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Snow crab fishermen head out to sea as fishing season starts

YONAGO, Japan - Sent off by family members and other well-wishers, a Japanese snow crab boat heads out to sea from Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture on Aug. 31 as the fishing season for snow crab in the Sea of Japan starts on Sept. 1. According to the fishermen's cooperative in Sakaiminato, Japan's largest crab fishing port, the volume of snow crabs caught in the Sea of Japan has been declining gradually partly due to over-trapping. To conserve the snow crab population, snow crab fishermen in Japan have imposed a ceiling on the volume of snow crabs to be caught starting this year. Fishermen are also required to use trapping baskets with 9.5-centimeter rings to enable smaller crabs to escape when trapped. Japanese fishermen caught 10,952 tons of crabs in the Sea of Japan last year, 60 percent of them snow crab.

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Salvia flowers paint Tottori park in red

YONAGO, Japan, Oct. 23 Kyodo - Salvia flowers bloom in red at the Tottori Hanakairo flower park in Nambu, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Oct. 22, 2018.

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Princess Kako makes speech using sign language

YONAGO, Japan, Sept. 22 Kyodo - Princess Kako, the 20-year-old second daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, uses a sign as she makes a speech at a national sign language performance event for high school students in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, in western Japan on Sept. 22, 2015.

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Year-end event in Yonago to clear lies by eating tofu

YONAGO, Japan - A young boy puts a piece of paper after writing lies he told this year into a post set up next to a huge tofu in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japan, on Dec. 6, 2014. The event was held based on a local tradition that liars are forgiven if they eat tofu at the end of the year.

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Capybaras enjoy hot bath in Tottori Pref.

YONAGO, Japan - A pair of capybaras warms themselves in a hot bath, brought from a nearby hot spring facility, at Daisen Tom-Sawyer Pasture in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 1, 2014.

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Shrine displays lucky people's wooden plaques

YONAGO, Japan - A visitor to Kamochi Shrine in Hino, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, examines wooden plaques dedicated by lottery winners and other lucky people on Nov. 19, 2014. The Shinto shrine, whose name can be read as "kanemochi" or the rich, has opened a corner to display such plaques.

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About 500 Mandarin ducks arrive in Tottori Pref.

YONAGO, Japan - Some 500 Mandarin ducks fly to the Hino River in the town of Hino in Tottori Prefecture, known as a popular stopover for the birds in the wintering season, on Oct. 31, 2014.

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Old purses burned for good fortune at wealth-tied shrine

YONAGO, Japan - Some 250 old purses are burned in a good fortune-inviting ritual at Kamochi Shrine in Hino, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Oct. 25, 2014, with the Shinto shrine considered a lucky place for its name associated with "kanemochi" or wealthy people.

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Infants in ancient costumes parade at west Japan temple

YONAGO, Japan - Many infants clad in ancient costumes walk with their parents in a procession on the approach to the Daisen-ji Buddhist temple on the slopes of the Daisen mountain in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, as part of the temple's autumn festival on Oct. 24, 2014.

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Luxury ship from Shanghai calls at western Japan port

YONAGO, Japan - Some 3,500 passengers aboard the luxury liner Mariner of the Seas from Shanghai, China, are welcomed by citizens in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, on Oct. 23, 2014, as it calls at the western Japan port on the Japan Sea for the first time. Over 90% of the passengers are Chinese.

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1st group of Bewick's swans arrives in western Japan

YONAGO, Japan - Bewick's swans fly to a water bird sanctuary in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Oct. 12, 2014, the first group of swans to arrive in the wintering season.

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Salvia flowers paint Tottori park in red

YONAGO, Japan - Salvia flowers blooming in red cover a hill at the Tottori Hanakairo (flower corridor) park in Nanbu, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 27, 2014.

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Pictures of scenery, masks displayed on JR train

YONAGO, Japan - Workers affix pictures of local scenery and masks used in the "Iwami Kagura" Shinto sacred dance to a JR Sanko Line train at a rail yard in Yonago, western Japan, on Sept. 21, 2014.

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Black light-lit painting at western Japan hot spring resort

YONAGO, Japan - A mythological scene drawn with special fluorescent paint becomes visible at night when lit by black light on a coastal path at the Kaike hot spring resort in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 12, 2014, as part of an event linked to a myth set in the region.

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Mother, children eat red snow crab meat

YONAGO, Japan - A mother and her children eat the season's first red snow crab meat on Sept. 7, 2014, at the port city of Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on the Sea of Japan.

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Season's 1st red snow crabs landed at western Japan port

YONAGO, Japan - The season's first red snow crabs are put in containers on Sept. 6, 2014, after being landed at the port of Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on the Sea of Japan coast.

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Bus with comic characters runs in author's hometown

YONAGO, Japan - A bus decorated with the paintings of comic characters is shown together with the family of "Gegege no Kitaro," a phantom boy created by comic artist Shigeru Mizuki, in his hometown of Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, on Sept. 4, 2014. The "Hama Loop Bus" is operated by the western Japan city.

