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Heading south along the San-yo coast from Miya-jima, you'll soon cross the border into western Honshu's last prefecture, Yamaguchi-ken. The first place to pause briefly is the pleasant old castle town of IWAKUNI , some 40km west of Hiroshima and home to an American military base. Two kilometres west of the present town centre, Kintai-kyo is one of the country's top three bridges, an elegant five-arched structure, spanning the rocky Nishiki-gawa like a tossed pebble skipping across the water. It was daimyo Kikkawa Hiroyoshi who ordered the construction of the bridge in 1673 to solve the problem of crossing the Nishiki-gawa every time it flooded. The most advanced civil engineering techniques of the time were used, and even though the 210-metre-long bridge was built without a single nail, bound together with clamps and wires, the original stood in place until Typhoon Kezia swept it away in 1950. What you see today - and can walk across for Y220 - is the 1953 reconstruction, no less impressive for that. For once, the hordes of tourists add something to the bridge's attraction, as they parade across the steep arches like figures in a ukiyo-e print. Out of regular office hours, you're supposed to drop the bridge toll in the box beside the ticket office, or you can avoid it all together by crossing the river on the nearby modern concrete span, the Kinjo-kyo, a good vantage point for a photo. It's also worth checking out the bridge at night, since it's glamorously floodlit until 10pm. The ticket office also sells a combination ticket (Y840) for the bridge, the return cable-car ride up Shiro-yama and entry to the castle, which, if you intend to do all three, will give you a small saving. Adjoining the bridge on the west bank of the Nishiki-gawa is a landscaped park, Kikko-koen , once the estate of the ruling Kikkawa clan. With its grass lawns and cooling fountains, the park preserves some of the layout and buildings of the former estate, despite also having some modern features. Immediately ahead from the bridge, on the left, is the Nagaya-mon , the wooden gate to the home of the Kagawa family, samurai to the Kikkawa daimyo . There are several other samurai houses you can wander around and, at the far west side of the park, the Kikkawa family graveyard , a compact series of white-walled enclosures, with moss-covered gravestones. In addition, there's a mildly interesting collection of old maps and plans from feudal times, as well as craftwork from Iwakuni's past, on display at the Choko-kan (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm; Y500), at the north end of the park. Just outside the park, opposite the cable-car station, is a small white-snake research centre (daily 9am-5pm; entry free, Y100 donation for an English pamphlet), worth a visit for those interested in the area's zoological oddity. The albino-like snakes are unique to Iwakuni and are thought to have evolved here because of the slightly warmer temperatures in winter. A guide will show you the observation tanks where four of the snakes live; the oldest, He-chan, is 12, while the youngster, Mari-chan, is a mere 6-year-old. Right next to the cable-car station, the Iwakuni Historical Art Museum (daily 9am-5pm; Y500) displays the unexceptional art collection of local resident Nishimura Shigenori. The cable car (Y540 return) saves a forty-minute hike up Shiro-yama, but if you fancy the workout, the route begins beside the youth hostel in the southwest corner of Kikko-koen. An impressive view of the meandering river, town and Inland Sea from the summit makes the effort worthwhile. Unless you're interested in displays of armour, swords and a miniature wooden model of the Kintai-kyo, however, the castle (daily 9am-5pm; Y260) is not worth entering. Set back from the 1960 reconstruction is the original base of the fortress built by Kikkawa Hiroie in 1608, and torn down by the daimyo , just seven years later, in obeyance of the Tokugawa government's edict that each province should only have one castle (Hagi's took precedence).If you have time, follow the nature trail along the mountain ridge for just over 1km to the lonely Gokanjin shrine, keeping an eye out for the many giant spiders in their webs along the way. If you are in Iwakuni overnight between June 1 and August 31, don't miss the cormorant fishing ( ukai ), which takes place on the Nishiki-gawa beside the bridge between 6.30pm and 9pm. This colourful and exciting method of fishing with birds can be viewed from boats for Y3600, or for free from the pebbly riverbank.
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