As all reviews so far have only covered Omori, which is for sure the most interesting part of this WHS, I will focus on the other components. I visited 13 of the 14 components and it involved quite some hiking.
 
Iwami-Jo
I left my car where google maps leads you off the main road. Around a hundred meters up the side road there is an unmarked path that leads right into the forest. Follow the plastic markers you sometimes find bound to the trees up the hill. It seemed not many people follow the path, so you get the real Indiana Jones feeling. The castle remains is just a spot with a bit less trees and a small sign in Japanese that says Iwami-Jo. Luckily I had data connection to translate the sign. Other than that, there were tons of insects and nothing else. Only go there if you are as crazy as I am.
 
Tomogaura
It’s a tiny seaside village. I left my car in Maji, a village next to it with a nice beach, at the only place that was officially marked as parking. It wouldn’t have been necessary. You could drive right to the village and leave it at the port. There was nobody around and the village is really just 5 houses. To reach it you have to pass a narrow tunnel. I walked all the way along the beach and through the tunnel (that includes tons of cockroaches) to admire the 5 houses and the tiny port with a few fishing boats.
 
Yunotsu
This is actually the biggest place around. There are restaurants and shops and even a tourist information center at the port. It’s a good place to restock with drinks. Some of the houses are nice. There is free parking on both sides of the village. Opt for the one at the port.
 
Okidomari
Very close to Yunotsu and very similar to Tomogaura. You pass a narrow tunnel and find a few houses and a port. Some of of the houses are in desperate need of repair. Nice detail was a sign against littering that said “protect our world heritage”. The bay that leads to the port is very nice (see image).
 
Yataki-jo
I intentionally skipped Yahazu-jo, as it seemed too far off the road. I did however find the trailhead. I let myself lead by google maps to Yataki-jo and at some point along the one narrow road found it. It said 6km one way. This seemed too much even for me. I also found another sign, hinting a hiking route that passes both castles.
There was obviously nothing at the point google suggested I should start walking for Yataki, so I gave up and kept driving. After a few minutes, there was a small tunnel. Right behind it, there was an info board about Yataki-jo. I saw a small path a few meters behind it and decided this could be the trail head. I kept hiking through the woods. The path was way better than the one to Iwami-Jo and had even some ropes to help you climb. I eventually found the abandoned (military?) structure on the hill you can see as image on google, so I knew I arrived. Of course there is nothing left of the castle. It’s about the achievement, not the place.