岩手県 (Iwate)
Flag
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Flag
Not available
Prefecture
Iwate (岩手県, Iwate-ken) flies a deep teal flag bearing a white crest (県章, kenshō): the kanji character 岩 (iwa, “rock,” the first character of the prefecture’s name) stylised into an angular, diamond-tipped shape and mirrored top-to-bottom. Chosen by public competition to mark the completion of the new prefectural office, the crest was adopted in 1964 and the flag followed in 1965.
| Prefecture | Iwate (岩手県, Iwate-ken) |
|---|---|
| Type | Ken (県) — ordinary prefecture |
| Region | Tōhoku, northern Honshu |
| Capital | Morioka |
| Established | 1871 as Morioka Prefecture (haihan-chiken); renamed Iwate Prefecture 1872; present boundaries settled 1876 |
| Crest (kenshō) | Stylised, vertically mirrored kanji 岩 (iwa), white on teal; adopted 10 November 1964 |
| Flag | Instituted 6 March 1965, crest in white on a deep teal field |
| Official tree | Nanbu red pine (Pinus densiflora), designated 1966 |
| Official flower | Paulownia (kiri), designated 1955 |
| Official bird | Green pheasant (kiji), chosen 1964 |
Flag of Iwate — Deep teal field, white mirrored 岩 (iwa) crest, adopted 1964–65
The flag of Iwate is a deep teal (blue-green) field bearing the prefecture’s white crest (県章, kenshō): an angular, diamond-tipped emblem built from the kanji 岩 (iwa, meaning “rock”), the opening character of “Iwate.” The character has been stylised and arranged so that it is symmetrical top-to-bottom — the lower half mirrors the upper half exactly across a horizontal axis through the centre of the design.
In the early 1960s, Iwate Prefecture held a public design competition to create a new emblem, timed to coincide with the completion of the prefecture’s new office building in Morioka. The winning design was formally adopted on 10 November 1964 (Prefectural Announcement No. 1083). A dedicated prefectural flag bearing the crest in white on the teal field followed several months later, on 6 March 1965.
The Iwate prefectural government describes the design as expressing a wish for the prefecture’s steady, balanced advancement toward a rich and livable community — the symmetry of the mirrored kanji standing for that sense of balance and stability, while the character itself roots the emblem directly in the prefecture’s own name.
Before the Meiji Restoration, the territory of present-day Iwate belonged to Mutsu Province and was largely controlled by the Nanbu clan, daimyo of Morioka Domain (also called Nanbu Domain), with the southern portion held by smaller domains such as Ichinoseki. Following the abolition of the domains (haihan-chiken) in 1871, the former Morioka Domain became Morioka Prefecture, which was renamed Iwate Prefecture in January 1872. Subsequent mergers and boundary adjustments among neighbouring former-domain prefectures continued through the 1870s, with Iwate’s present-day borders essentially settled by 1876.
A deep teal field with a white crest: the kanji 岩 (iwa, “rock”) stylised and mirrored vertically, so the design reads the same reflected top-to-bottom.
The crest was adopted on 10 November 1964 (Prefectural Announcement No. 1083), the winner of a public design competition held to mark the completion of the new prefectural office. The flag itself was instituted on 6 March 1965.
The prefectural government describes it as turning the kanji for “rock” into a symmetrical, balanced emblem, expressing the hope for steady progress toward a rich and livable community — while directly referencing the prefecture’s own name.
The Nanbu red pine (designated 1966), the paulownia (kiri, prized locally for its lustrous timber and designated in 1955), and the green pheasant (kiji, chosen by public nomination in 1964).
Last reviewed by the Emblema Mundi editorial team on 2026-07-04.