Guide to Iwakuni, Japan – Our Second Home
Iwakuni, Japan is on the southern end of the Chugoku region located in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Just south of Hiroshima, Iwakuni would be unheard of to outsiders if it weren’t for the Marine Corps Air Station here. Iwakuni is a great place to live. For being a smaller Japanese town it has great transportation, popular tourist attractions, and has a diverse restaurant and bar scene. This guide to Iwakuni is an introduction of Iwakuni that will be part of a post series for all things Iwakuni.
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Iwakuni is considered a town or small city, with a population over 150,000. By far the most notable landmark in Iwakuni is the Kintai-kyo or simply Kintai Bridge. If you see any image of Iwakuni whether it be on a travel site or magazine to include this post, it will most likely be a photo of the Kintai Bridge.
The Kintai Bridge dates back hundreds of years and consists of five wooden arches being held up by stone pillars over the Nishiki River. In the 1600’s the bridge was only used by Samurai Warriors to protect Iwakuni Castle which sits on top of the hill behind the Kintai Bridge. The Kintai Bridge stood strong for hundreds of years before a typhoon wiped it out in 1950. It has since been reconstructed and remains Iwakuni’s prized landmark.
Iwakuni Castle was built in 1608 on top of Shiroyama. Unfortunately, due to the one castle per prefecture rule, Iwakuni Castle was taken down only seven years after it was first built. In 1962, the castle was rebuilt and turned into a museum.
In 1940, Japan’s Navy built a military base where the current base stands. After being defeated during WWII, the base was turned over to the Royal Australian Air Force. It was being used by the American Forces during the Korean War and as of 1952, it has official belonged to the United States and currently is home to MCAS Iwakuni.
Iwakuni on a Map
Iwakuni is located in the Chugoku Region of Honshu, Japan’s largest island. Iwakuni is in Yamaguchi Prefecture which is the southern most prefecture on Honshu. Part of Iwakuni to include MCAS Iwakuni is located on an island between the Imazu and Monzen River, both being fed by the Nishiki River. To the east of Iwakuni is Hiroshima Bay. By far the biggest city close to Iwakuni is Hiroshima City.
Getting to Iwakuni and Transportation
For a city of its size, Iwakuni is well connected. Iwakuni has an airport, train station, and shinkansen station.
Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport is small and only offers ANA flights to Tokyo and Okinawa. Visitors can view the Iwakuni Airport webpage for flights and more details.
The new JR Iwakuni Station is a fantastic train station with direct access to Hiroshima. The train station has parking, bike parking, bus stops, taxis, a café, convenience stores, and other shops and restaurants.
Shin-Iwakuni Station is a little inconvenient as it is located further out of town, none the less it is a nice option to have access to the shinkansen line. Last time we visited Iwakuni and took the shinkansen, the taxi fare was ¥4000 to downtown which I found is pretty expensive. Taking the shinkansen isn’t cheap either, but it is a luxury and gets you to destinations quickly.
Where to Stay
Iwakuni has a nice mix of hotel options from hostels to Business hotels and Spas.
If you are looking to relax and stay near the Kintai Bridge, I’d recommend the Iwakuni Kokusai Kanko Hotel. This hotel is right by the bridge and has an onsen. From the hotel you get views of both the Kintai Bridge and Castle. You can get a traditional hotel experience at this hotel as it offers local cuisine in the restaurant and offers traditional style rooms.
If looking for a traditional Ryokan, I’d recommend Aburamasa Ryokan. Personally, I haven’t stayed here, but lived nearby and love the look of this building. I also heard good things about this Ryokan from locals.
For those that are looking for just a place to sleep near the train station, I’d recommend the chain hotels like Toyoko Inn or Green Rich Hotel. Both hotels offer breakfast.
For an even cheaper option, I stayed at Hotel Trend . I would note, the rooms in this hotel are on the smaller side and not as up to date as the other two, but it’s an option. I’ve stayed at all three and really don’t have any complaints.
✅ For Luxury, I recommend Iwakuni Kokusai Kanko Hotel
✅ For a Ryokan Experience in Iwakuni, I recommend the Aburamasa Ryokan
✅ For a standard hotel I recommend either Toyoko Inn or the Green Rich Hotel
✅ For a cheaper stay in Iwakuni, I recommend looking into Hotel Trend
What was it Like Living in Iwakuni
Jill and I both loved living in Iwakuni. Iwakuni hit everything on our list. It’s a small city yet has everything you need. We loved the train station there, it was great being able to hop on a train to Hiroshima or Miyajima. The weather was perfect, both spring and fall were long while summer and winter were both pretty mild. We were within walking distance to grocery stores, restaurants, downtown, and even the Kintai Bridge area. We participated in many community evens like cooking classes and rice harvesting. We made many friends here both from MCAS Iwakuni and locals that reside off base. Iwakuni was just perfect for us.
