Before the Sekigahara-Battle, MORI Terumoto had his territories in present-day Hiroshima, Shimane and Yamaguchi Prefectures. As MORI Terumoto was the commander in chief of the Western army, he might have been lost all his territories at all. He also even might have been killed by TOKUGAWA Ieyasu. KIKKAWA Hiroie negotiated and settled with TOKUGAWA Side. Finally, he succeeded to avoid to lost the all territories, but the territories of MORI Terumoto were reduced one fourth, to the area of present-day Yamaguch Prefecture.

With the efforts of KIKKAWA Hiroie was admired by TOKUGAWA side and KIKKAWA Hiroie obtained his territory in Iwakuni. However, the MORI Clan did not accept this decision of TOKUGAWA Bakufu and claimed Iwakuni was the part of territories of MORI Clan (the Choshu Domain).

The ruins of Iwakuni Castle are located on the top of Mt. Shiroyama, which altitude is approximately two hundred meters in height. You will take a ropeway from the foot of Mt. Shiroyama to the top.

You will see the sites of the feudal government office of Iwakuni and residences of feudal lords of Iwakuni Area.

It will take you just three minutes from the foot of Mt. Shiroyama Station to the top of Shiroyama Station. Beyond the Nishiki River, you will see the downtown Iwakuni.

From the ropeway station, you will walk on the ridge of Mt. Shiroyama to the main area of Iwakuni Castle. You will see stone walls which remain from the Edo Age.

Finally, you will arrive at the castle tower of Iwakuni Castle. The main castle tower was rebuilt in 1962. The current existing castle tower was built by the modern architectural method, but the appearance of the castle was the same as it was built in 1608, according to old pictures. It was influenced by Western culture.

In 1615, the seven years after Iwakuni Castle was built, Edo Bakufu, the central government in Japan during the Edo Age, issued the Law of One Castle per feudal-domain. The Iwakuni Castle was abandoned.

The top floor of the main castle tower is an observation deck. You will see the arched bridges, named "Kintaikyo" Bridge at the foot of Mt. Shiroyama Area. You will also see the main castle area of Iwakuni Castle.

The below picture shows the main castle tower from the north. The combination of the main castle tower and the clayey wall is very impressive.

There is the foundation of the original main castle tower in the direction to the north. When the main castle tower was rebuilt, the location was moved from the original place to fifty-meters to the north, in order that the main castle tower can be seen from the foot of Mt. Shiroyama.
The original foundation was repaired in 1995.

In this area, you will see a site of dry moat and of a foundation of a turret.

Iwakuni Castle was abandoned just seven years after the completion. You will see a couple of remnants of the castle and the view from the rebuilt main castle tower is very nice.

How to get there
From Tokyo or Osaka, take a "Nozomi" bound for Hakata. Get off a Nozomi at Hiroshima and change to a "Kodama". Get off a "Kodama" at Shin Iwakuni Station. Take a bus bound for Iwakuni Station and get off a bus at "Kintaikyo" Bus Stop. You will also take a JR train from Hiroshima to Iwakuni.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Kintaikyo Bridge
Kikko Shrine
Itsukushima Shrine
Atomic Bomb Dome
Yamaguchi Xavier Memorial Church