An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Sakai as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom.
Sakaiminato was founded on April 1, 1956. A merger with Yonago and other neighboring municipalities was proposed, but the majority of the citizenry voted against this, and Sakaiminato remained an autonomous municipality.
At the northern end of Yumigahama Peninsula, it is surrounded by the Miho Bay on the Sea of Japan to the east, Lake Nakaumi to the west and the Sakai Channel in the north, which also makes up the border with Shimane Prefecture and its capital Matsue.
In 2008, Sakaiminato had an estimated population of 35,710 and a population density of 1,240 persons per km². The total area is 28.79 km2 (11.12 sq mi).
The seaport of Sakaiminato has a long history as a seaport for the San'in Region. Following World War II the city has served as the base of the fishing industry for all of Western Japan. Consequently, marine product processing is also a major industry in the city.
Yonago Airport is in Sakaiminato and is the busiest airport in Tottori Prefecture. Nearby Miho Airbase, next to the airport, is run by the Ministry of Defence. Asiana Airlines operates a sales office in Sakaiminato.
Sakaiminato is linked to the Japanese railway network by the Sakai Line branch, which runs between Sakaiminato Station and Yonago Station on the San'in Main Line.
The port at Sakaiminato serves the DBS Cruise ferry Eastern Dream, which connects Japan to Donghae, South Korea, and Vladivostok, Russia.
Sakaiminato is the home of Shigeru Mizuki, the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro, a character seen in many forms throughout Japan. The spirit of Kitaro can be found in Sakaiminato, on Kitaro Road, a street dedicated to all the characters that appear in Mizuki's stories. One hundred bronze statues of the story’s characters line both sides of the road.
Sakaiminato was also where the photographer Shōji Ueda was born and ran a studio.
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