Garbage Bags and Sorting in 5 Yamaguchi Cities (2026): Bag Prices from ¥18 and Collection Days

A 45-liter designated bag for burnable garbage costs ¥18 in Yamaguchi City and ¥30 in Shimonoseki and Iwakuni. In Ube, each shop sets its own price, and Shunan’s city page does not list one.

The five cities, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Ube, Shunan and Iwakuni, also differ in which garbage needs a designated bag, how bottles and cans go out, the time to put garbage out and how to find your collection day. This guide compares them city by city. Bulky items are in a separate guide.

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Garbage sorting in 5 Yamaguchi cities: which garbage needs a designated bag

Designated bags cover five colors in Shimonoseki, two colors (red and green) in Iwakuni, and only burnable garbage in Yamaguchi and Ube. Tap a city name to jump to its section.

City	Sorted at the garbage station into	Bags for
Shimonoseki	5: burnable, bottles and cans, PET bottles, plastic packaging, paper	Burnable, bottles and cans, PET bottles, plastic (by color)
Yamaguchi	8: used paper, PET bottles, plastic packaging, bottles, cans, small metal appliances, burnable, non-burnable	Burnable only
Ube	9: burnable (3 times a week and monthly), plastic packaging, non-burnable, bottles and cans, PET bottles, hazardous, used paper, paper packaging	Burnable collected 3 times a week only
Shunan	Burnable, used paper and clothes, bottles/cans/PET bottles, plastic, non-burnable and more (bulky items separate)	Burnable, non-burnable, plastic
Iwakuni	Incineration garbage, metal and crushable garbage, recyclables and more	Burnable (red), non-burnable (green)

Garbage bag prices in Yamaguchi: 45 liters is ¥18 in Yamaguchi City, ¥30 in Shimonoseki and Iwakuni

Per 45-liter burnable bag, Yamaguchi City is ¥18, and Shimonoseki and Iwakuni are ¥30. In Iwakuni, every pack costs ¥300 and the number of bags inside changes with the size. Ube does not set a price, and Shunan’s page does not list one.

City	Bag	Price
Shimonoseki	Burnable (red)	Per bag: 45 L ¥30, 30 L ¥20, 18 L ¥12, 10 L ¥6
Shimonoseki	Bottles and cans (yellow), PET bottles (pink), plastic (blue)	Per bag: 45 L ¥18, 30 L ¥12, 18 L ¥7
Shimonoseki	Non-burnable (door-to-door collection)	¥100 per bag (up to 10 kg)
Yamaguchi	Burnable	Pack of 10: 45 L ¥180, 30 L ¥120, 20 L ¥80
Ube	Burnable (Mon, Wed, Fri)	Set by each shop
Shunan	Burnable (green), non-burnable, plastic	Not listed on the city page
Iwakuni	Burnable (red), non-burnable (green)	¥300 per pack (tax incl.): 20 L ×20, 30 L ×12, 45 L ×10

Finding your collection day, and who to ask

In all five cities, you find your district from your address and open its calendar. Shimonoseki and Yamaguchi use the same app, San-Aru, and Yamaguchi and Ube also let you look up sorting on LINE.

City	Calendars	Apps and LINE
Shimonoseki	7 areas (such as the Mon/Thu and Tue/Fri areas in the old city)	San-Aru app
Yamaguchi	28 district PDFs	San-Aru app, city LINE
Ube	24 districts	City LINE
Shunan	4 areas (Tokuyama, Shinnanyo, Kumage, Kano)	Shunan sorting app
Iwakuni	8 districts (Iwakuni, Yu, Shuto, Kuga, Nishiki, Mikawa, Miwa, Hongo)	Iwakuni citizens’ news app

Questions about household garbage (Japanese):

• Shimonoseki: Clean Promotion Division, 083-252-7165
• Yamaguchi: garbage information line, 083-902-0033 (weekdays 8:30–17:15)
• Ube: Waste Management Division, 0836-33-7291
• Shunan: Recycling Promotion Division, 0834-22-8303
• Iwakuni: Environmental Works Office, 0827-31-7710

Shimonoseki: color-coded bags, and non-burnable garbage collected at your door by booking

At the garbage station you can put out five types: burnable (red bag), bottles and cans (yellow), PET bottles (pink), plastic packaging with the plastic mark (blue), and paper (newspapers, magazines, cardboard). Each bag should be about 10 kg or less. Put garbage out by 8:30 on the morning of collection; in Toyoura it is by 8:00 (7:00 from July to September), and in Hohoku by 6:00. Tie paper with string; there is no fee for paper. See the Shimonoseki City 2026 guide to sorting and putting out garbage (Japanese).

