Iwate Prefecture is located in the northern part of the Tohoku region of Japan. It borders the Pacific Ocean to the east, Akita Prefecture to the west, Miyagi Prefecture to the south, and Aomori Prefecture to the north. As the largest prefecture on Honshu Island in terms of land area, Iwate boasts abundant natural environments and rich historical and cultural heritage. The prefectural capital is Morioka City.
Origin of the Name
The name "Iwate" originates from Iwate District, to which Morioka City, the prefectural capital, once belonged. There are two main theories regarding its origin:
1. The Legend of Mitsuishi Shrine
According to legend, a demon once terrorized the region, causing great suffering to the residents. The local deity, known as "Mitsuishi-sama" (the god of Mitsuishi), punished the demon and forced it to swear never to trouble the land again. As proof of this vow, the demon left its handprints on the rocks. It is said that the name "Iwate" (岩手, meaning "rock hand") originated from this legend.
2. The Name of a Hawk in The Tale of Yamato
In The Tale of Yamato, a hawk presented to the emperor was named "Iwate." However, this hawk was accidentally released by a court noble, who then composed a poem:
"Iwade omou zo iu ni masareru" (言わで思ふぞ言ふにまされる),
which means "Unspoken thoughts surpass those expressed in words."
Since "Iwate" sounds similar to "iwade" (meaning "unspoken" in classical Japanese), some believe this is another origin of the prefecture's name.
Historical Writing of Iwate
Iwate Prefecture was officially established in 1872, and its name was standardized at that time. However, during the Meiji and Taisho eras, alternative spellings such as "巌手縣" (Iwate-ken) or "巖手縣" were also used. The official prefectural gazette was once titled Iwate Prefectural Gazette using the character 巌. Eventually, on September 22, 1923 (Taisho 12), the name was officially unified as 岩手県 (Iwate-ken).
Climate
Iwate Prefecture features both inland and coastal climates, characterized by cold winters. The entire prefecture is designated as a heavy snowfall area.
Inland Areas (Kitakami Basin, Along the Ōu Mountains)
- Exhibits a distinct continental climate, with large annual and daily temperature variations.
- Winters are extremely cold, especially in Yabukawa (Tamayama Ward, Morioka City), which is considered the coldest place on Honshu, with temperatures dropping as low as -30°C (-22°F).
- Morioka City is often one of the coldest prefectural capitals in Japan, recording lower temperatures than even Sapporo and Aomori, which are further north.
- Nishiwaga Town and former Matsuo Village in Hachimantai City receive exceptionally heavy snowfall and are designated special heavy snowfall areas.
Coastal Areas (Miyako, Ōfunato, etc.)
- Influenced by a maritime climate, making winters relatively mild with less snowfall.
- Summers are cool, often resembling the climate of Sendai City.
Kitakami Basin (Morioka, Hanamaki, Kitakami, Ōshū, etc.)
- In winter, a west-high-east-low pressure system causes the Ōu Mountains to act as a barrier, resulting in frequent sunny days.
- Radiative cooling leads to extremely low morning temperatures, making winter conditions particularly severe.
- The heat island effect is evident, with significant temperature differences between urban and suburban areas.
- During summer, the Foehn effect can cause temperatures to rise higher than those in Sendai City.
