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Iwate Prefecture (岩手県; Iwate-ken)

Capital	Morioka
Region	Tohoku
Island	Honshū
Governor	Hiroya Masuda
Area	15,278.40 km² (2nd)
- % water	0.1%
Population  (November 1, 2006)
- Population	1,374,530 (30th)
- Density	90 /km²
Districts	11
Municipalities	35
ISO 3166-2	JP-03
Website	www.pref.iwate.jp/english/
Prefectural Symbols
- Flower	Paulownia tree (Paulownia tomentosa)
- Tree	Nanbu red pine (Pinus densiflora)
- Bird	Green pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Symbol of Iwate Prefecture

Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwate-ken^?) is located in the Tohoku region on Honshū island, Japan. The capital is Morioka.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Cities 2.2 Towns and villages 2.3 Mergers 3 Economy 4 Demographics 5 Culture 5.1 Bashō 6 Tourism 7 Prefectural symbols 8 References 9 External links

Iwate was historically part of Mutsu Province. It was only brought into the empire around 800.

In the Jomon period it was an area abundant in fishing and hunting. There were also Emishi settlements in the Kitakami Basin until the end of the eighth century when the Nara authorities penetrated deeply into Iwate, with Fort Shiwa, to the north of present day Morioka, constructed in 803.

Iwate faces the Pacific Ocean to the east, and borders Aomori Prefecture on the north, Akita Prefecture on the west, and Miyagi Prefecture on the south. The prefecture has mountains in the west, north and east, with the valley of the Kitakami River running from north to south through the center of the province and including the capital. The coast is very rugged, with little in between the mountains and the sea.

Fourteen cities are located in Iwate Prefecture:

Hachimantai Hanamaki Ichinoseki Kamaishi Kitakami Kuji Miyako

Morioka (capital) Ninohe Ofunato Ōshū Rikuzentakata Tono

Towns and villages in each district:

Higashiiwai District Fujisawa Isawa District Kanegasaki Iwate District Iwate Kuzumaki Shizukuishi Takizawa Kamihei District Otsuchi

Kesen District Sumita Kunohe District Karumai Kunohe Noda Hirono Ninohe District Ichinohe Nishiiwai District Hiraizumi

Shimohei District Fudai Iwaizumi Kawai Tanohata Yamada Shiwa District Shiwa Yahaba Waga District Nishiwaga

(as of March 6, 2006)

Main article: Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan

• On June 6, 2005 the town of Taro and village of Niisato from Shimohei District merged with the former city of Miyako to create the new city of Miyako.

• On September 1, 2005 the towns of Ashiro and Nishine and the village of Matsuo from Iwate District merged, forming the city of Hachimantai.

• On September 20, 2005, the new city of Ichinoseki was created out from the former city of Ichinoseki and the municipalities of Daito, Higashiyama, Senmaya, Kawasaki, Murone (first 5 municipalities are from Higashiiwai District), and Hanaizumi from Nishiiwai District.

• On October 1, 2005 the village of Miyamori from Kamihei District and the former city of Tono merged to form the new city of Tono.

• On November 1, 2005 the town of Yuda and village of Sawauchi from Waga District merged forming the town of Nishiwaga.

• On January 1, 2006 the towns of Ishidoriya and Ohasama (from Hienuki District) and the town of Towa (from Waga District) merged with the city of Hanamaki to become the new city of Hanamaki. Hienuki District was dissolved as a result of this merger.

• On January 1, 2006 the city of Ninohe and the town of Joboji from Ninohe District merged to become the new city of Ninohe.

• On January 1, 2006 the village of Ono and the town of Taneichi (both from Kunohe District) merged into the town of Hirono.

• On January 10, 2006 the village of Tamayama from Iwate District merged into the city of Morioka.

• On February 20, 2006 the cities of Esashi and Mizusawa and the municipaltites of Maesawa, Isawa and Koromogawa from Isawa District merged to form the new city of Ōshū.

• On March 6, 2006 the village of Yamagata from Kunohe District merged with the old city of Kuji to form the new city of Kuji.

Iwate's industry is concentrated around Morioka and specializes in semconductor and communication manufacturing.

Of the several theories about the origin of the name ‘Iwate’, the most well known tale, 'Oni no tegata,' is that associated with Mitsuishi Shrine in Morioka. (The Mitsuishi, literally ‘three rocks’, are said to have been thrown down into Morioka by an eruption of Mt Iwate.) According to the legend, there was once a devil who often tormented and harassed the local people. When the people prayed to the spirits of Mitsuishi for protection, the devil was immediately shackled to the rocks and made to promise never to trouble the people again. As a sign of this promise the devil left a handprint on one of the rocks, thus giving rise to the name Iwate, literally meaning ‘rock hand’. Even now after a rainfall it is said that the devil’s hand print can still be seen.

Poet and author Kenji Miyazawa was born in Iwate and lived much of his life there.

Bashō visited and wrote about Iwate in the journey described in Oku no Hosomichi. Hiraizumi in particular inspired him.

Chuson Temple Motsu Temple Muryoko Temple Takadachi-gikei-do Temple

Iwate Park Morioka Hashimoto Museum of Art Ryusen Cave Tono City Museum

Bird	Pheasant
Flower
Tree	Nambu Red Pine
Fish	Nambu Salmon

• (Japanese) Japanese Wikipedia
• Yiengpruksawan, M.H. Hiraizumi: Buddhist Art and Regional Politics in Twelfth Century Japan, Harvard University Asia Center, Cambridge MA, 1998

• Official Iwate Prefecture homepage (English)

Iwate Prefecture
Cities
Hachimantai | Hanamaki | Ichinoseki | Kamaishi | Kitakami | Kuji | Miyako | Morioka (capital) | Ninohe | Ofunato | Ōshū | Rikuzentakata | Tono
Districts
Higashiiwai | Isawa | Iwate | Kamihei | Kesen | Kunohe | Ninohe | Nishiiwai | Shimohei | Shiwa | Waga
See also: Towns and villages by district edit

Coordinates: 39°29′N 141°19′E