Iwate

Iwate is located in the center of the Tohoku region and has a vast area equivalent to Shikoku. The inland area is surrounded by the Kitakami Highlands and the Ou Mountains, becoming a severe cold zone where the minimum temperature in winter drops below -10 degrees Celsius, while in summer there is a large temperature difference between day and night, creating favorable conditions for crops to accumulate sugar. In the alluvial land of the Kitakami Basin formed by the Kitakami River, rice farming is central, and paddy field areas spread around Ichinoseki, Oshu, and Hanamaki cities. The Sanriku coast utilizes the ria coastline topography, which is one of the world's three major fishing grounds, and aquaculture such as wakame (seaweed), kelp, oysters, and abalone is active, particularly with wakame production ranked 2nd nationally. Livestock accounts for about 65% of Iwate's total agricultural output, and it is also a production area for Iwate Tankaku Wagyu (beef) and Nanbu horses known from the Nanbu Ushioi Uta (cow-herding song). The Maesawa area of Oshu City utilizes high-quality feed and a clear water system to establish the Maesawa beef brand. In vegetables, Green Pepper production is among the highest in the country, and Iwate's overall shipment volume ranks high nationally. Complex agriculture created by elevation differences and diverse topography characterizes Iwate's agriculture.

Source: MAFF Crop Statistics (Reiwa 5 / 2023), JMA historical weather data

If Iwate's agriculture were to be expressed in a single phrase, it would be close to 'vertical agriculture'. From the Sanriku coast at almost 0 meters above sea level to the Ou Mountains exceeding 1000 meters, elevation differences separate the industries. On the coast, fishing and aquaculture are the mainstays; in the intermediate and mountainous areas, livestock and dairy farming spread; and in the Kitakami Basin, paddy rice and vegetables are developed. This vertical division of labor makes the entire prefecture a multi-layered food production zone that does not rely on a single agricultural product. Because the population is dispersed over a vast area, a strategy of creating added value by accumulating regional brands rather than economies of scale has been adopted in each production area. The parallel existence of multiple livestock brands such as Maesawa beef, Iwate Tankaku Wagyu (beef), and Nanbu Jidori (local chicken) is the result of differences in rearing culture by region being put forward as individuality. The Sanriku coast suffered devastating damage in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, but the wakame (seaweed), kelp, and oyster aquaculture industries have recovered through cooperation among production areas and consumer support, and many products have now restored production scales exceeding those before the earthquake.