Iwate Prefecture

Iwate Prefecture
岩手県
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese岩手県
 • RōmajiIwate-ken
Official logo of Iwate Prefecture
Anthem: Iwate kenmin no uta
Location of Iwate Prefecture
Country Japan
RegionTōhoku
IslandHonshu
CapitalMorioka
SubdivisionsDistricts: 10, Municipalities: 33
Government
 • GovernorTakuya Tasso
Area
 • Total15,275.01 km2 (5,897.71 sq mi)
 • Rank2nd
Population
 (July 1, 2023)
 • Total1,165,886
 • Rank32nd
 • Density76/km2 (200/sq mi)
 • Dialects
Nanbu・Southern Iwate (Kesen)
GDP
 • TotalJP¥ 4,848 billion
US$ 44.5 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 codeJP-03
Websitewww.pref.iwate.jp
Symbols of Japan
BirdGreen pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
FishChum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
FlowerPaulownia tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
TreeNanbu red pine (Pinus densiflora)

Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwate-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.[2] It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at 15,275 square kilometres (5,898 sq mi), with a population of 1,165,886 (as of July 1, 2023). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the west, and Miyagi Prefecture to the south.

Morioka is the capital and largest city of Iwate Prefecture; other major cities include Ichinoseki, Ōshū, and Hanamaki.[3] Located on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast, Iwate Prefecture features the easternmost point of Honshu at Cape Todo, and shares the highest peaks of the Ōu Mountains—the longest mountain range in Japan—at the border with Akita Prefecture. Iwate Prefecture is home to famous attractions such as Morioka Castle, the Buddhist temples of Hiraizumi including Chūson-ji and Mōtsū-ji, the Fujiwara no Sato movie lot and theme park in Ōshū, and the Tenshochi park in Kitakami known for its huge, ancient cherry trees. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido, 5% of its total land area having been designated as National Parks.

  1. ^ "2020年度国民経済計算(2015年基準・2008SNA) : 経済社会総合研究所 - 内閣府". 内閣府ホームページ (in Japanese). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  2. ^ Frédéric, "Tōhoku" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 970, at Google Books
  3. ^ Frédéric, "Morioka" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 661, at Google Books