Nima Sand Museum

The Nima Sand Museum's centerpiece is a sand timer standing over five meters tall, containing a full ton of sand that takes exactly one year to flow through, flipped ceremonially each New Year's Eve. The glass pyramid building on the San'in coast displays sand samples from beaches worldwide and hosts an annual sand art competition. The real surprise is just outside: Kotogahama Beach, where the quartz sand produces a musical squeak underfoot when you walk on it, a natural phenomenon caused by the purity of the grains. Plan an hour for the museum and extra time for the beach.