If for some reason you need to stay overnight, the best selection of business hotels is north of the station. The Marunouchi Hotel (tel 0849/23-2277, fax 23-6557; A?7000-10,000) has the cheapest rates, while the Fukuyama Oriental Hotel (tel 0849/27-0888, fax 27-0991; A?10,000-15,000) and the Fukuyama Kokusai Hotel (tel 0849/24-7000; A?5000-7000, single rooms only) both offer smart, spacious rooms with TVs, fridges and en-suite bathrooms. Top of the range is the characterless New Castle Hotel (tel 0849/22-2121, fax 23-6813; A?20,000-30,000), one minute south of the station.

There are plenty of restaurants near the south side of the JR station, including the usual fast-food outlets. Italian food with a Japanese flavour is served at Studebaker , on the third floor of the building, on the west side of the bus station. The set lunches offer the best value at around A?750, while an evening meal here shouldn't set you back more than A?2000. Worth checking out for lunch and/or beer is Prost Beer Restaurant , behind the Tenmaya department store on the Motomachi arcade, five minutes' walk south of Fukuyama Station. It serves a wide range of bottled beers, including several brews from Belgium and the UK.