Culture The Hanamaki Festival 2025 Early - Mid Sep The Hanamaki festival is held on the second Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of September each year. It features drum and shamisen playing..
Culture Iwate Snow Festival 2026 Early - Mid Feb The Iwate Snow Festival is held at the Makiba area in Koiwai Farm every February, and known as one of Tohoku's 5 Great Snow..
Culture The Genuine ‘Nanbu Tekki’ Kettle Scott Brause Nanbu Tekki is the name of traditional Iwate cast ironware. Genuine cast iron cookware from this region of Japan is born of a 900-year..
Culture Seaweed and Sightseeing in Iwate Veronica Carnevale Iwate is Japan’s second largest prefecture area-wise and is located in the country’s northeastern Tohoku region. In this massi..
Festivals Hanamaki Souminsai 2026 Friday - Jan 2nd The Hanamaki Souminsai is held every year on January 2nd at the Koshio shrine on Mount Koshio.
Historical Kappa Monster Hunting in Tono Justin Velgus Kappa monsters can supposedly be found over Japan, but there is one place where they said to be so common they are immortalized..
Culture Kokusekiji Sominsai in Oshuu 2026 Mid Feb A winter water purification ceremony, participants strip down to only a loin cloth. Next they face several challenges to show bravery..
Museums Tono: Legends and Landscapes Imogen Riethmuller The city of Tono in Iwate is the place to go to experience traditional Japanese culture, complete with a wealth of folklore and..
