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Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Although the original castle only stood for seven years, that was excuse enough for a reconstruction during the 1960s. The foundations of the original lie a short distance behind the new one; the builders apparently decided to move it closer to the cliff for scenic purposes. Inside the castle is a small historical museum.
Iwakuni Castle is a replica castle in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan. The nearby Kintai Bridge was originally a footbridge over the Nishiki River to the main gate of the castle.
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岩国美術館 Iwakuni bijutsukan
Art and artifacts about samurai life, including some remarkable sword exhibits. The admission is a bit steep, but you'll find better English information here than elsewhere.
旧目加田家住宅 Kyū metaka-ke jūtaku
The home of another family of Kikkawa retainers. (Don't try to enter either, though; they're still private residences.)
徴古館
A library with historical documents and scroll paintings.
吉香公園
A pleasant green spot on the other side of the bridge, with some lovely flower gardens, large sprinklers for a soak on a summer day, and a popular cherry blossom viewing spot in April. Expect to meet some chatty locals here. The entrance to the park is overseen by a statue of Hiroyoshi Kikkawa, the feudal lord who directed the construction of the Kintai-kyo; the park was built on the grounds of the Kikkawa family home. There are two museums in the park for visitors interested in samurai culture and feudal Iwakuni.
吉川史料館 kikkawa shiryōkan
Dedicated to the aforementioned family of warlords, and including some of their weapons.
長屋門 Nagaya-mon
At the south end of the park, you'll see the dramatic gate, the home of the Kagawa family who were the Kikkawa's principal samurai retainers.