Iwate Hidden Gems
A quiet, mountainous prefecture of Buddhist heritage and a rugged Pacific coastline — the second-largest prefecture, and one of the least crowded.
5 spots
Climate & Best Season
Cold winters inland, cool summers on the coast; the Kitakami basin sees heavy snow. Best in late spring and autumn.
Famous For (Food)
- Wanko soba
- Morioka reimen
- Jaja-men
- Maesawa beef
Signature Sights
- Hiraizumi's Chuson-ji (UNESCO)
- Geibikei Gorge boat ride
- Sanriku coast cliffs
- Hachimantai volcanic plateau
Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum
The Sanriku coast has been hit by major tsunami repeatedly — 1896, 1933, 1960, 2011 — and this museum, opened in Septemb…
Goshono Jomon Site
Goshono was a large village of the middle Jomon period, occupied from roughly 5,000 to 4,200 years ago, and in July 2021…
Kuji Amber Museum
Kuji amber is around 85 million years old, from the Cretaceous, which makes it substantially older than Baltic amber and…
Miyazawa Kenji Memorial Museum
Miyazawa Kenji wrote Night on the Galactic Railroad and a body of poetry and children's stories that has never gone out…
Iwate Bank Red Brick Building
Tatsuno Kingo designed Tokyo Station, and this is the only building of his left standing in the Tohoku region. It was co…