Chuson-ji Temple
Southwestern Iwate
Hashino Iron Mining and Smelting Site
Southeastern Iwate
Kappabuchi Pool
Southeastern Iwate
Miyazawa Kenji Dowa Mura (Village of Fairy Tales)
Southwestern Iwate
Plunging 200m-high, 8km-long cliffs along the coast, a mysterious cavern boasting an iridescent blue underground lake, and 2000m-high mountain ranges. Iwate is blessed at every turn by beautiful natural gems that take the breath away.
Iwate Prefecture, ruled as separate northern and southern domains by samurai families until the 1870s, has distinct historic and cultural heritage in each region. Beginning with the shrines, temples and gardens of the 9th to the 12th century that are now world heritage sites, there is a world to discover of traditional entertainment and crafts in each district.
The rich produce of Iwate is made possible by nature, its mountains and seas. It is also the result of the care taken by farmers in nurturing organic soils and ensuring that livestock receive the best feed and purest water. Be sure to taste Iwate’s finest products, including some of its many luxury rice, wagyu beef, apples and oyster brands.
Outdoor sports like skiing and mountaineering, and hot springs where you can truly relax while gazing out over a bank of clouds, valleys or the sea? Or will you take part in the world’s record-breaking no. 1 taiko drums parade, an unforgettable experience of mingling with locals?
Breathtaking natural sights to fill you with wonder, World Heritage shrines and temples that pull you into the spiritual world of the Japanese, and cultural events deeply rooted in local communities. Look, touch, feel and taste Iwate Prefecture for yourself.
The east of Iwate Prefecture overlooks the Pacific, while the west is overlooked by the Ou Mountains. Iwate is the place to feast on seafood including sushi as well as products of the land such as wagyu beef and sake made from rice.
Food products from the fertile lands and seas of Iwate, and historic or traditional crafts. Take home Made-in-Iwate souvenirs for you to remember your trip or for your friends and family to enjoy.
Full-service resort, a traditional Japanese-style inn where you can sleep in a tatami mat room, or a pension that welcomes you with open arms? Let’s find the lodgings that suit you.
Iwate has a great diversity of sights and experiences depending on the season and region. Let’s have a look at what to do and where to go to find those that will pique your interest.
Presented here are some variety-filled model tour routes to discover the diverse attractions of Iwate: mountain and sea, city and wilderness, novelty and history.
Find the sights, restaurants and bars, shop and lodgings you need in Iwate here. Try exploring appealing destinations by activity or area.
Check the latest information when planning your Iwate trip for special events such as festivals and activities.
Where is Iwate? How do I get there? Find out how to get to Iwate in just over 2 hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo here.
The four major means of transport around Iwate are train, bus, rental car and taxi. Check details for each mode before you arrive for your peace of mind.
Click here to find vital information for foreign travelers such as the location of tourist information desks, how to connect to Wi-Fi during your trip and Iwate weather.
Iwate Prefecture, ruled as separate northern and southern domains by samurai families until the 1870s, has distinct historic and cultural heritage in each region. Beginning with the shrines, temples and gardens of the 9th to the 12th century that are now world heritage sites, there is a world to discover of traditional entertainment and crafts in each district.
Iwate Prefecture has two World Heritage Sites. One is Hiraizumi, featuring temples, gardens and historic remains sites from the 9th to the 12th century.
Based on a unique cosmology developed from the combination of Buddhism imported from India and Japanese nature worship, the Hiraizumi complex was a vision of a pure and peaceful world. Visitors find calm in the temples and gardens created in a quiet environment in harmony with nature, mountains and forest.
The other World Heritage Site, the Hashino iron mining and smelting site, was built in the 1850s and is the historic ruins of the oldest western-style ironmaking blast furnace in Japan. The site represents the modernization of Japanese iron production. Some 30km from Kamaishi Station into the mountains, you suddenly come across ruins that closely resemble a stone circle. This is in the middle of a beautiful mountain forest, so this makes a lovely walk.
Iwate Prefecture is an unprecedented treasure chest of local arts and entertainment. In each district, a number of folk dances have been passed down for around a thousand years – dances with the aim of praying for good crops or fishing hauls, safety or to comfort the spirits of the ancestors. With their unique masks and dress, prepare to be impressed by the mystery and otherworldliness of the dance.
The annual Sanriku International Arts Festival has been held since 2014, bringing together traditional performance groups from around Asia and Iwate in particular for cultural exchange that overcomes the language barrier through dance.
In Tono, there are countless stories told about gods, ghosts and unearthly creatures called “Yokai”, monsters of the sort found in the Studio Ghibli classic Spirited Away. One such spirit-like being is called the Zashiki-warashi, which takes the form of a child and brings good fortune to the house it lives in. There is rumor of a lodging in Ninohe where you can meet an actual zashiki-warashi.
Hanamaki is the home town of famous Japanese children’s author Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933). Through his various works including “Night on the Galactic Railroad”, which have something in common with those written by global masters like Hans Christian Andersen and Lewis Carroll, he always evoked ideal worlds of pure beauty.
Hanamaki City has brought his worlds to life in visible form, including the Miyazaki Kenji Dowa Mura gallery where you will lose yourself in a fairy tale world, a museum and more.
Iwate boasts a variety of traditional crafts passed down through the generations. Crafted individually by artisans, there is glossy lacquerware whose taste deepens every time you use it, and tending to inspire a simple and quiet moment of reflection; and beautifully dignified Nambu ironware teapots said to soften the texture of boiled water in the mouth. Each are the product of generations of tradition, but evolving in their design to suit today’s lifestyles. Why not take some of these wares home as a souvenir?
Southwestern Iwate
Southeastern Iwate
Southeastern Iwate
Southwestern Iwate
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