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Iwate right now

Friday · 2026/10/30

USD ¥158.1
EUR ¥175.9
SGD ¥123.3
AUD ¥111

Sport & Competition · Iwate · Tohoku

T-rex Race

Footraces run in inflatable T-rex costumes, held in parks, on beaches and at local festivals across Japan since 2022, with adult and juvenile classes.

Rikuzentakata · 15 Nov 2026

Historic Site · Iwate · Tohoku

Tono Furusato Village

Seven old farmhouses of the Nanbu type moved to a valley in Iwate and kept as a working village, with horses, paddies and a water mill.

Tono

Festival · Iwate · Tohoku

Motsu-ji Temple Hatsukayasai Festival

The final day of this week-long Buddhist observance at a UNESCO World Heritage temple features torchlit processions and prayers for good fortune.

Hiraizumi · 14–20 Jan 2027

Museum · Iwate · Tohoku

Morioka History and Culture Museum

Museum opened 2011 within Morioka Castle Ruins Park, treating the historic fort grounds as its primary exhibit while promoting the surrounding castle-town area.

Morioka

Hiraizumi

Morioka

Sport & Competition

T-rex Race

Footraces run in inflatable T-rex costumes, held in parks, on beaches and at local festivals across Japan since 2022, with adult and juvenile classes.

15 Nov 2026Rikuzentakata · Iwate

Festival

Motsu-ji Temple Hatsukayasai Festival

The final day of this week-long Buddhist observance at a UNESCO World Heritage temple features torchlit processions and prayers for good fortune.

14–20 Jan 2027Exact date not confirmed yetHiraizumi · Iwate

Festival

Daito Ohara Mizukake Festival

Men of unlucky ages run through icy waters in this harsh February ritual that has cleansed misfortune since the devastating Edo-period Great Fire.

11 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetIchinoseki · Iwate

Festival

Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival

Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival, held in June in Iwate Prefecture, honors decorated working horses, reflecting the region's horse breeding and farming heritage.

14 Jun 2027Exact date not confirmed yetTakizawa · Iwate

Festival

Morioka Sansa Odori Festival

Major summer dance festival originating from legend about a demon's defeat, featuring traditional Sansa Odori dance and powerful taiko performances.

1–4 Aug 2027Morioka · Iwate

Festival

Hanamaki Festival

This centuries-old festival features over 100 mikoshi shrines and floats, with the Shishi-Odori deer dance and sacred Kagura-Gongenmai performance.

11–13 Sep 2027Exact date not confirmed yetHanamaki · Iwate

Festival

Morioka Fall Festival

One of Iwate's most enduring celebrations, this autumn festival originated as prayers for harvest, now featuring ornate floats and traditional parades.

14–16 Sep 2027Exact date not confirmed yetMorioka · Iwate

Festival

Kuji Autumn Festival

This festival in Kuji, a coastal city in northern Iwate, over 650 years old, gives thanks for the harvest and prays for protection and good fortune.

17–20 Sep 2027Exact date not confirmed yetKuji · Iwate

Festival

Tono Festival

Two days in September when more than fifty groups bring out the performing arts of Tono in Iwate, with a mass deer dance and horseback archery at the shrine.

19–20 Sep 2027Exact date not confirmed yetTono · Iwate

Quick poll

Historic Site

Morioka Castle Ruins

Castle ruins built in 1597 at a strategic river confluence, serving as a northern sentinel monitoring trade routes for over 700 years.

Morioka · Iwate

Shrine

Morioka Hachimangu Shrine

Shinto shrine dedicated to Hachiman, god of war and samurai patron, hosting an annual August festival featuring traditional taiko drums and horseback archery.

Morioka · Iwate

Temple

Motsu-ji

Buddhist temple from the 12th century, renowned for its gold-leaf decorated hall and picturesque pond garden in the finest Heian-era style.

Hiraizumi · Iwate

Temple

Chuson-ji Temple

The head Tendai temple founded in 850, significantly expanded in the 12th century and designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

Hiraizumi · Iwate

Shrine

Unedori Shrine

Rural Tono shrine associated with love and connection, where visitors tie wishes on red cloth strips using only their non-dominant hand.

Tono · Iwate

Temple

Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-do

Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-do, established in 801 AD within a natural cave, merges geology with spiritual architecture, preserving 1,200 years of worship.

Hiraizumi · Iwate

Museum

Morioka History and Culture Museum

Museum opened 2011 within Morioka Castle Ruins Park, treating the historic fort grounds as its primary exhibit while promoting the surrounding castle-town area.

Morioka · Iwate

Temple

Hoon-ji

Zen temple founded in 1394 and relocated to Morioka in 1601, renowned for its exceptional collection of 500 wooden Rakan enlightened-disciple statues.

Morioka · Iwate

Historic Site

Goshono Ruins

A UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 2021 as part of a collective listing encompassing 17 Jomon archaeological sites across four northern prefectures.

Ichinohe · Iwate