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Geonivora
Municipality

Iwaizumi-machi

Local name: 岩泉町

Located in Shimohei-gun, Iwate Coordinates: 39°51′00″ N 141°48′00″ E

Map showing the location of Iwaizumi-machi Iwaizumi-machi
Location in Japan
Population
10,555
10.6K
Elevation
111 m
above sea level
Local time
UTC+09:00
Asia/Tokyo · UTC+09:00
Places inside
1
listed under Iwaizumi-machi
When to go
May–September
See the climate
Airports
HNA Iwate Hanamaki Airport74 km
MSJ Misawa Airport / Misawa Air Base102 km

About Iwaizumi-machi

Iwaizumi-machi is a municipality. Location: Shimohei-gun, Iwate. Population: 10,555. Elevation: 111 m.

From Wikipedia

Iwaizumi (岩泉町, Iwaizumi-chō) is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. As of 29 February 2024, the town had a population of 8,006, and a population density of 8.1 persons per km2 in 4123 households. The total area of the town is 992.36 square kilometres (383.15 sq mi).

Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

Built
1922
Area
992 km²
Official website
town.iwaizumi.lg.jp

Source: Wikidata

Travel notes for Iwaizumi-machi

From Wikivoyage

Iwaizumi (岩泉) is in Iwate prefecture and is the largest town on Honshu — by land area, that is. It's well known for its clear spring water and caves across town.

Understand+

Iwaizumi Town covers a total area of 990 km², making it the largest town in mainland Japan. The Kitakami mountains extend to the west, while the Sanriku coast borders the town's eastern side. The town is blessed with an array of fascinating features, including a group of limestone caves, white birches' forests, and the Hayasaka Plateau.

Tourist information site:

The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.

Get in+

By train:

If you are on the Sanriku Coast, Sanriku Railway does have a station in the east edge of Iwaizumi Town. Omoto Station is 40 min away from Miyako (¥750 single). The town council operates shuttle bus service from Omoto into town via Ryusendo Cave (¥600 single) usually connect train arrival times.

By bus:

JR Tohoku Bus Co. operates a direct bus service (4 times daily) from Morioka Station to Ryusendo Cave via Iwaizumi Town Center. The journey takes 2 hr 10 min. Japan Rail Pass is accepted on this bus service.

Morioka Station - Ryusendo (via Iwaizumi), daily, ¥2590

From Morioka Station 09:40, 12:40, 14:40, 17:40

From Ryusendo 05:55, 08:55, 13:30, 16:00

The bus leaves from Morioka Eastside Bus Terminal, Bus Stop No.1. No toilet on the bus, but there's a break at the Mitakai SA along the way. All buses go via Iwaizumi Sanbonmatsu. (8 min before Ryusendo arrival).

By car:

Another option is to hire a rental car at Morioka station. Driving in this region is less stressful than in cities like Tokyo. National Road 455 is the shortest route from Morioka, passing through picturesque Gando-ko and Sotoyama lakes. Since the new tunnel through Hayasaka Plateau was completed, the journey time has been cut -- Morioka to Iwaizumi takes around 90 minutes. In the winter, driving times are often longer and conditions are often less safe.

Source: Wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 4.0 · abridged

Places bordering Iwaizumi-machi

  • Morioka
  • Miyako
  • Kuji
  • Fudai Mura
  • Kuzumaki Machi
  • Noda Mura

Twin towns and sister cities of Iwaizumi-machi

  • Wisconsin Dells· United States
  • Akishima· Japan

Source: Wikidata. Only places with a page on this site are shown.

Population of Iwaizumi-machi over time

Population of Iwaizumi-machi over time
2010 10,804
2015 9,841
2021 8,549

Censuses and official estimates; source: Wikidata.

Climate of Iwaizumi-machi

Best months for sightseeing

Best months for sightseeing: May–September.

This month · November

A cold month

Day 12° · Night 2° · Rain 78 mm

Hottest month
August (day 27°)
Coldest month
January (night -6°)
Wettest month
September (189 mm)
Driest month
January (51 mm)

Bars: average monthly low and high temperature. Below: precipitation. Monthly averages for 1970–2000 at about 18 km resolution, adjusted for elevation. Highlighted months are mild and relatively dry. Source: WorldClim 2.1 (CC BY 4.0).

Show values as a table
Climate of Iwaizumi-machi
Month JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high (°C)3°3°7°14°19°21°25°27°23°18°12°6°
Average low (°C)-6°-5°-2°4°9°13°18°19°15°8°2°-2°
Precipitation (mm)515982981051311611741891277858

Other places to visit in this season: May June July August September

How to get to Iwaizumi-machi

The nearest airport is Iwate Hanamaki Airport (HNA), 74 km to the southwest as the crow flies. The nearest large city is Morioka, 58 km to the west.

Airports

  • Iwate Hanamaki Airport (HNA) Hanamaki 74 kmsouthwest
  • Misawa Airport / Misawa Air Base (MSJ) Misawa 102 kmnorth
  • Odate Noshiro Airport (ONJ) Kitaakita 128 kmwest

Nearby large cities

  • Morioka Population: 290.7K 58 kmwest
  • Hachinohe Population: 239K 77 kmnorth
  • Ōshū Population: 112.9K 96 kmsouthwest
  • Ichinoseki Population: 114.5K 118 kmsouthwest
  • Hirosaki Population: 168.7K 140 kmnorthwest

Straight-line distances; road distances are longer. Airport data: OurAirports.

Day trips from Iwaizumi-machi

Within 100 km: 6 natural sites, 13 lakes, rivers and coasts.

25–60 km6 places

  • Kuji River River 39 kmN
  • Arata River River 52 kmNW
  • Miyako Bay Natural site 27 kmSE
  • Shizukuishi River River 59 kmW

60–100 km13 places

  • Oirase River River 88 kmN
  • Mabechi River River 79 kmN
  • Waga River River 87 kmSW
  • Kabu-jima Island 79 kmN

Straight-line distances.

Places in Iwaizumi-machi

1 place
  1. 1 Iwaizumi 9K

Bar: population relative to the most populous place in this list.

Sources & licences

Data last updated: · 2 independent sources