We lived in a traditional Japanese style apartment. The apartment itself was spacious and bigger then expected but the kitchen was tiny but we made it work.
We did the majority of our shopping off base. The Japanese grocery stores had everything we needed with the exception of some items like peanut butter or yogurt, but we were fortunate enough to get that stuff at the commissary on base. We kind of had the best of both worlds living there.
Community Events
MCAS Iwakuni and the local community had a great relationship. The base set up several events through various programs that we were able to attend.
At the time, Jill was not working so she got to attend more then I did. Plus, we spent almost our entire time in Iwakuni during Covid restrictions so we were very limited on what we could do. Here are a few of the fun community events that either Jill or both of us got to experience while living in Iwakuni.
Cooking Classes
We signed up for cooking two cooking classes in Iwakuni. These were done through the base, but there are other cooking classes in town that offer the same experience. Again, these were cancelled once Covid hit, but we managed to attend two. One Class we learned how to make Japanese Curry and the second class we learned how to make gyoza. Gyoza is a Japanese pan fried dumpling. The recipes we made in class turned out great. To this day, we still make curry and gyoza.
Picking Renkon (Lotus Root) in the Lotus Fields
Southwest of MCAS Iwakuni were huge lotus fields. Lotus plants are aquatic and are native to parts of Asia, to include Japan. These plants prefer wet, muddy fields so digging for the roots is definitely a dirty job. The root itself is long and -reddish-brown with a whitish inside. The consistency is potato like. Just like a potato, there are several ways to eat lotus root. You can slice it and add it to soup, or cook it in a pan with cheese, I’ve even seen them being made into chips. Regardless of how it is made, I’ve never had a bad dish that consisted of lotus root.
Rice Harvesting
Rice harvesting was probably ours or at least my favorite activity we got to do. I was always curious on how rice gets harvested so it was great to be involved with and assist a local farmer with his rice harvest. We used a sickle to cut toward the bottom of the plant, tied a few bundles together and then hung the plant upside down to dry.
Our Cat Friends in the Neighborhood
Moving and living overseas is never easy. We left a lot behind most importantly our cats. Walking around Iwakuni, we made a lot of friends with the local cats around the neighborhood.
We would do our rounds and visit the kitties almost daily, we even came up with names for all our favorites. Below are some of the cats we made friends with.
*From Top Left to Bottom Right you have: Kutalo, Ear Tuft Kitty, Motorcycle Kitty (gave her this name because we’d walk by the house and she would chill inside a basket on the front of a moped, sorry no photos of that), Smudge or Smudgy (Jill’s favorite), Seawall Kitty, Window Kitty, and Leash Kitty.
Other Animals Encountered in Iwakuni
No guide to Iwakuni is complete without mentioning the wildlife that surrounds this city. Iwakuni is surrounded by forests, mountains, ocean, and rivers. Because of this, the wildlife is pretty diverse. You have everything from bears and monkeys to fish that leap out of the water and stingrays.
First, I’ll go over some of the animals that we actually did see, and I have to start with the Huntsman Spider (pictured below).
Jill was working at night and left a note for me on the table basically saying that there is a huge spider above the front door and if it’s still there or gone without me seeing it leave then she’s packing her bags and leaving. A Bit dramatic right? I don’t mind spiders, I rescue them whenever possible. Usually, I grab a glass, catch them, and put them outside. I had that same mindset for this spider. I grabbed a glass walked outside, looked up, and knew that a glass was not going to cut it. This was by far the biggest and scariest spider I’ve seen. I had no clue how to get him off the ceiling above the door. I ended up sweeping him off with a broom, put him in a dust pan and gently released him across the road.
If you ever do see a huntsman spider, although terrifying, they are harmless to humans. In fact, they eat a lot of the unwanted insects and other bugs.
There are a few seasonal animals that we saw in Iwakuni. For instance crabs, they would come out during the rainy season. We lived close to a river, but I never expected to see crabs everywhere. We spotted them crossing the roads, in gutters, we even saw one at the elevator in our apartment building.
