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Top Attractions in Iwate

Morioka

Morioka is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tohoku region of northern Japan. As of September 2015, the city had an estimated population of 299,169 and a population density of 337 persons per km2. The total area was 886.47 square kilometres . The area of present-day Morioka has been continuously inhabited since the Japanese Paleolithic period. Numerous Jomon, Yayoi and Kofun period tombs and remains have been found. The Emishi inhabited the area into the Heian period. During the Enryaku era of the Heian period, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, was ordered north to Shiwa Castle in 803 AD, as a military center to extend the domination of the Yamato dynasty over Mutsu Province. The area was later ruled by the Abe clan until their destruction during the Former Nine Years War at the hands of the Minamoto and Kiyohara clans. The Kiyohara were in turn defeated in the Gosannen War and the area came under the control of the Ōshū Fujiwara Clan based in Hiraizumi, to the south of Morioka. After the Ōshū Fujiwara were destroyed by Minamoto no Yoritomo at the start of the Kamakura period, the area was disputed by several samurai clans until the Nanbu clan, based in Sannohe to the north, expanded their territory during the Sengoku period and built Kozukata Castle in 1592. Following the Battle of Sekigahara and the formal recognition of Morioka Domain under the Tokugawa Shogunate, Kozukata Castle was renamed Morioka Castle. Its name was changed from 森岡 to 盛岡 During the Boshin War of the Meiji restoration, Morioka Domain was a key member of the pro-Tokugawa Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei. After the start of the Meiji period, former Morioka Domain became Morioka Prefecture in 1870, and part of Iwate Prefecture from 1872. With the establishment of the municipality system in 1889, the city of Morioka was established and made the capital of Iwate Prefecture. The city was connected by train to Tokyo in 1890. The city emerged from World War II with very little damage, having been subject to only two minor air raids during the war. On January 10, 2006, the village of Tamayama was merged into Morioka. Morioka was proclaimed a core city in 2008, with increased local autonomy. During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, Morioka was hit by a 6.1 earthquake, and numerous aftershocks, but with little damage other than extensive power outages. Morioka is located in the Kitakami Basin in central Iwate Prefecture, at the confluence of three rivers, the Kitakami, the Shizukuishi and the Nakatsu. The Kitakami River is the second largest river on the Pacific side of Japan and the longest in the Tohoku region. It runs through the city from north to south and has a number of dams within the city boundaries, including the Shijūshida Dam and Gandō Dam. An active volcano, Mount Iwate, dominates the view to the northwest of the city. Mount Himekami is to the north and Mount Hayachine can sometimes be seen to the southeast.

Ryūsendō

Ryūsendō (龍泉洞) is one of Japan's three largest limestone caverns, located in Iwaizumi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Ryūsendō has an accessible length of 1200 meters, making it the 62nd longest in Japan; however, its depth of 249 metres (817 ft) from the entrance to its lowest point is the 5th deepest in Japan. The total confirmed length of the cave is currently 3,631 metres (11,913 ft), although the cave may extend much further. Further exploration has been banned following a fatality in December 1968. The cave system includes at least four underground lakes, the third of which has a depth of 98 metres (322 ft), and the fourth of which (not accessible to the public) has a depth of over 120 metres (390 ft). The cave system is also home to colonies of Greater horseshoe bat, Eastern long-fingered bat, Brown long-eared bat and Hilgendorf's tube-nosed bat as well as Microbats. Ryūsendō was designed a Natural monument by the Japanese government in 1934. The caves were opened to the public in 1967. Its underground lake system was designated one of the “100 Famous Springs of Japan” in 1985 by the Ministry of the Environment.。 The adjacent New Ryūsendō (龍泉新洞, Shin- Ryūsendō) caves nearby were discovered in 1967. It claims to be the “first natural cave science museum in the world”, and contains displays of earthenware and stoneware discovered in 1967, together with displays on the geology of the main Ryūsendō caverns.

Chūson-ji

Chūson-ji is a Buddhist temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It is the head temple of the Tendai sect in Tōhoku . The Tendai sect claims that the temple was founded in 850 by Ennin, the third chief abbot of the sect, but most scholars believe that Chūson-ji was founded by Fujiwara no Kiyohira in about 1100. There is no archaeological or historical record of Buddhist activity in this area before 1100. The Konjiki-dō or Golden Hall is a mausoleum containing the mummified remains of the leaders of the Northern Fujiwara clan who ruled much of northern Japan in the 12th century. It is one of two buildings that survive from the original Chūson-ji temple complex, the other being a sutra repository. The building is made of wood entirely covered with gold leaf decorated with imported mother-of-pearl. It was carefully rebuilt from 1962 to 1968 by a team of specialists. The building measures five-and-a-half meters on each side and is eight meters tall. The interior of the building contains three altars, one for each of the first three Fujiwara lords. Originally there were 33 sculptures inside the temple, eleven on each altar, but now one is missing. Each altar had a seated Amida surrounded by standing Kannon and Seishi, six Jizō and two Niten statues. One Niten figure is missing. The mummies were last examined in 1950. It is assumed that the mummy of Fujiwara no Kiyohira was placed under the central altar. Fujiwara no Motohiras remains were identified as he is known to have died of a cerebral hemorrhage. His mummy was found under the northwest altar. Fujiwara no Hidehiras remains were found under the southwest altar next to a casket containing the head of his son Fujiwara no Yasuhira who was beheaded in 1189. The Konjiki-dō formerly sat outdoors in the open air. In 1288 it was covered with a wooden structure to protect it from the elements. Today it sits behind thick acrylic glass within a concrete building and is visible only from the front and sides. Shōgyo Ōba, a maki-e lacquer artist, helped to restore the interior lacquer work in 1964. In June 2011, Chūson-ji was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a part of the "Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi".