Bags are sold at supermarkets and convenience stores in the city: burnable bags at ¥30 (45 L), ¥20 (30 L), ¥12 (18 L) and ¥6 (10 L), and bottle, can, PET and plastic bags at ¥18, ¥12 and ¥7 each. See Shimonoseki City: designated bag sales (Japanese).

Garbage that cannot go to the station is collected at your door. Non-burnable garbage (pottery, pans, toys and so on) goes in the clear designated bag with orange print, ¥100 per bag. Hazardous garbage (dry-cell batteries, fluorescent tubes, spray cans and so on) has no special bag: use a clear or semi-clear bag of 45 L or less with a ¥100 disposal sticker. For both, book in advance with the Bulky Garbage Reception Center (083-254-5380) or online, and put the bag by your entrance facing the public road by 8:30 on the day. For bulky items, see the bulky garbage guide for 5 Yamaguchi cities.

From April 2026, the collection days and frequency for used paper, bottles and cans, and PET bottles changed (fewer for paper, bottles and cans; more for PET bottles). In the old city area, burnable garbage is split into a Mon/Thu area and a Tue/Fri area, and the city page has calendars by district and a list of door-to-door collection days. In the San-Aru app, set your area to see collection days and use reminders. See Shimonoseki City: collection day changes from April 2026 and the San-Aru app (Japanese).

Small used appliances are collected free in boxes at 10 places, including Okuyama Plant, Yoshimo landfill, Clean Center Hibiki (Mon–Fri 8:15–16:00), the Shimonoseki Environment Future Hall and the west wing of City Hall. Mobile phones, computers and game consoles are accepted if they fit the 40 cm × 20 cm slot. See Shimonoseki City: free collection of small appliances (Japanese).

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Yamaguchi City: designated bags for burnable garbage only, bottles and cans in crates

Yamaguchi City’s guide sorts garbage into 10 types: used paper, PET bottles, plastic packaging, bottles, cans, small metal appliances, hazardous, burnable, non-burnable and bulky. Eight of them go to the collection point (all but hazardous and bulky), and only burnable garbage goes in a city designated bag. Bags come in packs of 10: ¥180 (45 L), ¥120 (30 L) and ¥80 (20 L). They are sold at supermarkets, convenience stores and other shops, and also at the Aio, Tokuji and Ato branch offices. See Yamaguchi City: designated garbage bags (Japanese).

Tie burnable bags shut and put out no more than 2 or 3 at a time. You cannot hide the contents in paper or a second bag. Cut sheets, futons and carpets into 50 cm pieces. See Yamaguchi City: putting out burnable garbage (Japanese).

Bottles, cans and PET bottles go into containers, not bags: bottles into crates by color, cans into a crate without crushing them, and PET bottles crushed into a crate (some districts use other set containers). Plastic packaging goes in a clear or semi-clear bag, and used paper is tied crosswise with string. Put garbage out by 8:30 (8:00 in the Tokuji and Ato areas). See Yamaguchi City: household garbage rules (Japanese).

For collection days, look up your district from your address and open the 2026 collection calendar (the sorting guide). The booklet is handed out with the city newsletter and is available at City Hall, branch offices and community centers. You can also use the San-Aru app and the city’s official LINE account (ID @yamaguchi-city). See Yamaguchi City: 2026 collection calendars and sorting search on LINE (Japanese).

In English: the city has a sorting poster, “How to Separate Trash and Resources”, in English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, on its poster page. Printed copies are at City Hall and the branch offices.

Hazardous garbage (spray cans, fluorescent tubes, dry-cell batteries, mercury thermometers, small rechargeable batteries, power banks and so on) does not go to the collection point; take it to a city drop-off facility or collection box. The recyclables stations in Suzu-machi and at the Ogori, Aio, Ajisu, Tokuji and Ato branch offices accept recyclables plus spray cans, fluorescent tubes and dry-cell batteries free, 24 hours a day (except over the New Year). See Yamaguchi City: drop-off facilities (Japanese).

