 Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwate-ken) - A
prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on Honshū
island. The capital is Morioka.
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.
 Iwate was historically part of Mutsu Province. It was only
brought into the empire around 800.
In the Jōmon 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'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.
Thirteen cities are located in Iwate Prefecture:
Hachimantai
Hanamaki
Ichinoseki
Kamaishi
Kitakami
Kuji
Miyako
Morioka (capital)
Ninohe
Ofunato
Ōshū
Rikuzentakata
Tono
Information source: “Iwate Prefecture.” wikipedia.org. Article
date: 21 Jan. 2008. Retrieved: Wikipedia. 4 Mar. 2008 <Iwate Prefecture>. |
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