What to know
Iwakuni (岩国), a small city of 130,000 people in southeastern Yamaguchi Prefecture, is famous for its unique Kintai-kyo Bridge. Beautiful year-round, the bridge is especially stunning during cherry blossom season, which typically occurs in early April.
During the Edo Period (1603-1868), Iwakuni was one of Japan's feudal domains. Its former mountaintop castle was rebuilt in the 1960s and is another of the city's tourist attractions. Iwakuni is easily visited as a side trip from Hiroshima.
