Located in the northeastern corner of Japan’s Tohoku region, Iwate Prefecture is the country’s second-largest prefecture and also its least densely populated. Framed by Japan’s longest mountain range to the west and the rugged cliffs of the Sanriku Coast to the east, its dramatic landscape produces everything from premium beef to high-quality dairy products. However, Iwate is most famous for its legendary noodle culture. These famous foods you’ll find in Iwate showcase some of the prefecture’s most iconic flavors. 

1. Wanko Soba

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Few dining experiences in Japan feel as lively as wanko soba. Originating in Morioka, this unique meal sees servers rapidly refill small bowls of soba noodles until diners signal that they are finished. Although the experience feels playful and competitive, chefs carefully make the noodles using buckwheat flour and serve them with toppings like green onions, grated daikon and mushrooms. Many restaurants also display commemorative certificates for guests who eat more than 100 bowls, turning the meal into a memorable local tradition.

2. Morioka Reimen

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Morioka reimen is one of Iwate’s most famous noodle dishes, especially during the humid summer months. Restaurants serve chewy translucent noodles in a chilled beef-based broth topped with sliced cucumber, boiled egg and spicy kimchi. Many also add seasonal fruit such as watermelon or a pear, for extra sweetness and contrast. Taking inspiration from Korean cold noodles, Morioka reimen developed its own regional identity and is now considered one of Morioka’s signature dishes.

3. Maezawa Beef

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Maezawa beef is one of Japan’s most highly regarded wagyu brands. Farmers typically raise cattle for nearly three years, significantly longer than standard beef cattle. This extended rearing period helps develop the beef’s rich marbling, tender texture and deep umami flavor. Restaurants across Iwate serve it as yakiniku, steak or sukiyaki, while specialty butcher shops sell premium cuts that rival better-known brands like Kobe beef.

4. Morioka Jajamen

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Morioka jajamen is all about personal customization and has become one of Morioka’s most beloved comfort foods. The dish features thick, flat wheat noodles topped with rich meat miso, crisp cucumber, scallions and ginger. Diners mix everything together, then adjust the flavor to their liking with vinegar, garlic, or chili oil. Once most of the noodles are gone, diners crack a raw egg into the remaining sauce. Staff then add hot noodle broth to create chitantan, a light and comforting soup served as the final course. Originally inspired by the Chinese dish zhajiangmian, jajamen has evolved into a legendary local obsession you can’t leave Morioka without trying.

5. Koiwai Farm Dairy Products

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Founded in 1891 beneath Mount Iwate, Koiwai Farm produces some of Japan’s most celebrated dairy products. The farm supplies premium milk, drinkable yogurt and ice cream to supermarkets across the country. Visitors can tour the estate, sample fresh-churned butter and indulge in seasonal sweets.

Which of these famous foods you’ll find in Iwate do you want to try? Explore our Famous Foods in Japan series to discover what to try next!

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Located in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, just a short distance from the heavily crowded Kiyomizu-dera, Chishaku-in Temple offers a peaceful 60,000-square-meter escape. As the head temple of the Chisan School of Shingon Buddhism, it oversees roughly 3,000 branch temples in Japan. It began in the 13th century as a sub-temple of Negoro-ji in Wakayama Prefecture. In 1585, the warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi ordered the forceful destruction of Negoro-ji. Following this, Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa delegated the chief priest Genyu to reconstruct the temple in Kyoto in 1601. Today, Chishaku-in remains a prominent center of learning for monks and continues to foster education in the Chisan Senshu Gakuen within its complex.

Featured Buildings

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The temple grounds include numerous buildings, including the Daisho-in Hall, Kodo Lecture Hall, Kondo Main Hall, Myo-o Hall, Taishi-do Hall, Treasure Museum and accommodation facilities. 

The Daisho-in (Grand Drawing Room) which faces the exquisite traditional garden and pond, is an outstanding example of seamless, aesthetic shoin-zukuri architecture. The raised veranda, decorative woodwork delicately maintained tatami-mat rooms and gorgeous paintings in striking colors make a breathtaking sight. Designated as a National Treasure, the lavish kinpeki shoheki-ga (sliding screen paintings on a gold background) were painted in the late 16th century by Tohaku Hasegawa and his son Kyuzo. They depict vibrant scenes of cherry blossoms, hollyhocks, maple trees and snow-covered pine trees. The ostentatious art blends harmoniously with the sublime exterior landscape—a priceless setting that visitors purposely come to see.

Connected to the Daisho-in, the Kodo Lecture Hall features gentle black-ink paintings on the fusuma throughout its five rooms. Modern artist Toshio Tabuchi created them to interpret the four seasons. The masterpieces also include “Waterfall” (Important Cultural Property) from the Southern Song Dynasty and “Kannon on Lotus Petal,” presented to the temple by Shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa.