Kanjizaiō-in

Kanjizaiō-in refers to a former temple in Hiraizumi founded by the wife of Fujiwara no Motohira, the second of the Northern Fujiwara rulers. It sat directly across the Frontier Way from Enryu-ji and Kasho-ji, her husbands twin temples. Her temple shared the Pure Land theme with her husbands temples and both had large ponds with variable coastlines surrounded by Pure Land gardens. The pond was fed by a stream from Mōtsū-ji. Both Mōtsū-ji and Kanjizaiō-in also had large earthen walls surrounding their compounds with majestic entrance gates. Where the temples at Mōtsū-ji were elaborate and opulent, Kanjizaiō-in was much plainer and simpler. The buildings at Kanjizaiō-in consisted of a Large Amida Hall and a Small Amida Hall. There were bridges from the entrance gate on the south to an island in the center of the lake then to the Amida Halls on the north. There may have been a pagoda on the east as well. The Large Amida Hall contained an Amida triad and its walls were painted with scenes of Kyoto. The walls of the Small Amida Hall were decorated with poems written by Fujiwara no Norinaga much like the walls at Enryu-ji. It is possible that Motohiras wife lived in the smaller hall and worshipped in the larger one. Some scholars suppose that Kanjizaiō-in was built after Motohiras death as a memorial to him. Both Mōtsū-ji and Kanjizaiō-in were destroyed by fire in 1226 following the downfall of the Fujiwara dynasty. None of the buildings have been rebuilt. Today there is a large grassy park with the pond still in place as it was in the 12th century. Admission is free. The gardens are a nationally-designated Place of Scenic Beauty. They form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi.

Mōtsū-ji

Mōtsū-ji refers to the Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in Hiraizumi and to the historic area surrounding it containing the ruins of two older temples, Enryū-ji and Kashō-ji in a Jōdo garden. The current temple was built in the 18th century and bears no relation to the ancient temples that once stood here. In June 2011, Mōtsū-ji was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as "Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi". Previous to the 12th century this area was apparently known as Mōtsū, or Kegosu being an alternate reading of the Chinese characters 毛越. These characters mean hair and boundary and refer to the boundary between Japan and the hairy people or Emishi beyond. In other words this was at one time the northern boundary of Japan. In the mid 12th century Fujiwara no Motohira, the second Northern Fujiwara lord, built a temple here called Enryū-ji. There is also a possibility that Motohiras father Fujiwara no Kiyohira built an earlier Enryū-ji on this site before he died in 1128. If so, it is supposed that this original temple was consumed by fire soon after its completion in the war of succession between Motohira and his brother Koretsune. The temple built by Motohira around 1150 would then have been a copy of his fathers temple. Motohiras Enryū-ji must have been spectacular by any standards. The main hall contained a monumental statue of Yakushi, the Buddha of Healing, with monumental statues of the Twelve Divine Generals . They had been sculpted by Unkei with crystal eyes; an innovation at that time. The hall itself was brightly painted and decorated with precious wood, gold, silver and jewels. The main temple was surrounded by other buildings including a lecture hall, a circumambulation hall, a two story main gate, a bell tower and a sutra repository. The temples name placard was written by Fujiwara no Tadamichi and the ornamental poem slips by Fujiwara no Norinaga. Once Enryū-ji was completed Motohira ordered an exact copy to be built beside it, Kashō-ji. He did not live to see it completed. His son and heir, Hidehira, accomplished that task. Kashō-ji also contained a monumental statue of Yakushi but the walls were decorated with paintings illustrating the Lotus Sutra. At the height of its glory Mōtsū-ji is said to have had 40 pagodas and 500 monasteries. But all was burned in November 1226 and never rebuilt. Today the pond is preserved much as it was 800 years ago, but none of the original buildings exist today nor have been rebuilt. The new Motsu-ji temple sits in front of the 12th century site straddling what used to be Kuramachi Street. Now there are beautiful plantings of cherry trees, irises, lotus, bush clover and maples. Various festivals are held throughout the year. Admission is 500 yen for adults. Directly to the east across the Frontier Way Motohiras wife built Kanjizaiō-in. Annual events include January 20 = The Jogyodo 20th Night Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance May 1–5 = Spring Fujiwara Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance June 20 July 10 = Ayame Matsuri or Iris Festival August 16 = Daimonji Matsuri or Bon Fire Festival September 15–30 = Hagi Matsuri or Japanese Bush Clover Festival November 1–3 = Autumn Fujiwara Festival and Ennen no Mai Dance

Rikuchu Kaigan National Park

Rikuchū Kaigan National Park is a national park in the Tohoku region of Honshū in northern Japan. The park extends for 180 kilometers from north to south along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean from northern Miyagi prefecture to northern Iwate prefecture. The park was created on May 2, 1955, and covers a land area of 121.98 square kilometres . The entire coastline is noted for examples of sea erosion, with numerous rock pillars and islands. The northern coast is an example of an uplifted coastline, and is an area which has been subject to several strong earthquakes and tsunami in recent history. The southern coast is an example of a ria coastline of submerged river valleys, with deep inlets and narrow peninsulas, forming many small bays and coves. Flora includes groves of Japanese red pine, rhododendrons and Rosa rugosa. Fauna includes numerous bird species, including the black-tailed gull and shearwater. In terms of larger animals, there have also been sightings of the kamoshika. In 2013 the park was incorporated into Sanriku Fukkō National Park.
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