Scenic areas of Ihatov


The Scenic areas of Ihatov is a cluster of landmarks in Iwate Prefecture, Japan connected with the writings of Meiji period author Kenji Miyazawa in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. These locations were collectively designated a Place of Scenic Beauty in 2005.

Overview

Ihatov is a quasi-Esperanto name of a fictional land derived from the word "Iwate" as a toponym created by author Kenji Miyazawa. In the author’s works Ihatov is a utopia which ranges from small islands in vast oceans and includes deserts and continents; however, it shares a number of things on common with Iwate, including a tendency towards natural disasters, and a resilient population.
The Place of Scenic Beauty designation spanned six locations in the municipalities of Hanamaki, Ōshū, Shizukuishi, Sumita, Hanamaki Tōno and Takizawa, to which a seventh location was added in 2006. Each of the locations appears in one or more of Miyazawa's poems.
  1. Kurakakeyama or Mount Kurakake, Takizawa
  2. Nanatsumori or Nanatsu Forest, Shizukuishi
  3. Oi no Mori or Oi Forest, Shizukuishi
  4. Kamabuchi no Taki or Kamabuchi Falls, Hanamaki
  5. Gorin Tōge or Gorin Pass, Hanamaki, Tōno, Ōshū
  6. Taneyamagahara or Taneyama Plains, Ōshū, Sumida
  7. Igirisu Kaigan or England Coast, Hanamaki