Rock On Iwate - Iwate PR and Communications in English

19/03/2025

On February 26, 2025, a wildfire began spreading in the city of Ōfunato, in southeast Iwate Prefecture. By March 5, the wildfire had grown to over 2,900 hectares (29 sq km, 11 sq mi) and became Japan’s worst wildfire in 50 years . The total area burned is roughly one half of the area encompassed by the Yamanote line in Tokyo.

On the evening of March 9, the Ōfunato wildfire was declared to be “suppressed,” and all evacuation orders were lifted by the next day, but ultimately 210 buildings suffered damages, of which 76 homes were destroyed and an additional 26 were damaged. As for the victims, there was 1 death and a total of 4596 people, or 14% of the city’s population, forced to evacuate. As of March 17, there are still 194 evacuees who cannot return home.

The city of Ōfunato is currently still accepting donations to help rebuild from the destruction caused by the wildfire, so please donate if you have the means to do so. Please check the link below for details on how to donate.

https://www.city.ofunato.iwate.jp/site/rinyakasai/36822.html

Note: The website is mostly in Japanese, but bank transfer details are also listed in English.

11/03/2025

March 11 marks 14 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami struck the Tohoku region. It was a catastrophic natural disaster that caused the deaths of 5,146 people with an additional 1,107 people missing (last updated February 28th, 2025) in Iwate Prefecture.

Iwate Prefecture observes “Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Remembrance Day” on March 11 to honor and mourn the many precious lives lost to the disaster, as well as pass down its lessons to the next generation.

The pictures below are from the Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum and the area around it in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. This museum which opened in September 2019 aims to have visitors learn from the wisdom of their ancestors, share the facts and lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami with people around the world, and work together to build a society resilient to natural disasters.

05/03/2025

Japan’s worst wildfire in 50 years is spreading in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture. If you are able to, please give to support families who have lost their homes and vehicles. Please check the original post and link below for details on how to donate.

Note: The website is mostly in Japanese, but bank transfer details are also listed in English.

日本語情報：https://www.city.ofunato.iwate.jp/site/rinyakasai/36822.html

Due to the record breaking wildfires currently ongoing in Ofunato City, both the city and the people are accepting donations to assist with disaster relief aid and recovery efforts. If possible, complete the following information in Japanese, but if your bank does not allow Japanese characters, English will also work.

Bank Name: 岩手銀行　大船渡支店/The Bank of Iwate, Ltd., Ofunato Branch Office
Account Type: 普通預金/Normal Account
Account Name: 大船渡市災害義援金（林野火災）/Ofunato City Disaster Relief Fund (Forest Fire)
Furigana (for Japanese bank transfers): オオフナトシサイガイギエンキン（リンヤカサイ）
Account Number: 2122172

For donations meant to directly assist those affected by the disaster, add a ギ/"Gi" followed by a space to the start of your name when making the bank transfer.
For donations meant to assist with recovery efforts (i.e. rebuilding, relocating, etc.), add a ミ/"Mi" followed by a space to the start of your name when making the bank transfer.

There might be associated costs with the bank transfer depending on your bank, such as transfer fees or international wire costs. We kindly thank anybody who can help us out with the disaster relief and recovery efforts!

#岩手 #大船渡 #岩手県

03/03/2025

Continuing with the trail angel series🚶🚶‍♂️⛰, today we’d like to introduce Nanami Takahashi, the owner of Patisserie Fierte in Tanohata!

Patisserie Fierte is Tanohata’s first pastry shop🍰🍪🥧, and Ms. Takahashi started it after studying in Kanto because she wanted to take advantage of her village’s high quality dairy products🐄🐐. She is also active as a tsunami storyteller, and shares her experience surviving the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami while passing down its lessons to future generations.

Tanohata is a coastal village in Iwate Prefecture that lies upon the 1000+ km Michinoku Coastal Trail. The route from Tanohata to Fudai, the village directly north of Tanohata, boasts some of the most exciting views on the entire trail, such as the Kitayamazaki cliffs and hand-dug tunnels.

Ms. Takahashi’s husband, Nanao Takahashi, is running a bed and breakfast on the 2nd floor🏠, and stated that he’s keeping prices reasonable so that hikers have more money to spend on meals and activities. While hiking this majestic section of the Michinoku Coastal Trail🌊, feel free to stop by Patisserie Fierte or stay the night to rest🙂!

