JapanRegions & prefectures

Iwate

The country’s second-largest prefecture, fallen capital of a Buddhist golden age.

Capital: Morioka
Status: Prefecture
Region: Tōhoku
Must-see: The golden hall of Chūson-ji
Local specialty: Wanko soba, Nambu ironware

In the twelfth century Hiraizumi rivalled Kyoto: the Northern Fujiwara clan used local gold to build a capital of temples, of which Chūson-ji preserves the golden hall. The rest of the prefecture is mountains, the jagged Sanriku coast hit hard by the 2011 tsunami, and a metalworking tradition that produced Nambu cast-iron teapots.

What to see there

Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.

Hiraizumi and Chūson-jiA Buddhist capital of the far north, of which one hall survives, covered entirely in gold leaf.