Iwakuni Castle

Iwakuni Castle (岩国城) is a mountain castle located in Yokoyama, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.

In the early Edo period, it served as the residence of the Iwakuni domain. The mountaintop castle was centered on the Honmaru (main bailey), with the Ninomaru extending southwest, the Kitamaru (north bailey) extending northeast, and additional enclosures such as the Mizunote. At the foot of the mountain, the Odoi (earthen embankment) was constructed. Within the Honmaru once stood a four-tier, six-story tenshu (main keep), but after the castle was decommissioned, the tenshu was dismantled, leaving only the Odoi, which continued to function as a fortified residence (jin’ya).

The Nishiki River separates the castle town from the fortress, and across it stands the famous Kintaikyō Bridge, creating a unique scenic landscape. The castle town itself was neatly laid out, centered around the road leading from the bridge.

Today, the former Odoi site has been developed into Kikkō Park, while a reconstructed tenshu stands atop Mount Yokoyama. Although archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of the original tenshu base, there are currently no plans to rebuild the keep in its original wooden form.