Destinations · 岩手県 · Tohoku
Iwate
Iwate (岩手県) is a prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan; its capital is Morioka (盛岡市).
Last checked · Sources
Iwate in numbers
In 2025 about 196,000 foreign visitors came to Iwate — 37th of the 47 prefectures. They spent an average of 54,000 yen each in the prefecture and stayed 2.4 nights there on average.
Foreign guests accounted for 8.1% of all guest nights booked in Iwate in 2025, up 16.4% on 2024 and +30.8% against 2019.
Visitors from Taiwan are the most likely to include Iwate in a trip (1.9% did in 2025), followed by Hong Kong (0.9%) and Singapore (0.6%).
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Foreign visitors in 2025 | 196,000 (rank 37 of 47) |
| Average spend per visitor in the prefecture | 54,000 yen |
| Total spend by foreign visitors | 10.6 billion yen |
| Average nights spent in the prefecture | 2.4 |
| Foreign guest nights in 2025 (hotels, ryokan and other lodging) | 449,750 |
| Share of all guest nights that were foreign | 8.1% |
| Foreign guest nights vs 2024 | +16.4% |
| Foreign guest nights vs 2019 | +30.8% |
| Share of surveyed visitors who went to Iwate | 0.5% |
| Nationalities most likely to visit | Taiwan 1.9%, Hong Kong 0.9%, Singapore 0.6% |
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan, 2025 annual (final), summary report (regional survey) (都道府県別 訪問者数・消費単価・旅行消費額・平均泊数（地域調査）). Period: 2025-01 to 2025-12. Unit: visitors_10k = 10,000 persons; spend_per_person_10k_yen = 10,000 yen; spend_100m_yen = 100 million yen; nights = average nights.
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Overnight Travel Statistics Survey, 2025 annual (final) (都道府県別 延べ宿泊者数（外国人・全体）、2024年・2019年は同調査の各年確定値). Period: 2025-01 to 2025-12. Unit: guest nights (person-nights).
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan, 2025 annual (final) (表6-1 都道府県別訪問率（全目的）). Period: 2025-01 to 2025-12. Unit: percent of respondents.
Climate in Iwate, month by month
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snowfall | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2°C (36°F) | -5°C (23°F) | 49 mm (1.9 in) | 63 cm | 116 |
| Feb | 3°C (38°F) | -5°C (23°F) | 48 mm (1.9 in) | 55 cm | 125 |
| Mar | 8°C (46°F) | -2°C (29°F) | 82 mm (3.2 in) | 39 cm | 158 |
| Apr | 14°C (58°F) | 3°C (38°F) | 85 mm (3.4 in) | 3 cm | 171 |
| May | 20°C (69°F) | 9°C (48°F) | 106 mm (4.2 in) | 0 cm | 188 |
| Jun | 24°C (75°F) | 14°C (58°F) | 109 mm (4.3 in) | 0 cm | 161 |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 19°C (66°F) | 198 mm (7.8 in) | 0 cm | 130 |
| Aug | 28°C (83°F) | 20°C (68°F) | 185 mm (7.3 in) | 0 cm | 145 |
| Sep | 24°C (76°F) | 15°C (59°F) | 152 mm (6.0 in) | 0 cm | 129 |
| Oct | 18°C (64°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 109 mm (4.3 in) | 0 cm | 141 |
| Nov | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (35°F) | 86 mm (3.4 in) | 6 cm | 118 |
| Dec | 4°C (40°F) | -2°C (28°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 44 cm | 104 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency, climatological normals (1991–2020) (station page). Snowfall is the monthly total of fresh snow.
Nearby prefectures
- Aomori Tohoku region · capital Aomori
- Akita Tohoku region · capital Akita
- Miyagi Tohoku region · capital Sendai
Sources
Official and primary sources used for this page. Checked October 8, 2026.
- Japan Tourism Agency, Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan, 2025 annual (final), summary report (regional survey) – 都道府県別 訪問者数・消費単価・旅行消費額・平均泊数（地域調査） — 2025-01 to 2025-12
- Japan Tourism Agency, Overnight Travel Statistics Survey, 2025 annual (final) – 都道府県別 延べ宿泊者数（外国人・全体）、2024年・2019年は同調査の各年確定値 — 2025-01 to 2025-12
- Japan Tourism Agency, Consumption Trend Survey for Foreigners Visiting Japan, 2025 annual (final) – 表6-1 都道府県別訪問率（全目的） — 2025-01 to 2025-12
- Japan Meteorological Agency, climatological normals (1991–2020) — monthly climatological normals 1991–2020
To cite or link to this page: Iwate — Japan Pocket Guide, https://japanpocketguide.com/prefectures/iwate/