Iwate Prefecture

The glorious temples of Hiraizumi are among only a few physical reminders of the turbulent feudal past of Iwate Prefecture (岩手県; Iwate-ken), but there are nonetheless plenty of opportunities for exploration in Japan's second-largest prefecture. Sleepy valleys, a rugged coastline and high, lush mountains attract discerning hikers and those looking for a tree-change, but it’s perhaps the Tōno Valley, where countless folk tales are still born and told, where travellers will glimpse that all-too-rare Lost Japan.