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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Yanai
柳井市
Go for half a day, not a night: the white-walled street is 15 min on foot from JR Yanai and done in 2–3 h. Sleep in Hiroshima, Iwakuni or Hikari instead.
Yanai is a small Seto Inland Sea town in eastern Yamaguchi, about 70 km southwest of Hiroshima, known for one preserved Edo-period merchant street, Shirakabe no Machi, and for paper goldfish lanterns. It is a half-day stop on the JR Sanyo line between Hiroshima and Iwakuni, not a base: the sights are few, spread out, and the town empties in the evening. Come for the street, the soy sauce brewery and a bowl of udon, then move on.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 柳井市
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-Aug festival crowds
- 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 ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–16,000 excl. bed · High ¥16,000+ 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 or tea in a café | ¥400–700 |
| Udon or soba bowl | ¥300–800 |
| Kunimori house admission | ¥200 adults / ¥100 children |
| Muroyama no Sono admission | ¥350 adults / ¥200 children |
| Beer: can at a convenience store / draught in a bar | ¥250–350 / ¥500–750 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ¥1,800–2,300 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HIJ · Hiroshima Airport
- About 1 h 30 min to Yanai by bus and JR Sanyo line; check connections
- IWK · Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport
- Closer, but few flights; about 40 min by JR Sanyo line from Iwakuni
- FUK · Fukuoka Airport
- Shinkansen to Tokuyama or Hiroshima, then JR Sanyo line; 3 h+
Typical fares
- JR Sanyo line, Hiroshima → Yanai
- about ¥1,200, 1 h 10 min–1 h 30 min
- JR Sanyo line, Iwakuni → Yanai
- about ¥400, 20 min
- Taxi, JR Yanai → Shirakabe no Machi
- about ¥1,000–1,300, 5 min
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
Walk. JR Yanai Station to Shirakabe no Machi is about 1 km (0.6 mi), 15 min on foot. Local buses run but are infrequent; taxis wait at the station. For Flower Land and the marine park you need a car or taxi. The JR Sanyo line links Yanai with Iwakuni (about 20 min), Tokuyama and Hiroshima; Shinkansen riders change at Hiroshima or Tokuyama.Walk. JR Yanai Station to Shirakabe no Machi is about 0.6 mi (1 km), 15 min on foot. Local buses run but are infrequent; taxis wait at the station. For Flower Land and the marine park you need a car or taxi. The JR Sanyo line links Yanai with Iwakuni (about 20 min), Tokuyama and Hiroshima; Shinkansen riders change at Hiroshima or Tokuyama.
See and do
Known for
- Shirakabe no Machi white-walled merchant street
- Paper goldfish lanterns (kingyo chōchin)
- Kanro soy sauce
- Muroyama no Sono merchant residence
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Iwakuni | JR Sanyo line from JR Yanai, about 20 min | About 45 min |
| Hagi | JR Sanyo line to Asa or Shin-Yamaguchi, then JR Sanin line | 2.5–3 h |
| Shimonoseki | JR Sanyo line to Asa, then JR Sanin line | About 2 h |
| Suo-Oshima | Bus or car to the Yanai port, then ferry | 1–1.5 h |
| Hofu | JR Sanyo line westbound | About 1 h |
| Yamaguchi | JR Sanyo line to Shin-Yamaguchi, then bus | 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Yanai Station area (Minamimachi)
- Business hotels within a 5-min walk of JR Yanai; the practical choice if you must sleep here.
- Shirakabe no Machi side (Chūō)
- One larger hotel near the old street, NE of the station; quieter, fewer food options at night.
- Iwakuni or Hikari
- Better beds and more to do; 20–40 min by JR Sanyo line. Most travellers sleep here instead.
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 |
| 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 |
| One udon, please | うどんを一つくださいudon o hitotsu kudasai |
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
- Shirakabe no Machi shops and the Kunimori house close early; arrive before mid-afternoon.
- Muroyama no Sono is closed Wednesdays — check before travelling for it alone.
- Few restaurants open in the evening; eat lunch in town or eat at your hotel.
- English is limited outside hotels; carry the address in Japanese.
- Summer heat and humidity are severe; the old street has little shade.
Yanai is quiet and low-risk; the real issues are infrequent buses, early closing hours and summer heat. Carry cash — small shops and the old houses may not take cards.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yanai yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Shirakabe no Machi white-walled merchant street
- Paper goldfish lanterns (kingyo chōchin)
- Kanro soy sauce
- Muroyama no Sono merchant residence
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yanai city official site: www.city-yanai.jp/
- Yamaguchi Prefecture tourism: www.oidemase.or.jp/
- JR West (Sanyo line): www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/
- Wikivoyage: Yanai, revision 5190143 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5190143
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yanai柳井市
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
No embassies in Yanai; the US consulate is in Fukuoka and most embassies are in Tokyo. Check your own country's list before travelling.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yanai). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.