Iwate

a prefecture in Japan, on the eastern coast of the island of Honshu. Area, 15,300 sq km. Mountains and hills cover most of the surface. Coastal lowlands make up 6 percent of the territory. Population, 1. 4 million (1971); 50 percent urban. The administrative center is Morioka.

Manufacturing, the predominant industry in Iwate, accounts for 55. 7 percent of the prefecture’s gross product. The principal manufacturing industries are metallurgy, food processing, and woodworking. Gold is mined at the Rokuromi deposit, which is located north of Kamaishi. Pyrites and iron ore are also mined. More than half of Japan’s iron ore is mined here—554,000 tons. Rice (445,000 tons, 1967) and fruits (primarily apples) are grown in Iwate. There are 124,000 head of cattle. The prefecture ranks first in Japan in the gathering of “wakame” seaweed and second in the catching of trout. The people are also engaged in forest trades, including the production of charcoal.