After visiting Hagi and Abu we headed to Iwakuni to see a few sights. Using Google maps on the iPad made the journey an easy one and we found free parking beside the river at Iwakani. For a combined ticket costing about £5 we could visit the bridge, take the rope way and visit the castle.
The bridge is a very unusual, perhaps unique, design; while its normal to have arches to cater for the heavy rainstorms it’s more unusual for the pedestrian route over the it to be arched too. It was constructed to combat serious flooding which happens from time to time. The present bridge was rebuilt in 1953 and the locals saw no reason to change its original style.
The river banks are full of cherry blossom trees so it must be very striking sight in the spring.
The river banks are full of cherry blossom trees so it must be very striking sight in the spring.
We had been given a flyer for a restaurant but failed to find it but instead we came across a tiny restaurant that did curry - chicken or pork or half and half. It wasn’t a curry that we are accustomed to, not particularly hot but very tasty and the notice said that the owner/chef had home grown a number of the spices.about £6 for a regular plateful and it came with a spoon, no chopsticks.
After lunch we headed back over the humped bridge and took the rope way up the mountain.not sure why it’s called a ropeway, we would call it a cable car. The car going up counterbalances the one coming down. Great views.
We then headed onward to the castle through a beautiful shaded 10 minute walk surrounded by very tall magnificently straight trees.
The original Iwakuni Castle dates from around 1602 but was dismantled during the Tokugawa shogunate which had decreed there would only be one castle per prefecture and was rebuilt in 1962. Very traditional style of course, sixty narrow steps up to the top and an extensive display of swords and samurai outfits which I think must be compulsory in any self respecting Japanese castle.
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