Iwate Prefecture (岩手県)

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tohoku Region of Honshu. It covers 15,278 sq km and has a population of just 1.3 million people. It has the lowest density of any prefecture except Hokkaido. The prefectural capital is the city of Morioka.

Iwate Prefecture has numerous recreational opportunities for visitors from fishing to hiking, boating and camping. There are also a number of famous Buddhist temples here.

Osawa Onsen, Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture


Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the west and Miyagi Prefecture to the south. It faces the Pacific Ocean to the east, where it forms a sheer wall against the ocean.

On the western side, the Ou Mountains form a border with Aomori Prefecture. There are a number of active volcanoes on the mountain range, among them Mount Iwate, which is the highest point in Iwate Prefecture at 2038 meters, and Mount Kurikawa, at 1627 meters. Running through the middle of the prefecture is the much older Kitakami mountains, with Mount Hayachine (1,917m) located farther away from any other large mountains in Japan.

Iwate Prefecture used to be a major mining area in Japan. It produced gold, iron, coal and sulfur. Today the prefecture has a number of hot springs which is now a thriving tourism industry.

Oizumi Pond, Motsu-ji Temple, Hiraizumi

Update

11 March 2011
A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused massive damage to towns and villages along the coast of Iwate Prefecture.

Going to Iwate Prefecture

By Train
Take the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo. It makes stops in Ichioseki and Morioka in Iwate Prefecture.

Michinoku Folk Village, Kitakami

Cities of Iwate Prefecture

Tourist Attractions of Iwate Prefecture

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