Yes, Japan has a desert compete with camels, sane dunes and ... a world class art museum with sand sculptures! This time, John heads to this barren wasteland devoid of vending machines for a taste of the Sahara – in Japan. 100,000 years ago, this area turned into a desert because sand flew in from the sea accumulating over many millennia. The result is a 16 km by 2 km wide desert that was growing until about 50 years ago when the city residents decided enough was enough.