Iwate Prefecture

Japanese: 岩手[県] - いわて

A prefecture facing the Pacific Ocean in the Tohoku region. The prefectural capital is Morioka City. It has an area of 15,275.01 ^{km2 and} a population of 1,330,147 (2010). It is the largest prefecture in Japan except for Hokkaido, and its population density is the second lowest after Hokkaido. [History] Formerly part of Mutsu Province, in the Heian period Sakanoue no Tamuramaro built Isawa Castle and it became a base for the development of Ezo. Later, the Abe clan gained influence, but after the Battle of Zenkunen and Gosanen, the Oshu Fujiwara clan rose to power and established the so-called Hiraizumi culture. From the Kamakura to Edo periods it was under the control of the Nanbu Domain, but in 1868 it became part of Rikuchu Province, and was abolished and established as a prefecture, dividing it into the three prefectures of Morioka, Esashi, and Ichinoseki, and in 1876 it became the current Iwate Prefecture. [Nature] The Ou Mountains, which form the border with Akita Prefecture, run from north to south to the west. Overlapping with these are volcanoes such as Hachimantai, Mt. Iwate, Mt. Komagatake, and Mt. Kurikoma in the Nasu volcanic belt, and hot springs well up in various places. To the east is the alluvial lowland of the Kitakami River (Kitakami Basin), which forms the prefecture's core. Most of the central and eastern parts of the prefecture are occupied by the Kitakami Highlands. The northern part of the Pacific coast (Sanriku Coast) is a series of high coastal terraces, but the southern part is a complex coast of the rias type. The temperature is lower than Akita Prefecture, which is at the same latitude, and the inland areas are particularly cold and cool. The northeast winds (Yamase), the cold temperatures in summer, and the gas generation that is common on the northern coast have caused damage from cold weather since ancient times. The amount of snowfall is less than Akita Prefecture. [Industry] The population composition by industry is 13.7% primary, 25.9% secondary, and 60.1% tertiary (2005). There are many mountains and forests, and only 10% of the total area is cultivated land. Paddy fields are concentrated in the Kitakami Basin, and cabbage and apple cultivation is prominent in the northern part of the Kitakami Highlands. Leaf tobacco cultivation is popular in the southern part of the prefecture. Formerly the birthplace of Nanbukoma, the prefecture is now home to dairy farming, beef cattle raising, and broiler raising in the foothills of Mt. Iwaizumi and Tono in the Kitakami Highlands. In the past, the prefecture produced a lot of firewood and charcoal, mainly in the Kitakami Highlands, but now pulp and chip production is growing. Located near the good fishing grounds of Sanriku, the ports of Kuji, Miyako, and Kamaishi have developed, and seafood processing is also active. The iron mines in Kamaishi and the sulfur mines in Matsuo have all been closed, and the steel mill in Kamaishi has also stopped operating its blast furnaces. In 1982, the Tohoku Shinkansen was opened to Morioka, and in the same year the Tohoku Expressway was opened to Ashiro in the northern part of the prefecture. As the travel time to the capital region has been shortened, industrial complexes have been developed along the Kitakami River in Kitakami City, Morioka City, and other cities, attracting companies in the fields of electrical equipment, machinery, and precision machinery. Traditional industries include early modern Nanbu ironware and crafts such as Iwayado chests. Scenic spots in the two national parks of Rikuchu Kaigan and Towada-Hachimantai, the two quasi-national parks of Hayachine and Kurikoma, Chusonji Temple in Hiraizumi, and Motsuji Temple in other areas, as well as hot springs and plateaus in various areas, are popular tourist destinations, and many folk performing arts have been passed down. [Transportation] The Tohoku Main Line runs to Morioka, and the Tohoku Shinkansen, Sanriku Railway, Tohoku Expressway, Hachinohe Expressway, and National Route 4 run across the area, while the Ofunato Line, Kamaishi Line, Yamada Line, Kitakami Line, and Hanawa Line run east to west. In the spring of 1997, the Akita Shinkansen (Tazawako Line) opened. In March 2011, the Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake (Great East Japan Earthquake) occurred, causing severe damage throughout the prefecture, particularly along the Pacific coast, due to violent shaking and a massive tsunami.
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Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

東北地方の太平洋に面する県。県庁所在地は盛岡市。１万5275.01km²。133万147人（2010）。北海道を除き都府県中最も広く，人口密度は北海道に次いで小さい。〔沿革〕　かつての陸奥(むつ)国の一部で，平安時代には坂上田村麻呂が胆沢(いさわ)城を築いて蝦夷(えぞ)地開拓の拠点となった。のち安倍氏が勢力を得たが，前九年・後三年の役後奥州藤原氏が興って，いわゆる平泉文化を築いた。鎌倉〜江戸時代を通じて南部藩領であったが，1868年陸中国となり，廃藩置県で盛岡・江刺・一関３県に分かれ，1876年に現在の岩手県となった。〔自然〕　西に秋田県境をなす奥羽山脈が南北に連なり，これと重なって那須火山帯の八幡平(はちまんたい)，岩手山，駒ヶ岳，栗駒山などの火山があり，各地に温泉がわく。その東は北上川の沖積低地（北上盆地）で県の中枢地域をなす。県の中・東部の大半は北上高地によって占められる。太平洋岸（三陸海岸）の北部は高い海岸段丘が続くが，南部はリアス式の複雑な海岸である。気温は同緯度の秋田県より低く，特に内陸部は低温冷涼である。北東風の〈やませ〉や夏季の冷温，北部海岸に多いガス発生などで，古来冷害に悩まされた。降雪量は秋田県より少ない。〔産業〕　産業別人口構成は第１次13.7％，第２次25.9％，第３次60.1％（2005）。山林が多く，耕地は全面積の10％にすぎない。水田は北上盆地に集中し，北上高地北部ではキャベツ，リンゴの栽培が顕著である。県南部では葉タバコ栽培が盛ん。かつて南部駒の産地であったが，岩手山麓，北上高地の岩泉，遠野などで酪農，肉牛肥育，ブロイラー飼育が普及している。かつて北上高地を中心に薪炭を多産したが，現在はパルプ・チップの生産が伸びている。三陸の好漁場をひかえ久慈，宮古，釜石の良港が発達，水産加工も活発である。釜石の鉄，松尾の硫黄などの鉱産はいずれも閉山，釜石の製鉄も高炉停止。1982年東北新幹線が盛岡まで，同年東北自動車道が県北部の安代(あしろ)まで開通した。首都圏への時間距離が短縮されて北上市，盛岡市などの北上川筋へ工業団地の造成が進められ，電気，機械，精密機械などの企業が誘致された。伝統産業に近世以来の南部鉄器，岩谷堂箪笥などの工芸品がある。陸中海岸・十和田八幡平の２国立公園，早池峰(はやちね)，栗駒の２国定公園に属する景勝地や，平泉の中尊寺，毛越寺(もうつうじ)のほか各地の温泉，高原が観光地としてにぎわい，民俗芸能も多く伝わる。〔交通〕　東北本線が盛岡まで通じ，東北新幹線，三陸鉄道，東北自動車道，八戸自動車道，国道４号線が縦断，大船渡(おおふなと)線，釜石線，山田線，北上線，花輪線などが東西にのび，1997年春には秋田新幹線（田沢湖線）が開通。　2011年３月，東北地方太平洋沖地震（東日本大震災）が発生，太平洋沿岸部を中心に県内各地で激しい揺れと巨大な津波により甚大な被害が出る。
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