Festivals
Kintai-kyo Festival
This is the busiest day of the year around the Kintai bridge area of Iwakuni, with more than 40,000 visitors. It's held annually on Showa Day, at the beginning of the Golden Week national holidays. The centerpiece of the festival is the mid-day Daimyo Procession, featuring a traditional dress march across the bridge; there's also food, festivities, and samurai demonstrations around Kikko Park.
Nishiki River Water Festival
Fireworks in the skies over the bridge.
Friendship Day
At the other end of Golden Week, the Marine Corps puts on a public air-show attended by up to 250,000 curious Japanese nationals. Follow the crowds out of JR Iwakuni Station for the best viewing spots.
Iwakuni Festival
A lively autumn celebration with food, a flea market, and goofy events like a public tug-of-war.
The ancient Japanese art of cormorant fishing ukai is a popular summer pastime; every night in June, July, and August, teams of fishermen in traditional dress use trained cormorant birds to catch fish. The birds get to eat the small fry, but a ring around their necks keeps them from swallowing big ones. With torches lighting the way, it's a memorable spectacle, and Iwakuni is one of the best places in Japan to see it due to the relatively smaller crowds. If you're not content watching from the banks of the river, you can join a boat (http://www.ukai-iwakuni.c...) tel. 082-728-2877 for ¥3500 adults, ¥2600 children. Boarding is 6:30PM next to Kintai-kyo, and fishing is from 8-9PM.