Shūnan


Shūnan is a city located in east central Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 143,959 and a population density of 220 persons per km². The total area is 656.13 km².
The modern city of Shūnan was founded on April 21, 2003, by the merger of the cities of Tokuyama and Shinnan'yō, the town of Kumage, and the town of Kano. Its name is derived from the first character of the name of the former Suō Province, and the character for south, reflecting its location, comprising much of the southern part of the old province.
The city is bordered in the west by the cities of Yamaguchi and Hōfu, in the east by Iwakuni, in the southeast by Hikari and Kudamatsu, and in the north by Yoshika, Shimane Prefecture. To the south is the Inland Sea.

History

The city previously had a North Korean school, Tokuyama Korean Elementary and Junior High School.

Sister cities

The food processing company, Shimaya, has headquarters in Shunan. Also, the petroleum company, Idemitsu Kosan; the chemical company, Tosoh and Tokuyama; the iron product company, Nisshin Steel; all have plants based in Shunan.

Sports

Before Tokuyama became part of Shūnan, it was one of the host cities of the official 1998 Women's Volleyball World Championship.