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Ube: a designated bag only for burnable garbage collected 3 times a week

At the garbage station you can put out nine types: burnable garbage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, burnable garbage collected once a month, plastic packaging, non-burnable, bottles and cans, PET bottles, hazardous, used paper (newspapers, magazines, cardboard) and paper packaging. Put garbage out by 8:30 on collection day; pruned branches and wooden items are limited to 2 bags or bundles at a time. See Ube City: garbage for the station (Japanese).

Only burnable garbage collected on Monday, Wednesday and Friday needs a city designated bag. Bags come in 40 L and 20 L (also with handles), and 15 L and 10 L with handles. Shops, not the city, set the price; buy them at supermarkets and household goods stores registered with the city. City Hall does not sell them. See Ube City: designated bags for burnable garbage and bag FAQ (Japanese).

Everything else goes in a clear, colorless shop-bought bag of 45 L or less. Tie used paper and paper packaging crosswise with string by type. Put each kind of hazardous garbage in its own bag and write what it is. Bottles and cans are washed, not crushed, and collected monthly; metal lids go with non-burnable garbage and plastic lids with plastic packaging. PET bottles go out monthly with caps and labels removed (those go with plastic packaging), washed and not crushed. Plastic packaging goes out weekly, not double-bagged, and not in the city’s burnable bag. See Ube City’s pages on bottles and cans, PET bottles and plastic packaging (Japanese).

For collection days, choose your district from 24 on the city page and open its calendar. The all-district schedule is also published as PDFs in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Indonesian. On the city’s official LINE, choose your district in the settings to get collection day reminders. See Ube City: collection calendars and the sorting bot on LINE.

Two recyclables drop-off sites, in Shinmachi and north of Kuroishi, are open in principle 24 hours (closed from 13:00 on December 29 to 9:00 on January 4). They take bottles and cans, PET bottles, newspapers, magazines and mixed paper, paper packaging, cardboard and shredded paper. See Shinmachi drop-off site and Kuroishi drop-off site (Japanese).

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Shunan: three designated bags for burnable, non-burnable and plastic

Shunan changed part of its sorting in April 2024. The city’s guide lists eight items: burnable, used paper and clothes, bottles/cans/PET bottles, plastic packaging and other plastic, non-burnable, small used appliances, hard-to-process items and bulky garbage. See Shunan City: how to sort garbage (Japanese).

There are three designated bags: burnable, non-burnable and plastic. The burnable bag is green and comes in 45, 30 and 15 L. The city page does not list prices, so check at a shop that sells them or ask the Recycling Promotion Division (0834-22-8303). Stock differs by shop, and the city asks people to buy only as many as they need. The list of shops is on the city page. See Shunan City: shops selling designated bags (Japanese).

Drain food waste and tie the designated bag shut. Anything that does not fit in the bag is bulky garbage. Cut large cloth such as sheets into pieces about 40 cm square.

Collection days are in the 2026 calendar. Tokuyama is divided into schedules A to H plus Ozushima and the Tokuyama mountain area; find your schedule letter in the list by neighborhood and open the PDF. Shinnanyo, Kumage and Kano have separate pages. The free app “Gomi no bunbetsu ni tsukaeru app (Shunan version)” shows your next collection day once you set your area, and has a sorting dictionary. See Shunan City: 2026 calendar (Tokuyama) and the sorting app (Japanese).

In English: the city publishes an English “Garbage Separation and Disposal Guide” for April 2026 to March 2027 on its English page, and a 2021 city notice says the designated bags carry labels in English, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese (foreign-language bag labels).

Collection boxes for small used appliances take mobile phones, digital cameras, computers and similar items through a 40 cm × 20 cm slot. Locations are on the city page. Computers and similar items can also be collected by courier. See Shunan City: small appliance collection (Japanese).

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Iwakuni: red and green bags, out between 6:00 and 8:00

Iwakuni has two designated bags: burnable (red) for incineration garbage, and non-burnable (green) for bottles and cans, pottery and glass, plastic, and metal and crushable garbage. Both come in 20, 30 and 45 L, and every size costs ¥300 per pack (tax included), with 20 small, 12 medium or 10 large bags inside. Do not mix types in one bag. The list of shops is on the city page. See Iwakuni City: designated garbage bags (Japanese).