Chinese-inspired Garden

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Visitors sit inside the Daisho-in and gaze out at the celebrated strolling oasis, designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty. The respected tea master Sen no Rikyu greatly favored the landscape of Mount Lu in China. Consequently, in the 16th century, the temple built an artificial hill to represent the mountain’s rugged, mystical terrain. The pond mirrors the Yangtze River and extends beneath the hall verandas, creating the illusion that the building is afloat. Meticulously arranged rocks, stone water basins and a waterfall echo the motifs of old Chinese scroll paintings.

Hydrangea Garden

Visitors can wander along winding pathways full of beautiful hydrangeas in the garden behind the Kondo Hall. Pink, blue and purple blooms explode in early summer, while red plum blossoms emerge in spring.

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Every summer, the mountains of Wakayama host the Nachi Fire Festival (Nachi-no-Ogi Matsuri), one of Japan’s most awe-inspiring spiritual events. Held at Kumano Nachi Taisha, near the coastal town of Nachi-Katsuura, the festival transforms the shrine grounds into a spectacle of fire and devotion.

One of Japan’s three major fire festivals, this centuries-old Shinto ritual combines towering flames, sacred traditions and spectacular scenery, revealing the Kii Peninsula’s deep-rooted connection to nature worship.

Nachi Fire Festival

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The Nachi Fire Festival marks the annual grand festival (Reitaisai) of Kumano Nachi Taisha, the head shrine that stands before Nachi Falls. In Shinto belief, water is the source of all creation. Here, worshippers revere the 133-meter waterfall as a living embodiment of the divine.

According to legend, Emperor Jimmu was the first to recognize the waterfall’s sacred nature. Later, in 317 CE, a permanent shrine pavilion was built halfway up Mount Nachi. The modern Ogi Matsuri commemorates this founding. During the ritual, the 12 deities of Kumano are temporarily returned to Hiro Shrine. At the base of the falls, prayers are offered for renewal, abundant harvests and the well-being of the local community.

Kumano Nachi Taisha is one of the three sacred shrines that make up the Kumano Sanzan. Visitors from across Japan and around the world come to experience this UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage destination, drawn by its spiritual significance, historic walking trails and iconic waterfall views.

Festival Activities

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The festival begins with the Nachi Dengaku dance, a sacred performance dating back to 1403. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, the rhythmic dance honors local deities before the main purification ritual. Only those who practice the Dengaku tradition can handle the sacred objects used throughout the ceremony.

The day’s most dramatic spectacle features twelve colossal flaming pine torches (O-taimatsu). Crafted from cypress, each weighs up to 50 kilograms. The torches, carried by men in white robes, descend the shrine’s ancient stone steps. Their intense heat and shower of embers purify the route for the Ogi Mikoshi, both physically and spiritually.

The portable shrines have bronze mirrors, cedar ornaments and folding fans with crimson sun discs. Their distinctive vertical design evokes the cascading waters of Nachi Falls. Against the backdrop of roaring flames, the procession is one of Japan’s most exhilarating expressions of Shinto tradition.

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Every July 13 to 16, thousands of glowing lanterns illuminate the grounds of Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine for the Mitama Festival. Established in 1947 in the aftermath of World War II, this is one of the city’s largest Obon celebrations, a traditional period when Japanese families honor the spirits of their ancestors. Derived from the Japanese word mitama (honored spirit or soul), the festival blends solemn religious remembrance with the energetic atmosphere of a summer matsuri (festival).

Mitama Festival

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Founded in 1869, Yasukuni Shrine commemorates over 2.4 million people who died in service to Japan, primarily during World War II.

As all of Japan’s war dead (including convicted war criminals) are enshrined here, the location remains one of the most politically sensitive and controversial sites in East Asia. Consequently, the festival exists in a unique cultural space: a site of deep national mourning and geopolitical tension, yet also a joyous community gathering that draws thousands of visitors.

The festival’s defining feature is its visual tribute to the deceased. More than 30,000 yellow lanterns line the shrine’s massive approach, acting as symbolic beacons to guide the spirits back to the living world. While citizens and local businesses donate the smaller lanterns, public figures, celebrities and athletes contribute larger lanterns adorned with custom artwork and calligraphy. Although events take place throughout the day, most visitors arrive after sunset to see the shrine grounds illuminated by thousands of lanterns. 

Festival Activities

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The Mitama Festival combines religious observances with many of the traditions associated with a Japanese summer matsuri. While ceremonies take place inside the shrine, the grounds are full of food stalls, folk dancing and cultural performances.

Each evening, Shinto priests conduct ceremonies at the main sanctuary to honor the enshrined spirits. Outside, visitors can browse rows of yatai (festival food stalls), watch performances and join Bon Odori dances.

On the first day, a Nebuta float from Aomori Prefecture (associated with the Nebuta Festival) appears alongside an Awa Odori dance procession from Tokushima. The second day of the festival features traditional performances on the outdoor Noh stage, followed by a mikoshi (portable shrine) procession through the grounds. Finally, the festival concludes with a Kagura performance, a sacred Shinto dance featuring stories drawn from Japanese mythology.