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Iwate right now

2026/09/15

Festival · Iwate · Tohoku

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.

Morioka · 14–16 Sep 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

Kuji Autumn Festival

This over 650-year-old festival in a northern mountain town expresses gratitude for the harvest while praying for protection from disaster and the arrival of good fortune.

Kuji · 17–20 Sep 2026

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

Weather

Morioka18°
Hiraizumi19°
Ichinoseki18°
Takizawa18°
Tono18°

05:1617:44Morioka

Yen

1 US Dollar¥154.6
1 Euro¥178.6
1 Singapore Dollar¥121.7
1 Australian Dollar¥110.1

Reference rates · 2026/09/14

Quick poll

Hiraizumi

Morioka

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 2026Morioka · Iwate

Festival

Kuji Autumn Festival

This over 650-year-old festival in a northern mountain town expresses gratitude for the harvest while praying for protection from disaster and the arrival of good fortune.

17–20 Sep 2026Kuji · 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 2027Hiraizumi · 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 2027Ichinoseki · Iwate

Festival

Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival

Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival, held in June in Iwate Prefecture, honors working horses through decoration, reflecting the region's heritage as a center for horse breeding and agriculture.

14 Jun 2027Takizawa · 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 2027Hanamaki · Iwate

Historic Site

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 · Iwate

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

Temple

Chūson-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

Shrine

Morioka Hachimangū 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

Hōon-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

Shrine

Onikoshi Sozen Shrine

Shinto shrine dedicated to Sozen, an Edo-period samurai warrior, established in the early eighteenth century and surrounded by a serene garden.

Takizawa · 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

Temple

Mōtsū-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

Historic Site

Honedera Village Manor Ruins

Medieval estate remains spanning nearly 50 hectares, established to support a Buddhist temple's scripture repository and religious mission.

Ichinoseki · Iwate

Iwate right now

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