In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Shunan
周南市
Half a day for Tokuyama Zoo and the coastal walk, then move on: Shunan is a stopover, not a base.
Shunan is a mid-sized industrial port city on the Sanyo Shinkansen line, between Hiroshima and Hakata. Its main draw is Tokuyama Zoo, one of Japan's oldest zoos, and a short seaside promenade. Most travellers use it as a lunch-and-stretch stop or a cheap bed for the night.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 周南市
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week
- Stay
- 0–1 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 ¥6,000–9,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥9,000–15,000 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 | ¥350–600 |
| Ramen bowl | ¥700–1,200 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–700 / ¥250–350 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ¥2,000–2,500 |
| Local bus ride | ¥200–300 |
| Tokuyama Zoo entry | ¥500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HIK · Hiroshima Airport
- Bus to Hiroshima Station, then Shinkansen to Tokuyama, about 1.5 h total
- UKY · Yamaguchi Ube Airport
- Bus to Shin-Yamaguchi, then Shinkansen to Tokuyama, about 1 h
Typical fares
- Tokuyama Station → Zoo, taxi
- about ¥1,500
- Shinkansen Tokuyama → Hiroshima
- about ¥5,000, 30 min (check)
- Shinkansen Tokuyama → Shin-Yamaguchi
- about ¥1,500, 10 min (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
Walkable centre; local buses to the zoo and coastal areas. A taxi from Tokuyama Station to the zoo is about ¥1,500.
See and do
Known for
- Tokuyama Zoo
- Coastal promenade
- Shinkansen stop
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hagi | JR bus from Tokuyama Station, about 1 h 20 min | About 1.5 h |
| Iwakuni | Shinkansen to Shin-Iwakuni, about 15 min, then bus | About 45 min |
| Shimonoseki | Shinkansen to Shin-Shimonoseki, about 30 min, then local train | About 1 h |
| Yamaguchi | Shinkansen to Shin-Yamaguchi, about 10 min, then bus | About 30 min |
Sleep
- Tokuyama Station area
- Hotels and budget inns within a 10-min walk; convenient for Shinkansen and local buses.
- Kudamatsu side
- A few mins east by train; quieter, fewer options.
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 |
| Where is the zoo? | 動物園はどこですか？dōbutsuen wa doko desu 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
- Tokuyama Zoo closes on Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday).
- Shinkansen trains stop at Tokuyama, not all Nozomi services; check the timetable.
- Few English signs; have your destination written in Japanese.
Very safe; standard precautions apply. The main risk is heat in summer and limited English signage.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Shunan yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tokuyama Zoo
- Coastal promenade
- Shinkansen stop
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Shunan city official tourism site: www.city.shunan.lg.jp/site/kanko/
- Shunan tourist association: kanko-shunan.com/
- Wikivoyage: Shunan, revision 4871643 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4871643
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Shunan周南市
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: embassies in Tokyo.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/shunan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.