Iwakuni

岩国市いわくにしIwakuni-shi

Five wooden arches over a clear river

Iwakuni is a city in eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture on the border with Hiroshima, known for the Kintai Bridge, a wooden bridge of five arches across the Nishiki River first built in 1673. It was the castle town of the Kikkawa clan, a branch of the Mōri.

Overview

Iwakuni lies on the Nishiki River where it leaves the mountains and spreads into a delta on the Inland Sea. The old castle town sits on the west bank below Mount Shiroyama, joined to the merchant town on the east bank by the Kintai Bridge, whose five arches of interlocking timber are among Japan's most celebrated bridges.

The Kikkawa lords, a branch of the Mōri, ruled Iwakuni from 1600. Their samurai quarter is now Kikkō Park, with samurai houses, a museum of the Kikkawa family, a white-snake observatory and the cable car up to a reconstructed castle keep. The bridge was built in 1673 to withstand the floods that had repeatedly destroyed earlier crossings; washed away in 1950, it was rebuilt to the original design.

The modern city is also industrial, with chemical and paper plants on the delta, and is home to a large air base shared by the United States Marine Corps and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, part of which serves as Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport.

Landmarks

Kintai Bridge
錦帯橋Kintaikyō
A 193-metre wooden bridge of five arches, the three central ones spanning the river without piers, built without nails; a Place of Scenic Beauty.
Iwakuni Castle
岩国城Iwakuni-jō
A reconstructed keep on Mount Shiroyama, reached by cable car, with a view over the bridge and the Inland Sea.
Kikkō Park
吉香公園Kikkō Kōen
The former residence area of the Kikkawa lords, with samurai houses, ponds and cherry trees.
Kikkawa Historical Museum
吉川史料館Kikkawa Shiryōkan
Armour, swords and documents of the Kikkawa family, including National Treasures.
Iwakuni White Snake Observatory
岩国白蛇観覧所Iwakuni shirohebi kanranjo
Albino rat snakes found only around Iwakuni, a Natural Monument regarded as bringers of good fortune.
Kagawa-ke Nagayamon
香川家長屋門Kagawa-ke nagayamon
The gate-house of a senior retainer's residence, a surviving example of samurai architecture in the castle town.

Districts

Yokoyama
横山Yokoyama
The former samurai quarter on the west bank with Kikkō Park and the castle hill.
Iwakuni (east bank)
岩国Iwakuni
The old merchant town at the east end of the bridge with shops selling Iwakuni-zushi and ice cream.
Station area and delta
岩国駅周辺Iwakuni-eki shūhen
The modern centre near the coast with the air base and industrial zone.
Nishiki
錦Nishiki
The upper Nishiki valley, with gorges and the scenic Nishikigawa Seiryū Line railway.

History

After Sekigahara, Kikkawa Hiroie, who had negotiated with Tokugawa Ieyasu to preserve the Mōri domain, received Iwakuni. He built a mountain castle completed in 1608, but it was demolished in 1615 under the shogunate's one-castle-per-province rule, and the lords governed from their residence below. In 1673 the third lord, Kikkawa Hiroyoshi, built the Kintai Bridge; after being swept away the following year it was immediately rebuilt and then maintained for nearly three centuries.

Iwakuni became a city in 1940. The bridge was destroyed by Typhoon Kezia in 1950 and reconstructed by 1953; the castle keep was rebuilt in 1962. A complete renewal of the bridge's timber was carried out from 2001 to 2004. The present city was formed by mergers in 2006.

1600
Kikkawa Hiroie receives Iwakuni after Sekigahara.
1608
Iwakuni Castle is completed on Mount Shiroyama.
1615
The castle is demolished under the one-castle-per-province edict.
1673
Kikkawa Hiroyoshi builds the Kintai Bridge; it is rebuilt after a flood in 1674.
1940
Iwakuni is incorporated as a city.
1950
Typhoon Kezia washes away the Kintai Bridge.
1953
The bridge is reconstructed to its traditional design.
1962
A reconstructed castle keep is built on Mount Shiroyama.
2004
A full replacement of the bridge's timber structure is completed.
2006
Iwakuni merges with seven neighbouring towns and villages.

Culture

The Kintai Bridge is the centre of Iwakuni's calendar. In spring cherry blossoms line the riverbanks and a costumed procession crosses the bridge; in summer cormorant fishing by torchlight takes place below the arches and fireworks are launched from the riverbed. The white snakes of Iwakuni, venerated as messengers of the goddess Benzaiten, appear on local charms and souvenirs.

Festivals

Kintaikyō Festival
錦帯橋まつりKintaikyō Matsuri
On 29 April a procession in Edo-period costume crosses the bridge.
Cormorant fishing
錦帯橋の鵜飼Kintaikyō no ukai
Traditional fishing with trained cormorants on summer evenings, watched from sightseeing boats.
Kintaikyō Fireworks
錦川水の祭典Nishikigawa Mizu no Saiten
A summer fireworks display over the river and bridge.

Food

Iwakuni-zushi
岩国寿司Iwakuni-zushi
Multi-layered pressed sushi with fish, lotus root, egg and shiitake, made in large wooden frames.
Iwakuni lotus root
岩国れんこんIwakuni renkon
Lotus root with nine holes rather than the usual eight, echoing the Kikkawa crest.
Sake
岩国の地酒Iwakuni no jizake
Several breweries in the Nishiki valley, including internationally known makers of premium sake.
Ayu
鮎Ayu
Sweetfish from the clear Nishiki River, eaten salt-grilled in summer.

Getting around

Shin-Iwakuni Station on the San'yō Shinkansen is about 15 minutes by bus from the Kintai Bridge.
JR Iwakuni Station on the San'yō Line, about 50 minutes from Hiroshima, is about 20 minutes by bus from the bridge.
Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport, in the civilian area of the air base, has flights from Tokyo Haneda.
A cable car climbs from Kikkō Park to Iwakuni Castle.

Day trips

Miyajima
宮島Miyajima
Itsukushima Shrine, about 30 minutes east by train and ferry.
Hiroshima
広島Hiroshima
The Peace Memorial Park, under an hour by train.
Yanai
柳井Yanai
A white-walled merchant town known for its goldfish lanterns, south-west along the coast.
Suō-Ōshima
周防大島Suō-Ōshima
The Inland Sea island of citrus groves and beaches, reached by bridge.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalYamaguchiYamaguchi-shiThe Ōuchi capital, the Kyoto of the West CityHagiHagi-shiThe castle town where the Meiji Restoration began Core cityShimonosekiShimonoseki-shiThe gateway between Honshu and Kyushu

Frequently asked questions

Can you walk across the Kintai Bridge?

Yes. It is a pedestrian crossing between the east bank and Kikkō Park; its wooden steps rise and fall with the curve of each arch.

Is the Kintai Bridge original?

The design dates from 1673, but the timber has been replaced many times; the bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1950 and completely renewed between 2001 and 2004.

How do you combine Iwakuni with Hiroshima and Miyajima?

Iwakuni is about 30 minutes west of Miyajimaguchi on the JR San'yō Line, so the three are easily visited from a base in Hiroshima.

What are the white snakes of Iwakuni?

An albino form of the Japanese rat snake that occurs naturally around Iwakuni; it is a protected Natural Monument and can be seen at an observatory in Kikkō Park.

Sources

1.岩国市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 岩国市
2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
3.山口県ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 山口県
4.国指定文化財等データベース (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