Last Updated: Jul 29, 2024

Introducing Iwakuni

A Great Add-on to Hiroshima & Miyajima

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

For the longest while now, the city of Iwakuni has been on my radar. Though located a mere stone’s throw away from the sacred isle of Miyajima over in the neighboring prefecture, circumstances just never conspired to allow for a visit. Recently, I was finally able to cross Iwakuni off my bucket list as part of a trip for Tokyo Creative’s #HostTownRelay project. In retrospect, I am a bit ashamed that it took me this long to get my behind down to this amazing hidden gem. Whether as a side trip from Miyajima, or a two-day adventure, Iwakuni is a local jaunt that deserves far more attention than it presently draws.

For the record, I first encountered Iwakuni and its iconic Kintai Bridge while doing my initial sweep of Japan for off the beaten path attractions that I wanted to feature. Thereafter, my intrigue was further piqued when I discovered that the famous swordsman, Sasaki Kojiro, originally hailed from Iwakuni. This early Edo period (1603–1868) badass was one of a handful of warriors who could remotely hold a candle to the legendary duelist, Miyamoto Musashi. The entire saga is artfully chronicled by the amazing Yoshikawa Eiji in the epic “Musashi.” While the novel is nearly 1,000 pages long, I can’t more highly recommend giving this story a read.