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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Iwami
岩美町
Skip Iwami unless you have a car and a free half-day for the Uradome Coast: the town itself is a fishing village with one onsen and no major sights.
Iwami is a small coastal town in Tottori Prefecture, part of the San'in Kaigan Geopark. Its main draw is the Uradome Coast — clear water, rocky islands and sea caves — best seen by car or boat. The town has one hot spring and a few seafood restaurants, but no train station within walking distance of the coast. Most travellers use it as a short stop between Tottori City and Hyōgo Prefecture, not a destination.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 岩美町
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded and humid), Dec–Feb (cold, rough sea)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥5,000–8,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥8,000–15,000 excl. bed · High ¥15,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥300–500 |
| Seafood bowl (kaisendon) | ¥1,500–2,500 |
| Okonomiyaki | ¥800–1,200 |
| Beer (can at konbini) | ¥250–350 |
| Taxi Iwami Station → Uradome Coast | ¥2,500–3,500 |
| Bus Iwami Station → Uradome Coast, one way | ¥500 (check) |
| Onsen entry (Iwai Onsen) | ¥700 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TTJ · Tottori Airport
- About 40 min by car; limited domestic flights from Tokyo (Haneda).
- YGJ · Yonago Airport (Miho-Yonago)
- About 1 h 15 min by car; domestic flights from Tokyo and Nagoya.
Typical fares
- Tottori → Iwami, JR
- about ¥500, about 30 min (check)
- Taxi Iwami Station → Uradome Coast
- ¥2,500–3,500
- Bus Iwami Station → Uradome Coast
- about ¥500 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car is the only practical way to reach the coast and the onsen. Buses run a few times a day from Iwami Station to Uradome (check the timetable). The town is walkable but spread out.
See and do
Known for
- Uradome Coast
- San'in Kaigan Geopark
- Squid fishing
- Iwai Onsen
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tottori City | JR San'in Main Line, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Yonago | JR San'in Main Line, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Kurayoshi | JR San'in Main Line, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Sakaiminato | JR San'in Main Line, about 1 h 30 min | About 1.75 h |
| Daisen, Tottori | Car, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
Sleep
- Iwami town centre
- A few minshuku and one ryokan near the station; quiet, limited dining.
- Uradome Coast area
- Seaside guesthouses and a campsite; best for coastal access, but no shops.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- No train station near the coast: you need a car or a taxi from Iwami Station.
- Boat tours on the Uradome Coast run only from April to November, weather permitting.
- Restaurants close early; the Family Mart is your backup for dinner.
- The tourist information site is Japanese-only; use Google Translate.
Iwami is a quiet, safe town. The main risks are driving on narrow coastal roads and the sea conditions for boat tours: check the forecast.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Iwami yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Uradome Coast
- San'in Kaigan Geopark
- Squid fishing
- Iwai Onsen
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Iwami Tourist Association (Japanese): www.iwamikanko.org/
- Wikivoyage: Iwami, revision 5330090 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5330090
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Iwami岩美町
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
The US has a consulate in Osaka; most other countries have embassies in Tokyo.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/iwami). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.