Iwate Prefecture

Iwate Prefecture 岩手県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	岩手県
• Rōmaji	Iwate-ken
Mount Iwate from Koiwai farm park Chūson-ji Sanriku Railway Kamaishi Line Hanamaki Onsen
Flag Symbol
Anthem: Iwate kenmin no uta
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Island	Honshu
Capital	Morioka
Subdivisions	Districts: 10, Municipalities: 33
Government
• Governor	Takuya Tasso
Area
• Total	15,275.01 km2 (5,897.71 sq mi)
• Rank	2nd
Population  (July 1, 2023)
• Total	1,165,886
• Rank	32nd
• Density	76/km2 (200/sq mi)
• Dialects	Nanbu・Southern Iwate (Kesen)
GDP [1]
• Total	JP¥ 4,848 billion US$ 44.5 billion (2019)
ISO 3166 code	JP-03
Website	www.pref.iwate.jp
Symbols of Japan
Bird	Green pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Fish	Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
Flower	Paulownia tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
Tree	Nanbu 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.