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.
8 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
Jodogahama Beach — White Pebbles & Pine-Covered Rocks
Jodogahama (浄土ヶ浜, 'Pure Land Beach') is one of Tohoku's most scenic coastal landscapes — a protected cove with pure whit…
Geibikei Gorge — Boatman's Song Through Limestone Cliffs
Geibikei Gorge is a narrow limestone gorge carved by the Satetsu River, famous for traditional flat-bottomed boat rides…
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-do — Cliffside Temple in Rock Cave
Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-do is a Buddhist temple built into a cliff cave, dramatically perched on a rock face 15 meters…
Genbikei Gorge — Flying Dango Basket Delivery
Genbikei Gorge is a 2km rocky gorge carved by the Iwai River, featuring dramatic boulder formations, rapids, and the fam…
Mt. Iwate — Nambu Fuji Volcanic Cone
Mt. Iwate is a 2,038-meter stratovolcano dominating Morioka's skyline, nicknamed 'Nambu Fuji' for its symmetrical cone s…
Koiwai Farm — Dairy Pastures & Lavender Fields
Koiwai Farm is Japan's largest privately-owned pasture farm, covering 3,000 hectares of rolling hills used for dairy cat…
Sanriku Coast — Dramatic Cliffs & Tsunami Recovery
The Sanriku Coast is a 250km stretch of dramatic Pacific coastline running through Iwate Prefecture, characterized by st…
Ryusendo Cave — Underground Crystal Blue Lake
Ryusendo Cave is one of Japan's three largest limestone caves, famous for its underground lakes of exceptional clarity a…