Iwate-ken

Introducing Iwate-ken

Iwate-ken is a quiet place with rich farmland, sleepy valleys and some pretty serious mountain ranges, too. You’ll find it feels more provincial – in the best of ways, and stopping in places like Tōno can seem almost like turning back time. Once rife with feudalism, the region was separated into north, controlled by the Nambu clan, and south, under the rule of the Date clan. Later, breakaway clans – Hachinohe (from Nambu) and Ichinohe (from Date) – divided Iwate further. During WWII, the prefecture was devastated and immediately embarked on a rehabilitation process marked by heavy industrial growth. Iwate-ken is the country’s second-largest prefecture.

Last updated: Oct 31, 2008