Whilst in Hiroshima I wanted to see a different part to what I had seen back in December 2005. Of course I was always going to visit Miyajima and the Peace Memorial Park/A-Bomb Dome but as there was another day free, my girlfriends parents decided that going to Yamaguchi-ken would make for a nice day trip. They were of course right as it was a beautiful sunny day perfect for viewing the five arched Kintai-kyo bridge which was originally constructed with no nails or nuts and bolts. These days it has some cunningly concealed steel reinforcements. It is one of the most famous bridges in Japan and was originally built in 1673.

Iwakuni-jo castle looms over the bridge from its position atop Mount Shiroyama which meant yet another mountain climb (we would go on to do a third and final climb the following day albeit much shorter) for us. The castle is not in its original position as Japanese castles tend to be all about tourism rather than warfare.

The views from inside the castle were very impressive as one could see out over the bridge and further afield. Every place you go in Japan always has a local delicacy and Iwakuni was no exception as we had a special kind of sushi. This was not rolled in seaweed but was made with a square mold and had some special flavourings.