.
The longer I looked at it,
the more it felt as though it was quietly looking back at me.
Walking through Mizuki Shigeru Road, it is easy to lose track of time.
Every shop window seems to hide another surprise.
Tasting the Flavors of Sakaiminato
For all its yokai,
this is still a fishing town.
It is easy to forget that while wandering among bronze statues and souvenir shops,
until the aroma of fresh seafood begins drifting through the street.
Then came one of the highlights of the day.
Fresh rock oysters harvested from the waters around the Oki Islands.
Everything seemed to taste even better beside the sea.
Visitors wandered between seafood restaurants and souvenir shops.
Families searched for yokai.
Friends stopped to take photographs.
The cheerful atmosphere of the afternoon slowly filled the street.
But little by little,
the light began to soften.
Toward the Harbor at Sunset
Leaving Mizuki Shigeru Road behind,
I walked toward the harbor.
The fishing port was surprisingly quiet.
Large fishing vessels floated gently beside the pier.
Beyond them stood a bridge stretching toward the mountains.
For a moment,
the lively yokai town disappeared,
and Sakaiminato became simply a quiet fishing port once again.
Reflections of the town shimmered across the water.
The sky still held traces of daylight,
yet both sea and mountains were slowly surrendering their colors.
It felt like standing between two worlds—
between day and night,
between reality and the world of yokai.
Looking Across the Water to Mihonoseki
Across the Sakai Channel lies Mihonoseki,
a small harbor town on the Shimane Peninsula.
Following the Path of Gods and Buddhas leads to stone-paved streets,
Miho Shrine,
and a peaceful fishing town where old traditions still remain.
Its atmosphere is completely different from the lively streets of Sakaiminato,
yet both places share the quiet rhythm of the sea.
If your journey brings you this far,
consider crossing the water to discover another side of San’in.
→ The Path of Gods and Buddhas — A Quiet Waterside Road from Matsue to Mihonoseki
→ Mihonoseki — A Quiet Cape Town Facing the Sea of Japan
Returning to Mizuki Shigeru Road
As the sun disappeared,
I returned once more to Mizuki Shigeru Road.
The souvenir shops had closed.
The crowds had almost vanished.
Only a few visitors remained,
walking quietly beneath the evening lights.
It was the same street.
The same bronze statues.
Yet after dark,
everything somehow felt different.
Although it had been a hot summer day,
the night air felt surprisingly cool.
The oyster restaurant where I had eaten lunch now stood silent,
its shutters closed until morning.
Passing the Mizuki Shigeru Museum,
I noticed Kitaro standing quietly beneath the lights.
He was carefully pouring hot water into Medama Oyaji’s tiny bath.
During the day,
the scene might have felt amusing.
At night,
it seemed strangely mysterious.
Standing alone,
carefully filling his father’s tiny bath,
Kitaro somehow looked less like a manga character
and more like someone quietly living in the town after everyone else had gone home.
The Yokai Stamp Rally at Night
With the stamp guidebook still in my hand,
I continued searching for the remaining yokai stamps.
The same stamp stations.
The same benches.
The same streets.
Yet somehow,
the search felt completely different.
Instead of looking for stamp stations,
it began to feel as though I was searching for yokai themselves.
Then I found Makura-gaeshi.
The yokai said to quietly turn over your pillow while you sleep.
After seeing him,
I couldn’t help wondering—
perhaps tonight,
he might quietly visit someone’s room.
Even the yokai I had laughed at during the afternoon
now seemed a little more believable.
When the Yokai Shadows Appear
After sunset,
another transformation begins.
Shadows.
Light.
And the imagination of the night.
Throughout Mizuki Shigeru Road,
animated shadow projections appear across the streets and buildings,
bringing the town to life in an entirely different way.
Large silhouettes suddenly appeared beneath my feet.
Others stretched across closed shop shutters.
Some glowed blue.
Others shone red.
One by one,
the yokai quietly reclaimed the town.
With the daytime crowds gone,
only the shadows remained.
It almost felt as though the town itself belonged to the yokai once again.
Cats in the Night
When I stopped by the Yokai Shrine,
I found the same cat I had seen earlier in the day.
For a moment,
I wondered if it might actually be Neko Musume.
The way it sat so perfectly still…
somehow reminded me of the character herself.
Not far away,
another cat watched silently from in front of a closed shop.
There were cats walking along rooftops.
Children in yukata followed their grandparents through the street.
Couples strolled quietly beneath the lights.
The town was not empty—
just much quieter than it had been during the day.
With each step,
it felt as though the yokai were quietly watching us walk by.
Sakaiminato Station — Where the Yokai Gather
Leaving Mizuki Shigeru Road behind,
I walked toward Sakaiminato Station.
Along the way stood Onyado Nono Sakaiminato,
its warm lights glowing softly in the quiet evening.
As I approached the station,
more yokai began to appear once again.
Perhaps,
this was where they gathered after everyone else had gone home.
Looking up,
his giant eye floated against the dark night sky.
Outside the station,
Shigeru Mizuki sat quietly at his desk,
drawing another story.
Beside him stood Kitaro and Nezumi Otoko,
watching over the next adventure.
What might they have been talking about?
Perhaps,
they were imagining the next yokai yet to be born.
Just nearby,
I found another small surprise.
A footbath shared with the yokai.
And finally,
I turned around one last time.
The station itself had become part of the story.
Perhaps,
when the visitors have all gone home,
this is where the yokai gather.
To play music.
To tell stories.
Or simply
to enjoy another quiet night together.
Stay Overnight in Sakaiminato
Mizuki Shigeru Road is enjoyable at any time of day.
But if you stay until sunset,
walk through the quiet harbor,
and return after dark,
you will discover a completely different side of Sakaiminato.
Spending the night here allows you to experience the town as it slowly changes from afternoon to evening.
Just a short walk from both Mizuki Shigeru Road and Sakaiminato Station,
Onyado Nono Sakaiminato is an ideal place to stay.
After wandering through the streets with the yokai,
you can relax in a natural hot spring before another quiet morning begins.
→ Stay Overnight in Sakaiminato — Two Quiet Places to Experience the Yokai Town After Dark
During the day,
the yokai make people smile.
At sunset,
the harbor grows quiet.
After dark,
the streets begin to feel just a little mysterious.
And at the station,
it seems as though all the yokai quietly gather once again.
Sakaiminato is a town where the story does not end when the sun goes down.
Instead,
another chapter quietly begins.