Iwakuni Castle

山口県

4.1

Tourist Information of This Area

general.prefecture.

A modern mountain castle that overlooks the Seto Inland Sea.

From the mountain castle, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Iwakuni City, including famous sites such as the Kintai Bridge and Yoshika Park, as well as the Seto Inland Sea, including Miyajima. In addition, the stone walls of the castle's ruins have been restored using the same stone masonry techniques as in the past, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the weight of history.

Features & How to Enjoy

Classic HistoryViewRainny day

Highlights

Point 1

See the Rare "Momoyama-style Nanban-zukuri" Architecture

One of the unique features of "Iwakuni Castle" is its rare and globally recognized "Momoyama-style Nanban-zukuri" architecture, where each floor protrudes further out than the one below it. When looking at the large, protruding castle, you may wonder how it maintains its shape... It's a sight to behold! Take your time to explore the castle walls and admire the beautiful and rare architecture.

Point 2

View Exhibits Inside the Castle Tower

The first to third floors inside the castle tower serve as exhibition rooms, displaying Japanese swords, armor, weapons, and more. You can see replicas of armor such as the "Hachiken Hoshi Kabuto Nima Do Gusoku" and famous swords like "Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi". Photographs of major castles throughout Japan, along with swords and portraits and biographies of famous people from Iwakuni, are also on display, making you want to take your time and thoroughly explore the exhibits.

Point 3

Enjoy the View from the Top Floor

The top floor of the castle tower serves as an observation deck, offering views of Iwakuni City, the Seto Inland Sea, and the changing seasons of nature. The southwest direction is particularly worth seeing, as you can view the Nishiki River, Kintai Bridge, and Iwakuni City. On clear days, you can even see the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, Shikoku, and Miyajima, making it exciting to anticipate what kind of scenery you'll see.

Point 4

See the Rare "Karahori"

Iwakuni Castle has a "karahori" that is approximately 19.6 meters wide, 10 meters deep, and 58.2 meters long. A karahori is a type of moat that does not contain water (in contrast to a water-filled moat). It is a deep and high moat that is created to prevent enemy invasion. It is rare for a karahori to be built in a mountain castle like Iwakuni Castle, so be sure to see the ingenuity of the people of the past in their defense!

Point 5

View the Automaton Clock While Waiting for the Ropeway

Near the mountaintop station of the ropeway, there is an "automaton clock" where you can see automaton dolls with a song at a specific time. The music you can hear varies depending on the season and time, but you can mainly hear nursery rhymes (such as "Spring has come," "Ukai Ondo," "Beautiful Nature") every 15 minutes. Why not take a look and listen to it during the waiting time for the ropeway?

Point 6

Take Home a Castle Stamp as a Souvenir

At the ticket booth (entrance) of Iwakuni Castle's main keep, you can purchase a popular "castle stamp" as a commemorative item for climbing the national castle. The regular version costs 300 yen per stamp, while the premium version costs 500 yen per stamp. Since it is sold as a commemorative item for visitors, it is not available for mail order or delivery. Why not purchase a beautifully written castle stamp as a souvenir of your climb to Iwakuni Castle?

History

With a History of Being Demolished 7 Years After Its Construction

Iwakuni Castle was built in 1608 by the first lord of the Iwakuni Domain, Hiroie Kikkawa. It was a three-story, four-tiered Momoyama-style castle with southern barbarian architecture. However, just 7 years after its construction in 1615, it was demolished due to the "one castle per province" law issued by the Tokugawa shogunate. The current castle tower was rebuilt in 1962 and inside, you can see historical artifacts such as weapons and armor from that time period. Be sure to take a look!

Access

Recommended Access by Car

Iwakuni Castle is a castle located in the eastern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is recommended to access by car, about 10 minutes by car from Iwakuni IC (about 1 hour by car from Hiroshima Station to Iwakuni Station). If you come close by bullet train, it is easy to access by renting a car after getting off at "Shin-Iwakuni Station". If you visit only by public transportation, take a bus for 20 minutes from Iwakuni Station (bound for Kintai Bridge) and get off at "Kintai Bridge", then it takes a 10-minute walk to arrive.

Required time

If You Want to Take Your Time Sightseeing, Allow 1.5 Hours

Iwakuni Castle is one of Japan's Top 100 Castles, with plenty of sights both inside and outside the castle keep. It's recommended to allow 1 to 1.5 hours for your visit to feel at ease. To reach the castle keep of Iwakuni Castle, you can take the ropeway from the foot of the mountain to the mountaintop station in about 3 minutes, or it takes about 30 minutes on foot. Since it takes a lot of time to go back and forth on foot, let's take the ropeway and enjoy the view!

Basic Information