Yanai

While not a major tourist destination, Yanai offers a variety of sites and activities that make this a good day trip from Miyajima or Hiroshima.

Yanai's most famous attribute is the charming and picturesque Shirakabe No Machi (White walled town) located approximately 1 km north of the Yanai JR station. Most of the homes and buildings in the district date back to the Edo Period (1600-1867). There are many shops specializing in local handicrafts as well as a locally famous Soy Sauce factory.

Located in Shirakabe no Machi is the large and culturally important House of Kunimori Family. the house, built in the late 18th century is a good example of a typical merchant class residence from the mid-Edo period. Admission is ¥200 for adults and ¥100 for children.

A much larger museum and old merchant residence is Muroyama no Sono. The residence was constructed by the Oda family around 1702 from revenues generated from the family's control of the lucrative rapeseed oil trade in Western Japan. The complex, which has been faithfully preserved, includes several warehouses and ancestral home that showcase various antiques from the Edo period as well as items from the Meiji and Showa eras. An elderly man, who is a descendant of the Oda family, is the curator and can provide a wonderful insight into the building and many of its contents. Admission fee is ¥350 for adults and ¥200 for children. The museum is open from 09:00-17:00 every day except Wednesdays.

The Shoko-an Temple grounds hosts a small well with nearby willow tree that is reputed to be the origin of name of Yanai (Well of the Willow Tree in Japanese). According to legend, a princess traveling through the region 1400 years ago is said to have briefly stopped at the well to quench her thirst. A toothpick discarded near the well during this brief stop is said to have grown into the large willow tree that is now there.

• 🌍 Yamaguchi Flower Land (やまぐちフラワーランド), Shinjo 500-1 (Near the hills NW of Yanai), ☏ +81 820-24-1187. 
• 🌍 Southern Seto Marine Park (サザンセト伊保庄マリンパーク), ☏ +81 820-22-2111. 

Yanai's most famous souvenir is a paper goldfish lantern (kingyo chouchin). It can be found at various shops in and around Yanai. Yanaijima fabric goods are notable for the vivid colored striped pattern and smooth texture. Kanro soy sauce is a high quality soy sauce brewed at the locally famous Sagawa Soy Sauce Brewery. Its method of brewing adds a sweet flavor that makes it prized for use with sushi and sashimi throughout the Chugoku and Kansai region.

• 🌍 MadDope (マッドドープ), Minamimachi 1-3-3 (across the street from the HyperMerx Mall and a 3-minute walk from the Yanai JR station via the pedestrian underpass), ☏ +81 820-23-7654. An eclectic shop featuring locally produced Japanese hip-hop CDs and Japanese fashion. (updated Feb 2018)

There are many reasonably priced and delicious dining options in Yanai.

• 🌍 Kamaya (釜屋), Minamimachi 7-2-5 (Across the street from Yanai City Hall and a 4 minute walk from the Yanai JR rail station.), ☏ +81 820-23-3141. A local family-run udon establishent featuring freshly made udon. Entrees ¥300-700. (updated Feb 2018)
• 🌍 Sanzoku (山賊, The Chicken Shack), Kugamachi 1380-1, Iwakuni (From Yanai by car, proceed North on Prefectural Route 70 to National Highway 2. Located on the left.), ☏ +81 827-82-3115. Literally translating as "Mountain Bandit", this establishment features coal roasted chicken and meat dishes with gift shop and koi pond located on a sprawling outdoor arboreal setting. (updated Feb 2018)
• 🌍 Taiwanya (台湾), Nakano 447-1 (Near Shirakabe no Machi.), ☏ +81 820-22-0776. There is a long menu, but most regulars eat 'shiru-soba','shiru-bihun','yaki-soba'and 'yaki-bihun.' The restaurant is run by a man and his wife. Take-out available on request. (updated Feb 2018)

• Iwakuni - Famous for Kintaikyo (the Brocade Sash Bridge)
• Shunan
• Hirao - The Kaiten (kamikaze submarine) museum at the entrance of Hirao Bay
• Suo-Oshima - Island near Yanai
• Kaminoseki
• Tabuse
• Hikari
• Kudamatsu
• Otake