Location: Iwakuni
Top Things to do in Iwakuni
Top 10 Things to do in Iwakuni, Chugoku
Iwakuni (岩国市, Iwakuni-shi) is a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
Restaurants in Iwakuni
1. Kintaikyo Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,175 reviews
Reviewed By YPDChan - Singapore, Singapore
The combination of the historic Kintaikyo bridge, Iwakuni Castle and the scenic surroundings make this a wonderful and easy half day trip from Hakata. The combination ticket consisting of crossing the bridge, ropeway to/from Iwakuni Castle and the castle admission ticket is well worth the cost. It was difficult to find the bus timetables online so I have included some photos for easy reference. Plan your journey carefully and you can even get on the Hello Kitty shinkansen from Shin-Iwakuni, which was what we managed to do. Also, make sure to have exact change for the bus tickets or at most 1000yen notes to change using the coin machine in the bus.
2. Shirasaki Hachimangu
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30 reviews
3. Momijidani Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 49 reviews
Reviewed By Journey_with_JJMC - Singapore, Singapore
This was truly a hidden marvel in Iwakuni which blossoms to life (pardon the irony) during the fall season, giving rise to a resplendent party of yellow, orange and red. I truly enjoyed this spot! The park itself isn’t that big (compared to Kikko Park), but the colours just captivate you, and there are plenty of pavilions around for you to rest in and take in the beautiful sight. It’s also wonderful that it’s not crowded at all! Admission is free. Autumn colours are probably best seen in mid-November? I visited around late November, which is said to be past its peak season, but even so, it was still quite colourful and stunningly pretty.
4. Kikko Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 175 reviews
Reviewed By SavvyTraveler495 - Shizuoka, Japan
This is a jewel of a park. Because it is not heavily touristed, you can take your time marveling at the exquisite reds, oranges, and yellow autumn leaves. It's a wonderful park for taking an early morning walk as well as a late afternoon walk. There are many historical museums and buildings to visit and two ice cream shops to compare.
5. Iwakuni Castle
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 382 reviews
Reviewed By VoltageBallarat
An interesting and attractive castle containing a display of a range of Japanese swords and other weapons. We recommend you take the ropeway (cable car) to the top of the hill where the castle is.
6. Iwakuni Shirohebi Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 79 reviews
Reviewed By BZimm08 - Iwakuni, Japan
The Shirohebi Shrine is one of my favorites in Iwakuni. This shrine is newer, well kept up, and is home to several of the famous White Snakes. I have been here numerous times and it's always fun to look at the snakes in their cages. The cages are beautifully set up and spacious. I would say this is more interesting then the White Snake Museum near the Kintai area. Another reason I like this shrine is since it is dedicated to the white snake, many of the statues resemble the snakes. This shrine is unique and worth visiting. It is not a far walk from the base or anywhere really if in Iwakuni.
7. Kashiwabara Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 41 reviews
The Kashiwabara museum was established to show you the Japanese traditional culture and the Sprit. In the museum, I introduce the Armors of Samurai as "life-and-death culture. " Moreover, various culture which has colored the life of a samurai is introduced as " culture of a life." Probably, this category can make you feel the deep soul nature of a woman of those days. Furthermore, as a "special exhibit", I am introducing the piece that enriched samurai's life for all seasons which are quite unique items. I would be more than satisfied if you can touch the breath of the wonderful soul of Japanese tradition culture by The Kashiwabara museum.
8. Iwakunijo Ropeway
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 151 reviews
Reviewed By BZimm08 - Iwakuni, Japan
Nothing negative here, it's a ropeway that does exactly as expected. It gets you from the bottom of the hill to the top near the castle. I've been up to the castle several times, I enjoy the hike but this time I wanted to try the ropeway. It was cheap and convenient. You can order tickets through the vending machine at the bottom. You can purchase one way tickets, roundtrip, or a combined ticket that includes the bridge, castle, and ropeway. The ropeway goes every 15 minutes and only takes a few minutes to get to the top. Once at the top, there is still a short walk to the castle. The gondola is spacious with large windows. If you are short on time or like me, just not in the mood for a hike, take the ropeway. It is easy and quick.