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Girl competes in "geta" sandal toss competition

YONAGO, Japan - A girl tosses a Japanese "geta" sandal at a competition in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Aug. 30, 2014. The "Gegege no Kitaro Geta Toss Competition" features "Gegege no Kitaro," a phantom boy created by comic artist Shigeru Mizuki born in the city on the Sea of Japan in 1922.

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Stork in rice field in Tottori Pref.

YONAGO, Japan - A stork lands on a rice field in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, on Aug. 21, 2014. The bird, which is a special national treasure, has been nesting there since early August, much to the delight of local farmers.

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Stork flies to rice paddy in Yonago on Japan Sea coast

YONAGO, Japan - An Oriental white stork feeds in a rice paddy in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, on the Japan Sea coast on Aug. 13, 2014. Identification tags attached to both legs suggest that the bird flew from the Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, where it left its nest in June.

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Beautiful alpine meadow on Mt. Daisen

YONAGO, Japan - A beautiful alpine meadow in full bloom greets climbers near the summit of the 1,729-meter-high Mt. Daisen, a national park, in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on July 30, 2014.

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Mythological Shinto god dance performed in western Japan

YONAGO, Japan - A shrine priest performs a sword dance at a festival on the 1,143-meter Mt. Sentsu straddling Tottori and Shimane prefectures, western Japan, on July 28, 2014, symbolizing a mythological fight between an eight-headed monster serpent and Shinto god Susanoo-no-Mikoto.

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Picture for Children exhibit in Shimane Pref.

YONAGO, Japan - Visitors look at Miran Fukuda's artwork at the Picture for Children exhibition at Adachi Museum of Art in Yasugi, Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, on July 15, 2014.

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Sign for Mizuki Shigeru Road in Tottori Pref.

YONAGO, Japan - A road sign to Mizuki Shigeru Road is seen in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, on July 15, 2014. Shigeru Mizuki, a Japanese manga writer known for "Gegege no Kitaro," grew up in Sakaiminato in the prefecture.

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Bluefin tuna disassembled at festival in western Japan

YONAGO, Japan - A bluefin tuna is cut into pieces in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, on July 13, 2014, at a ceremony aimed at making the western Japanese city better known and boosting consumption. Sakaiminato boasts the largest haul of fresh bluefin tuna in Japan.

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Bluefin tuna landed in western Japan for year's 1st haul

YONAGO, Japan - A bluefin tuna catch is landed at the port of Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on June 2, 2014, for the first haul this year.

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Counterfeit products confiscated in Tottori Pref.

YONAGO, Japan - A number of seized counterfeit American designer products are shown at Yonago police station in Tottori Prefecture, on May 28, 2014.

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Mascot character Kumamon look-alike made of lacquerware

YONAGO, Japan - A figure that looks like Kumamon, the popular black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, made of lacquerware is exhibited at a traditional event in Nambu, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on April 12, 2014.

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New attraction opens on Mizuki Shigeru Road

YONAGO, Japan - "Yokai" monsters featured in the popular comic series "Gegege no Kitaro" pose in front of a new attraction, "Yokai oyasumidokoro - Sunakakeya," along Mizuki Shigeru Road in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture in western Japan, on March 8, 2014. The facility opened on the occasion of the 92nd birthday of prominent cartoonist Shigeru Mizuki, author of the comic series.

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Hot spring inns' proprietresses-to-be promote Japanese sake

YONAGO, Japan - Two young women undergoing training to become owners of Japanese inns in the Kaike hot spring area in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, pose with bottles of locally made Japanese sake on Feb. 27, 2014. Each 500-milliliter bottle of the "Kamidai" brand sake sells for 2,100 yen.

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Eshima Ohashi Bridge becomes new sightseeing spot

YONAGO, Japan - This photo, taken in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, on Feb. 13, 2014, shows Eshima Ohashi Bridge, which links Matsue and Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture. The steep bridge has become a new sightseeing spot since it was used in a commercial film for Daihatsu Motor Co.'s Tanto minivehicle.

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Winning team performs in masquerade ski event

YONAGO, Japan - A team from Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, performing in the attire of "The Rose of Versailles," a popular "manga" comic series, wins a fancy-costume skiing event held in snowy weather in Daisen, Tottori Prefecture, on Jan. 26, 2014.

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All-white raccoon dog

YONAGO, Japan - Photo taken Oct. 16, 2013, in Nanbu, Tottori Prefecture, shows an all-white raccoon dog which has been captured on a farm in the town.

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Downpour in western Japan

YONAGO, Japan - Children try to ride bikes in a flooded area after a downpour in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on July 15, 2013.

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Downpour in western Japan

YONAGO, Japan - A woman walks in a flooded area after a downpour in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on July 15, 2013.