Link to full interview with Nanami Takahashi
https://www.pref.iwate.jp/engan/miya_chiiki/1014023/1078292/1079142.html

28/02/2025

At this Morioka Mini Museum🏛, you can learn more about a traditional craft and profession that has been passed down for over 1000 years: sword polishing✨.

Once you step into Director Abe Yoshisada’s studio, you’ll immediately notice the traditional Japanese swords and panels on display🗡. After taking a seat at the table, the museum visit begins with a short lecture using the panels to explain the process of sword polishing🧐.

Upon request, you can also learn how to handle and view Japanese swords through a hands-on experience and lecture🗣📚! Discover the different types of “hamon” (temper blade pattern), “hada” (steel grain) and more.
Reservations are required but admission is free, so come and visit if you’re into Japanese swords🤗!

📍Tōken Tessai (刀剣・徹斎)　 19-2-4 Nishi-mirumae, Morioka

19/02/2025

Welcome to Iwate’s newest baseball stadium⚾️: KITAGIN Ballpark, located in Morioka!
The stadium boasts over 20,000 spectator seats💺, and the grounds are fully covered in artificial grass.

But the fun doesn’t stop there! The ballpark has facilities for everyone to enjoy, even if you don’t play baseball! For kids, there’s an outdoor playground built to resemble a baseball field, and an indoor climbing wall🤗.

As you can see in the pictures, the stadium itself is currently not in use due to the snow, but there are multiple all-weather indoor practice areas for not just baseball, but soccer⚽️ and golf⛳️ and more, as well as running courses, and a gym! There’s even a gallery honoring famous players from Iwate and displaying the prefecture’s history with baseball.

Due to its size, KITAGIN Ballpark is also used for local events year-round! It’s also leading in accessibility, with 100 wheelchair-accessible seats throughout the stadium. Everyone is welcome to come watch, train, play, or hang out!

14/02/2025

It’s time to deliver the info we gathered from our all-exclusive interview 🎤😁with the King of Chicken ( )! Here’s what we learned:

🐓　Inspiration struck in 2019 when his village, Kunohe, was recognized as the nation’s third largest producer of chicken. With the idea of promoting Kunohe as a chicken “kingdom,” and the association of kingdoms with ancient Egypt, the King of Chicken was born as an Egyptian-style illustration of a man with the head of a chicken.
🐓　Ofchiki(オブチキ) gained popularity by putting up a bunch of posters around town.
🐓　With the philosophy to “create things that have never been done before,” currently over 250 different types of merch have been produced!
🐓　His fan club “KEIOU University” has over 200 members, with some as far as Fukuoka, ~1700 km away!
🐓　Ofchiki is a self-taught saxophonist and plans to focus on his band The Torifters this year, with more live concerts and a 2nd album.

And now, a special message from Ofchiki-san to his overseas fans!
👑🐔: “We’re a small village of 5,000 people, but I’ll keep working eggs-tra hard to deliver our power to the world!”

Ofchiki is performing with The Torifters on 3/8 (Sat.) and solo on 3/9 (Sun) at BeOneBox ( https://beonebox.jp/in Morioka city, so come by and see him in action!

#

11/02/2025

He’s got the body of a man, and the head of…a chicken🐓🐓?!

It’s the King of Chicken👑, the unofficial mascot of Kunohe in northern Iwate! Often referred to by his nickname Ofchiki (オブチキ), he’s the definition of a jack-of-all-trades: he’s leading a band called The Torifters (ザ・トリフターズ)🐓🎸🎹🥁, makes frequent media appearances, creates original merchandise, directs art projects, participates in collaborations with people and businesses within and outside of Kunohe, and more!

Speaking of original merchandise, he’s got T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, plushies, keychains, and all sorts of goodies for sale😁! You’ll be sure to find some wherever you go in Kunohe and all throughout Iwate as well.

Fun fact: As mentioned earlier, Ofchiki is an unofficial mascot- he once tried to enter an official mascot contest but was disqualified due to his costume not covering his whole body🐓🕺💃!

If you’ve read this far, stay tuned for the next post! We were able to get an all-exclusive interview with the King himself🎤, so please look forward to learning even more about him next time▶️!

