Iwakuni

Iwakuni is famous for its five-arched bridge constructed entirely out of wood without nails. The Kintai bridge is quite unique and photogenic from any angle.

The real highlight to my trip to Iwakuni, however, was all the great Japanese people that I met. Upon arriving in Iwakuni I met Keisuke who was celebrating his 20th birthday on his way back to Nara. Happy birthday Keisuke! That night I went to a udon restaurant and had a great time talking with the Tanakas in Japanglish. The whole restaurant was laughing at their jokes. What a great restaurant, the tempura udon bowl was delicious! The next morning over breakfast I met a guy named Waragai and we decided to explore the town together. Turns out he was the perfect person to explore with - he had lived in Iwakuni until he was six but had not been back until this trip. So he was simultaneously a local and a tourist (and is a native Japanese speaker). We went to the Iwakuni castle, he bought me the local specialty Iwakuni sushi for lunch at Hirase. Oishii! We explored the Uno Chiyo house in the area west of the river. We ate dinner at the hostel and went back to the Kintai bridge for some night photos of the comorant fishing. What a day, thanks Waragai!