Iwakuni White Snake
Iwakuni does have snakes. There are pit vipers or habu that call this area home. But even more common are the rat snakes. Iwakuni is home to a national treasure, the White Snake. This is a extremely rare type of rat snake found in Iwakuni.
Japanese Macaques
Just like the popular Snow Monkeys that hang out in the onsen in Nagano Prefecture. These monkeys can be seen around Iwakuni as well, mainly on the outskirts or near the Kintai Bridge and Castle area.
Asian Black Bear
Bears also call the Iwakuni area home. Although encounters are rare, it is possible to see them in wooded areas. I’ve seen several warning signs posted around Iwakuni, mainly near the castle.
Outdoor Activities Around Iwakuni
Iwakuni and Yamaguchi Prefecture in general is an outdoorsman’s paradise. In Iwakuni, you have direct access to the ocean, rivers, forests, and mountains. You don’t have to go far if you are looking for adventure. This guide to Iwakuni outlines some of the outdoor activities we did while living in Iwakuni.
Biking/Cycling
If you are into biking, cycling, or mountain biking, then Iwakuni is a great place to be! You can cruise the coast on your bike, mountain bike some of the trails, or just take off on your bike and explore a new area. We ended up exploring a lot of the local area on our bikes and saw so many incredible places.
Hiking
Hiking in Yamaguchi Prefecture is probably the most popular outdoor activity in Iwakuni. There are so many mountain trails and paths scattered around Iwakuni. The best thing is that you don’t have to drive far to get to some of Yamaguchi’s best hiking trails. In fact, there are several trails on the outskirts of Iwakuni that are walkable from downtown.
For a list of my favorite hiking trails in Iwakuni, check out my post on 8 Recommended Hiking Trails Near Iwakuni.
Kayaking
Kayaking is a popular water activity during the late spring and summer months. There are beaches you can take the kayak to. If salt water kayaking is not your thing, there are lakes around Iwakuni that are perfect for kayaking.
Snorkeling
Iwakuni might not be the best place to snorkel or swim in the ocean, but it can be done during the summer. After living in Okinawa where we have some of the best snorkeling in the world I kind of got spoiled. But if you end up snorkeling in Iwakuni there are some decent beaches. We saw small fish and jelly fish but that is about it. Still fun to get out and swim!
All Four Seasons
The four seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter) in Iwakuni was perhaps our favorite aspect about living here. The weather was absolutely perfect. Spring seemed to have lasted a few months. During spring time, flowers started to bloom and vegetation slowly started to become even greener. Foliage in Japan never turned brown like we were used to in the States, it just turned different shades of green. Summer was hot but the humidity only stuck around for a month or so. Fall, like spring lasted a few months. It was nice to actually enjoy the fall colors for a few months. During fall, the temperatures began to drop slowly but was still very comfortably. Then came winter and winters were actually pretty mild on mainland Japan. While we were in Iwakuni, it never dropped below 0° or 32°. Don’t get me wrong, it still felt cold but nothing like we’ve experienced in the Midwest. It actually did snow a few times on us. Usually just a dusting, but enough for me to start looking forward to spring.
Sakura Season
Iwakuni is one of the best spots to be during Sakura Season. Sakura season usually takes place during the end of March and early April but it can vary year by year. For those that don’t know Sakura Season is when the cherry blossoms begin to bloom and it is absolutely beautiful!
The Kintai Bridge area is probably the best place to spend Sakura and view the beautiful cherry blossom trees. There is even a few that occurs here during Sakura season.
Conclusion
This guide to Iwakuni is an introduction to Iwakuni. My post series, Guide to Iwakuni dives deeper into Iwakuni to include some of my favorite hikes around Iwakuni, must visit sites around Iwakuni, favorite restaurants, and day trips from Iwakuni. Iwakuni is a great place to both live and visit. Iwakuni is well connected and offers something for everyone. Whether you like visiting castles and historic sites or like to sample local Japanese foods, Iwakuni has it all.
Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️🇯🇵
Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖
For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com
Activities and Tours 🏖️🚁
Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.
In need of a car rental? 🚗🚘
I recommend checking with Rental Cars.
Train Travel 🚂🚊
For the JR Pass, tickets can be purchased on the JR Pass site.
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Chris Eagan
Love this blog! Great job and appreciate your insight. Thanks!
zimminaround
Chris,
Thank you so much for checking it out! I am currently in Okinawa, but Iwakuni was a great place to live and visit, I miss it. If you need anything or have questions feel free to reach out.