06/02/2025

The Tohoku Highway Bus Ticket 🚍is a customizable bus pass that allows for unlimited travel by express buses in the Tohoku area at a discount🤗. Passes cover 2-3 days depending on the type, and consecutive days of usage are not required.

Some popular routes that go through Iwate include Morioka to coastal cities like Ofunato, Miyako, and Kuji🌊🌊🌊, which have direct access to the Michinoku Coastal Trail. Other routes include Sendai to Ichinoseki, Hiraizumi, and Kamaishi.

Starting at only ￥9,000 for two days in northern Tohoku, why not take advantage of this deal to explore all the less-traveled areas of Iwate🗺?

For reservations, details, and further information, please check the website below. https://japanbuslines.com/en/thbt/

28/01/2025

This shop in Morioka began as a vocational center to support the livelihoods of women who lost their husbands in World War 2, and was formally established as Michinoku Akanekai in 1962, in order to sell their homespun wool products🧶🧵. Of course, in both production and management, only women have been employed in 60+ years of operation😊!
The process to transform raw wool into beautiful, carefully made scarves and hats is a thorough and laborious one. After choosing the type of raw woo🐑l, it is dyed, unraveled by hand, then sent through a carding machine to join the wool’s fibers and mix colors🎨. The wool is hand-spun to ensure a uniform thread, which is arranged on the loom and woven. Finally, the cloth is meticulously hand-checked for any errors or knots, then washed gently in warm water to bring out the texture of the fibers!

As the cold winter continues here in Iwate, it’s important to bundle up and keep warm☺️!
Michinoku Akanekai also has an online shop if you’re interested in their homespun wool and want to support them:

https://michinoku-akanekai.stores.jp/

22/01/2025

We’re back in Kuzumaki, the town of milk🥛, wine🍷, and clean energy🌿!

This time, we’re going to be taking a look at the milk🐄!
The high-quality cream top milk is produced by Holstein cows grazing on the Kuzumaki Highlands, and is about as close as you can get to milk in its natural state🤗. Other dairy products include cheese, yogurt, and pudding, all carefully crafted for maximum yum😋.

Their delicious dairy is also used in many of the local specialties, with one example being the Kuzumaki hotpot served at the Kuzumaki Exchange Center Plateau restaurant 🍴🥂within the highland farm🐮. It features local meat, produce, and noodles simmering in a roasted miso and milk broth to create a rich and mellow flavor. Plateau also serves a variety of other dishes using Kuzumaki’s dairy, like hamburg steak🍴 with mozzarella and different types of pizzas🍕!

If you’re interested in Kuzumaki’s milk (or other dairy products), you can order them directly from the farm using the link below🛍🛒.

https://shop.kuzumaki.jp/

20/01/2025

Welcome to Kuzumaki, the town of milk🥛🐄, wine🍷, and clean energy⚡️! This town in central Iwate has a lot going on, and today we’re going to take a look at how they’re generating clean energy🌿.

Kuzumaki features a large-scale wind farm on the Kamisodegawa Highlands, where cows leisurely graze on the grass alongside large windmills. The energy generated is enough to power 50,000 households🏘🏘🏘! The view of Mt. Iwate and other mountains from the highlands is also spectacular.

In addition, there’s also a biogas facility that converts livestock waste and household raw garbage into heat, electricity, and organic fertilizer. The red tank pictured below ferments the methane gas, which is then held in the white spherical tank to be sent to the generator to produce heat and electricity, some of which is used to continue powering the facility🤗.

The biomass facility (orange building below) was designed to turn wood into heat and electricity, and is now used as a field trip site after it concluded operations. This facility was created to reduce waste, as 80% of Kuzumaki’s lumber goes unused. The process begins with the wood🌲 being broken down and dried into woodchips, moved by that giant yellow claw, then processed with various machinery.

Other clean energy initiatives include Kuzumaki Junior High School’s solar panel facility, which generates electricity for the school during the daytime🏫. While you’re enjoying Kuzumaki cheese and wine, be sure to appreciate the clean energy behind it all😌!

01/01/2025

🎊🎊Happy New Year! 明けましておめでとうございます🥳！
What are your New Year’s resolutions?

✨Welcome to 2025, the Year of the Snake! 🐍 We promissssse to keep delivering content from all over Iwate this year as well so that you get a taste of what life here is all about.