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Moving arm chair Unimo

YONAGO, Japan - Photo taken in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, on April 12, 2013, shows the electric moving arm chair Unimo, which was put on sale by Nano-Optonics Energy Inc. the same day. Unimo runs on a crawler belt that provides a comfortable ride even on uneven surfaces or gravel and can travel as far as 20 kilometers on one charge.

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Ghost comic train

YONAGO, Japan - Photo shows a train decorated with pictures of characters from the ghost comic series "Gegege no Kitaro" in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, on March 12, 2013. The new version of the "ghost train" will begin running on JR's Sakai Line in the prefecture later in the month.

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Int'l manga comics conference in Tottori

YONAGO, Japan - During the opening day of the 13th International Comic Artist Conference in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japanese manga artists Tetsuya Chiba (R) and Machiko Satonaka stand in front of their messages celebrating the reopening on Nov. 17 of the Ishinomaki Mangattan Museum in Miyagi Prefecture. The museum, featuring the works of Shotaro Ishinomori, was damaged by 2011's powerful earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

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Ghost comic inn

YONAGO, Japan - Kaike Saichoraku inn at a spa resort in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, shows reporters its refurbished rooms featuring ghost characters from the popular comic series ''Gegege no Kitaro'' on March 6, 2012. The cartoonist of the series, Shigeru Mizuki, hails from the prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.

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Ghost comic inn

YONAGO, Japan - Kaike Saichoraku inn at a spa resort in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, shows reporters its refurbished rooms featuring ghost characters from the popular comic series ''Gegege no Kitaro'' on March 6, 2012. The cartoonist of the series, Shigeru Mizuki, hails from the prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.

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USS Patriot visits Sakaiminato

YONAGO, Japan - Lt. Cmdr. Suzanne Schang (2nd from R), commanding officer of the USS Patriot, is pictured inside the ship at Sakai port in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture on March 5, 2012. The 1,250-ton minesweeper, deployed at the U.S. Navy's Sasebo base in Nagasaki Prefecture, arrived at the port the same day to promote friendship with local residents, according to the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe.

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USS Patriot visits Sakaiminato

YONAGO, Japan - The USS Patriot arrives at Sakai port in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture on March 5, 2012. The 1,250-ton minesweeper, deployed at the U.S. Navy's Sasebo base in Nagasaki Prefecture, visited there to promote friendship with local residents, according to the U.S. Consulate General Osaka-Kobe.

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Swans head north

YONAGO, Japan - Tundra swans head north from Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, on Feb. 28, 2012, after wintering in the city by the Sea of Japan.

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'Rich Shrine' donates revenues from souvenir sales to town

YONAGO, Japan - Takahiro Kageyama (2nd from R), mayor of Hino, Tottori Prefecture, receives a donation from representatives of the Hino Town Tourism Association in the town on Feb. 24, 2012. The body that runs a souvenir shop at Kamochi Shrine sold souvenirs worth 4.5 million yen in 2011 and donated all of the money to the town government. The name of the shrine can also be read as Kanemochi Shrine, meaning ''wealthy shrine'' or ''shrine of the rich.''

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City in Tottori rents out EV with comic paintings

YONAGO, Japan - The city government of Yonago in Tottori Prefecture began renting out to visitors for free an electric vehicle with comic paintings on its body on Jan. 31, 2012. The municipal government offers the use of the car, which has a painting of comic girls and 10 local tourist spots, to promote the 13th International Comic Artist Conference to be held in November 2012 in the prefecture. Such cars called ''itasha,'' typically with paintings of animation characters, are popular among some young Japanese.

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Remains of body found on N. Korean boat transferred

YONAGO, Japan - A vehicle (front), carrying the cremated remains of a man found dead on a North Korean boat in Japanese waters, leaves a local Japan Coast Guard office in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, on Jan. 19, 2012, to hand the remains over to the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.

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'Liar Tofu' event in Tottori

YONAGO, Japan - In front of a huge block of tofu, a woman helps her son insert a strip of paper, on which he has confessed the lies he told in 2011, into a box during the ''Liar Tofu'' event held in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture on Dec. 8, 2011. According to legend in this western Japanese prefecture, if you eat tofu on Dec. 8, all the lies you have told since the beginning of the year will go away.

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Season's first tuna fishing

YONAGO, Japan - Around 1,000 bluefin tuna were landed for the first time of the year in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, on May 29, 2011.

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Snow shoveling by volunteers

YONAGO, Japan - Volunteer workers clear away snow at an elderly person's house in the town of Daisen, Tottori Prefecture, in western Japan, on Feb. 8, 2011. The area has been hit by heavy snow this winter.

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Swans begin migration north from western Japan

YONAGO, Japan - Tundra swans leave Yonago Waterbird Sanctuary in Tottori Prefecture on Feb. 7, 2011. The swans at the park have started migrating from their winter home in western Japan to their breeding grounds on the Russian Arctic coast.