Location: Iwate Prefecture
Top Things to do in Iwate Prefecture
Top Hotels in Iwate Prefecture
- 1. Daiwa Roynet Hotel Morioka
- 2. Hotel Metropolitan Morioka New Wing
- 3. Chisun Inn Iwate Ichinoseki Inter
- 4. Hotel Folkloro Sanrikukamaishi
- 5. Toyoko Inn Kitakami Station Shinkansen Entrance
- 6. HOTEL ROUTE-INN OFUNATO
- 7. Hotel Folkloro Hanamaki Towa
- 8. Dormy Inn Morioka
- 9. ANA Crowne Plaza Resort Appi Kogen
- 10. ART HOTEL Morioka
The 10 Best Sights & Landmarks in Iwate Prefecture, Tohoku
Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwate-ken) is a prefecture in the Tōhoku region of Japan. Located on the main island of Honshu, it contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido. Famous attractions include the Buddhist temples of Hiraizumi, including Chūson-ji and Mōtsū-ji with their treasures, Fujiwara no Sato, a movie lot and theme park in Esashi Ward, Oshu City, Tenshochi, a park in Kitakami City known for its big, old cherry trees and Morioka Castle in Morioka City.
Restaurants in Iwate Prefecture
1. Chuson-ji Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 777 reviews
Reviewed By W9171FFmichellec - San Diego, United States
It's good to get here early as walking around the temple buildings can be done anytime and its cool to see the small army of red smock wearing cleaning ladies do their thing. Lots of mature shade trees. Historical atmosphere. At 9am, the omikuji/temple offices/souvenir shops start opening. Multiple opportunities to get Goshuin (temple stamps) so bring your Goshuin-Cho (accordian style book) or buy one there. Museum and Golden Temple(its inside a building) combined ticket is 800 yen. Tourists start showing up in droves at 10am, on Saturday. Parking lots for this attraction start at 1000 yen, but can be found for 500yen. Not many obvious places to eat in this Hiraizumi area, (we missed our turn and drove and drove, looking for food, but settled for Expressway Rest Stop) but there is a cafe within the temple complex in the thatch roof building and near the museum.
2. Hoonji Temple
3. Hachimantai Promenade Peak
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 114 reviews
Reviewed By quindra - Morioka, Japan
The summit area of Mt. Hachimantai has a network of very well-maintained trails that are mostly stone or wood, so even in wet weather you don't have to worry about mud. The trails circle a number of pristine ponds and allow you to explore an alpine wetland. I've been up here dozens of times and love it. If you go in the early spring it's still covered in snow and you can walk around in snow shoes or boots. In the summer there are all kinds of flowers blooming, and in the fall you get all the beauty of the fall colors. (The road up to the summit closes for the winter, making it basically inaccessible until April 15th when it opens again for the spring.)
4. Geto Onsen
5. Tenshochi Park
6. Shoboji Temple
7. Chuson-ji Konjiki-do
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 202 reviews
Reviewed By JohnD209 - Leavenworth, United States
The Konjiki, or Golden Hall, is where the bodies of four generations of the Fujiwara are enshrined. It is such an important national treasure that a larger modern structure was built around the Konjiki to protect it from the elements. Basho wrote a haiku, "Have the summer rains come and gone, sparing the Hall of Light" to commemorate his visit during his travels in Michinoku. From his haiku, we can see that many people were concerned with the effects of weather on the shrine. If you see nothing else during your visit to Chuson-ji, make sure you see this. There are audiotapes in several languages to help understand the significance of the shrine and the Fujiwara clan.
8. Hachimantai Asupite line
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 51 reviews
Reviewed By 393denchai - Bangkok, Thailand
This is my favorite , about 47km long with snow corridor and on top of this mountain have walk way as I missed some places to visit, will come again.
9. Kamaishi Unosumai Memorial Stadium
10. Iwate Park (Koen)
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 253 reviews
Reviewed By WarnerL_12 - Pasadena, United States
This park is medium in size but a very nice place for relaxation though not the standard Japanese Garden type park.
