Exploring Iwakuni's History

The Kintai Bridge (錦帯橋 Kintai-kyō) is the iconic historical image of Iwakuni. Dating back to 1673, it has five main arches constructed out of wood. Surrounding the bridge is a pristine park with a pool and lush greenery. It's a popular place to enjoy nature and cool off in the summer! We did not have a car yet, and even if we did I probably wouldn't have felt totally comfortable to venture out in town yet, but thankfully our friends were our tour guides.

Google translate wasn't much help for this sign!

The Slussers, Lasers and Zehrungs!

After checking out the bridge, we started the hike up Mt. Yokoyama to visit the Iwakuni Castle. The Kintai Bridge was originally meant to be the main entrance to the castle. So we opted for the traditional switchback nature trail up the mountain. It sure was quite a workout, especially for me not being used to any kind of elevation!

The hazy view from the top, inside the castle!

Samuri armor in the castle museum.

Once we made it to the top, we were drenched in sweat and pretty winded. While we were resting, an elderly Japanese woman makes her way up the road with walking sticks, looking like she has done this a hundred times! The Japanese are known for their walking and we passed many more on the way down that were doing their regular mountain hike to the castle. There is also a gondola that takes you to the top, so maybe we will opt for that next time.