Iwate
(2002 est. pop. 1.4 million). Iwate Prefecture is situated in the northern region of Japan's island of Honshu. Once on the untamed frontier, in the early 2000s it remains a bastion of early culture. With a population of 1,418,000 residents, Iwate occupies an area of 15,278 square kilometers. Its main geographical features are the Ou and Kitakami Mountains, which enclose the river Kitakamigawa plateau. Iwate is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and by Aomori, Akita, and Miyagi Prefectures. Once known as Mutsu Province, it assumed its present name and borders in 1876.
The prefecture's capital is Morioka. Although a bustling commercial city and home to Iwate University, it retains much of the flavor of its origins as the Edo period (1600/1603–1868) castle town of the Nambu family, famous for breeding fine horses. Its attractions include the old merchant quarter, the Hachiman shrine to the god of war, and the ruins of Morioka Castle. The prefecture's other important cities are Mikayo, Hanamaki, and Ichinoseki.
Iwate has a long history. In ancient times, it was home to the aboriginal Ezo people. In the Heian period (794–1185), the Fujiwara family assumed control of the province and established a capital at Hiraizumi, which became the military, political, and cultural center of all northern Japan. The Fujiwara became wealthy from the gold found in the area and they built splendid temples and palaces. In the late Muromachi period (1333–1573), control of the province passed to the Nambu family in the north and the Date family in the south. The Tokugawa shogunate (1600/1603–1868) oversaw the division of the area into some twenty domains.
Iwate's main agricultural activity is rice farming and livestock raising, along with lumber production and fishing. Mining makes the prefecture a leading source of iron and copper ore. A major tourist destination is Hiraizumi, today a small country town compared to its past days of splendor. Still standing are the temple known as Golden Hall (Konjikido), the first National Treasure to be so designated, and the Heian-style gardens and ruins of the Motsuji, once a complex of forty temples. Iwate's traditional crafts include the wooden folk toys known as Kokeshi dolls and Nambu cast iron made into bells, statues, and heavy kettles. The region's traditional dances include the deer dance (shishi odori) and sword dance (kembai).
Further Reading
"Iwate." (1993) Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Tokyo: Kodansha.
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