Put garbage out between 6:00 and 8:00 on collection day; after 8:00 it is not collected. Use your district’s set collection point. Recyclables are newspapers, mixed paper, paper cartons, cardboard, cloth, aluminum cans, small appliances with built-in rechargeable batteries and used cooking oil. Tie paper with string, and put cloth and aluminum cans in clear bags. Steel cans go in the green non-burnable bag. See Iwakuni City’s pages on recyclables, incineration garbage and metal and crushable garbage (Japanese).

For collection days, open the April 2026 to March 2027 calendar for your district: Iwakuni, Yu, Shuto, Kuga, Nishiki, Mikawa, Miwa or Hongo. Booklets are available at the Environmental Works Division and Office and on the 1st floor of City Hall. In the Iwakuni citizens’ news app, set your district under the garbage calendar’s collection alarm to get reminders. The calendar page has an English PDF, “Iwakuni City Garbage Separate Guidance”; the city says Tagalog, Vietnamese, Portuguese and Russian versions also exist, available from the Environmental Business Office (0827-31-7710). See Iwakuni City: garbage collection calendars.

Small used appliance collection boxes are at 22 places in the city, usable 8:30–17:15 on days each place is open, through a 40 cm × 20 cm slot. Computers and small appliances can also go by courier (the first box is free if it contains a computer). See Iwakuni City: collection boxes and courier collection (Japanese).

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Moving between Yamaguchi cities: what changes

If you move to another city, your old bags no longer work, even within the prefecture. Shimonoseki’s color-coded bags, Iwakuni’s red and green bags and Ube’s bags for Monday, Wednesday and Friday burnable garbage cannot be used in any other city.

Times differ too. Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi and Ube mostly use 8:30; Hohoku in Shimonoseki is 6:00, and Iwakuni’s window of 6:00 to 8:00 is early.

Because the merged cities cover large areas, collection days also differ within one city: 7 areas in Shimonoseki, 28 in Yamaguchi, 24 districts in Ube, 4 areas in Shunan and 8 districts in Iwakuni. Start by finding your district from your address.

For bottles, cans, PET bottles and paper, drop-off sites you can drive to save effort: Yamaguchi City’s six recyclables stations are open 24 hours (except over the New Year), and Ube’s Shinmachi and Kuroishi sites are open in principle 24 hours.

Before your first collection day

First, find your district’s calendar from your address, and check that a shop near you sells the bags before you go to buy them. In Shunan, stock differs by shop; in Shimonoseki, bags are sold at supermarkets and convenience stores. Once you know your collection days, an app or LINE reminder helps you not miss them.

For moving-in procedures and child allowances, see moving to 5 Yamaguchi cities: procedures. For large items such as futons and chests of drawers, see the bulky garbage guide.

Questions about garbage in Yamaguchi

Can I use a bag that is not a designated bag? In Yamaguchi City, the designated bag is only for burnable garbage; other types go in containers or clear bags. In Ube, everything except Monday, Wednesday and Friday burnable garbage goes in a clear shop-bought bag of 45 L or less, and paper is tied with string. In Shimonoseki, burnable garbage, bottles and cans, PET bottles and plastic packaging go in color-coded designated bags, but paper is tied with string and hazardous garbage goes in a clear bag with a disposal sticker. In Iwakuni, burnable and non-burnable garbage go in the red and green bags, while paper is tied with string and cloth and aluminum cans go in clear bags.

Can I put out garbage from a business? No. Shimonoseki says business garbage cannot go to the station even in household designated bags. Yamaguchi City says business garbage cannot go to collection points, and Iwakuni’s designated bags cannot be used for business garbage.

What about a large amount of garbage from moving? Shimonoseki says large amounts from moving cannot go to the station; take it to a city facility yourself or use a city-licensed contractor. Yamaguchi City explains how to take it to a city drop-off facility and lists licensed contractors.

Sources (checked October 22, 2026)

5 pages we checkedShow

• Shimonoseki City: 2026 sorting guide, bag sales, collection day changes, San-Aru app, small appliances (Japanese)
• Yamaguchi City: designated bags, burnable garbage, household rules, 2026 calendars, LINE, drop-off facilities (Japanese), English poster
• Ube City: garbage for the station, designated bags, collection calendars, LINE bot
• Shunan City: sorting, bag shops, 2026 calendar, app, small appliances (Japanese), English guide, foreign-language bag labels
• Iwakuni City: designated bags, recyclables, collection calendars, collection boxes