Bucket List: Iwakuni Castle

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Japan, Yamaguchi Prefectures, Iwakuni

This article was originally posted on this blog on October 2020. I was on a trip to Hiroshima when on the spur of the moment, I decided that Iwakuni in neighbouring Yamaguchi Prefecture is not so far away after all. Amending my intended itinerary, I took the train from Hiroshima Station to Iwakuni Station, then hopped on a local bus that took me to the famous Kintai-kyo and of course, Iwakuni Castle.

One of the major item on my Travel Bucket List is to visit as many Japanese Castles as possible. Visiting Iwakuni Castle thus checked off an item on my Travel Bucket List!

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Located in Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, the original Iwakuni Castle was built in the year 1608. Sited at the top of Mount Shiroyama, the castle must had looked a formidable obstacle to any attackers in the 17th century. However, merely seven years after the building of the castle was completed, it was torn down based on a decree (Ikkoku-ichijo) from the Shogun Tokugawa leyasu.

Iwakuni Castle at the peak of Mount Shiroyama as seen from the Kintai-kyo Bridge, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)

The present castle at the site was a re-constructed structure in 1962. As in most castles in Japan of today, the Iwakuni Castle is more akin to a museum than a place of residence. Inside the castle are displays of artefacts from the Edo period including samurai body amor and swords.

Iwakuni Castle, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)

At the top of the castle, which is four storeys high, one can get a bird's eye view of the famous Kintai-kyo Bridge. The castle is accessible via a ropeway cable car. The station is a mere five minutes walk from the Kintai-kyo Bridge. From the upper station, a joyful few minutes walk amongst the clean air and trees of Mount Shiroyama will bring visitors to the castle.

Bird's Eye View of the Kintai-kyo Bridge from the castle, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)

The lush forest around the peak of Mount Shiroyama near the castle, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)


A look at the surrounding forest from the fourth storey of the castle, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)


Iwakuni Castle, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)


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