Flag of Iwate

What the flag looks like

A white emblem on a dark blue-green field: the kanji 岩 (iwa, "rock") drawn symmetrically top to bottom and side to side.

What it means

The character 岩 begins the prefecture's name, drawn to show a prefecture leaping forward.

How to remember it

Iwate's white emblem is the kanji 岩 (iwa, "rock"), squared off so it reads the same upside down and in a mirror.

Fun facts

• Iwate is the second-largest prefecture after Hokkaido.
• Hiraizumi, once the seat of the Northern Fujiwara clan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Iwate at a glance

Type

Prefecture (ken)

Island

Honshū

Capital

Morioka

Region

Tōhoku

Population

1.1 million

Area

15,275 km²

Languages

Japanese

Currency

Japanese yen (¥)

Flag adopted

1965