To celebrate the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, ✨illuminations✨ are happening throughout Iwate! Here’s a quick look at a couple in Morioka. Most of them last until February, so please come and see them at night if you have the chance😊!

Pictures:　Malios building and Sakana-cho

#2025

28/12/2024

On the rainy morning of December 3rd, 6 skilled workers 💪gave Morioka’s famous “Rock-Splitting Cherry Tree🌸” a new look 🤩🤩in preparation for Iwate’s long and snowy winter☃❄, with news reporters and other residents in attendance. The workers wrapped its 1.5 meter wide trunk in a straw mat and climbed up to 13 meters high to attach supporting ropes to its branches📿, all to ensure that this 400+ year old tree makes it safely to another spring🤲.

This is called “yuki-gakoi” (雪囲い) in Japanese, and it protects trees’ branches from collapsing below the weight of the piling snow❄ and prevents them from freezing❤️. Other trees around Morioka and Iwate have received this same treatment🌸🌳🌲🌸, so take a look around to see how they’re dressed up too next time you’re out and about!

With that being said, thank you for another wonderful year🥳🎉! As it continues to get colder, make sure to bundle up just like the Rock-Splitting Cherry Tree😊, and we wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season from Iwate💫🎊. See you next year🎊!

26/12/2024

Tired of the crowds every time you visit a temple or shrine in Japan🤨?
Here’s a peaceful and pristine temple slightly off the beaten path 😊in Kunohe, in northern Iwate.

Chōkōji Temple is said to have been constructed in 1504 👨‍🏫for the Kunohe family, and was used to honor many generations over the years. Once you enter the temple, a statue of the Sho-Kannon is visible at the back of the hall. This statue is estimated to have been created in the 1300s‼️, and there are no equivalent works throughout the entire prefecture🏆.

The temple is beautiful no matter which season you visit in: cherry blossoms bloom around it in spring🌸🌸, the large gingko tree near 🍂the entrance turns a magnificent yellow in the fall, and the white snow draws attention to the temple’s color in the winter❄️.

22/12/2024

This humble roadside station🛣 in Hachimantai has a lot going on🤩!
Even before you enter the building, there’s a beautiful view of Mt. Iwate🗻 from the parking lot, and a photo stand where you can snap a picture📸 with Iwate’s wacky mascots. There’s also a Pokémon Manhole Cover featuring Amaura and Geodude playing in Hachimantai’s pristine winter🌬☃️!

Once you enter inside, you’ll be greeted by a wide array of local products🍎🧅🍏, souvenirs🛒, produce, and more🛍, all for a very reasonable price! Also… lots of spinach🥬🥬🥬, which is widely cultivated in Hachimantai thanks to its cool, breezy summer. There’s spinach ramen, curry, noodles, dumplings, rice, and even spinach soft serve🍦🟢, all of which you can only get here!

#

16/12/2024

It may be cold in Iwate, but there’s one spot that’s always steaming hot♨️😄!

That’s right, it’s the Matsuo-Hachimantai Geothermal Power Plant🏭🏗🌋, showing exactly why Iwate is at the forefront of geothermal energy utilization in Japan. It began operations in 2019 and is the newest geothermal plant in the country💪, producing enough energy to power every household in the city of Hachimantai and more🗾🗺.

The color of the terminal’s exterior matches with the surrounding buildings to create a sense of unity🏗, and is intentionally placed lower than the roads to make it seem shorter and smaller. It also causes no harm to the park and wildlife nearby⛺🗻🏞, leading to man, machine, and nature existing in peaceful harmony😊.

https://www.ig-power.co.jp/about/

08/12/2024

Just a short walk up from the Mt. Iwate Yakehashiri lava flows🌋, you’ll find the Yakehashiri International Exchange Village⛺️🏡🌄♨️, offering a variety of services for any type of traveler.

If you just need a quick and tasty meal😋🥢🍴, the restaurant inside is serving up classic dishes making full use of local ingredients. You can try ramen 🍥🍜with famous Hachimantai mushrooms and karaage encased in bamboo charcoal that mimics 😁the volcanic rocks found at the lava flows!

If you have more time to spare, you can relax at their sauna and bathhouse🧖💆‍♂️, and if you’re staying for even longer, they have cottages and an open camping area⛺️! There’s also an observatory complete with a telescope for those interested in stargazing⭐️🪐 at night.