World Masters Sport visited Tottori Prefecture, touring four competition venues set to welcome thousands of Masters athletes at the World Masters Games Kansai 2027, and explored the region that proves as compelling off the track as on it. Alongside, a special welcome was prepared by the Tottori prefecture for President Sergii Bubka.
The Venues: Where Masters Athletes Will Compete
First venue visited in the morning was Yamata Sports Park, Tottori’s flagship multi-sport complex. It will serve as a centrepiece venue for the Archery competition at the World Masters Games Kansai 2027.
At the Tottori Velodrome, the delegation assessed the facility’s readiness for masters track cycling competition and Tottori’s track did not disappoint. Athletes competing here will find a venue that celebrates the sport, and we bumped into one of the athletes, Itokawa Kumiko, while she was training for the World Masters Games next year: “I train here every week and the atmosphere here is incredible. I can’t wait to race in with other international athletes at the Games. This is what masters sport is all about: still competing, still pushing limits, still loving every second of it.”
Next stop was the road race cycling circuit which offered an entirely different dimension: wide open Tottori scenery, clean roads, green forests, and the kind of varied terrain that rewards experienced riders with a challenging elevation on the course. For masters cyclists, who often enjoy the experience as much as the result, this route will be memorable.
The final venue stop brought the delegation to the seaside ground golf course, where the Pacific played backdrop to one of the traditional sports on the program. Ground golf, a Japanese invention beloved among older athletes for its accessibility and social character, fits perfectly in Tottori’s coastal landscape. The sea breeze, the open horizon, and the easy pace of the game create something that felt genuinely special.
Sports Director Samantha Hayward was pleased to be back in Tottori and see the venues: “The athletes competing in archery, cycling, ground golf and judo will have a memorable experience in Tottori prefecture as they will compete in high class venues and experience great tourist attractions and a beautiful scenery.”
A Special Honour: President Bubka Named “Bird Hero” of Tottori
During the visit to Tottori Prefecture as part of the site inspection programme for the World Masters Games 2027 Kansai, President Sergii Bubka was welcomed at Yamata Sports Park in Tottori City with a special ceremony celebrating both the upcoming Games and the region’s commitment to sport.
In recognition of his legendary athletics career and the nickname “Birdman”, Tottori Prefecture presented President Bubka with the honorary title “Bird Hero”, a symbolic gesture connecting his sporting legacy with Tottori’s identity and warm hospitality. Reflecting on the visit, President Bubka underlined the broader meaning of the World Masters Games beyond competition: “I hope athletes from around the world will come to Japan and create unforgettable memories. Not only through competition, but through culture, food and hospitality.”
Tottori will play an important role in the Games, hosting archery, cycling, ground golf and judo, and the visit highlighted the spirit of friendship, lifelong participation and international exchange that defines the World Masters Games movement.
Tottori Beyond the Track
Tottori Prefecture is the least populous in Japan, yet it carries a cultural weight entirely disproportionate to its size. The delegation was given the opportunity to experience three of the region’s most distinctive features.
The Tottori Sand Dunes, the largest in Japan, stretching along the Sea of Japan coast, are a place that can’t be missed when in Tottori. The scale and view of the landscape is an experience in itself, together with the possibility to explore the dunes on the camel.
A visit to a local watermelon farm offered another refreshing moment. Tottori is celebrated across Japan for the quality of its fruit, and the prefecture takes justifiable pride in it.
The tour of Shirakabe, the white-walled merchant district, concluded the sightseeing with a walk through preserved Edo-period architecture.
Looking Ahead to 2027
The Tottori visit concluded with a clear sense that the prefecture’s venues are well-positioned for WMG Kansai 2027, and that the region has something genuinely distinctive to offer the athletes who will travel here. From the velodrome to the dunes, from the archery range to the seaside ground golf course, Tottori is showing that the smallest prefecture in Japan has some of the biggest ambitions for the Games.
For the masters athletes who will compete here, the experience will extend well beyond the result and the event itself. That, ultimately, is what Tottori will offer and the World Masters Games is about.
