VOLUME 3
IWATE
Hiraizumi Golden Hall, Geibikei Gorge & Nanbu Ironware
Iwate occupies the northeast shoulder of Honshu, the second-largest prefecture by land area, a rectangle pinned between two ranges and the open Pacific. The Ou Mountains form its western spine. The Kitakami highlands rise to the east, falling away into the Sanriku rias coast, where the sea has cut a long row of inlets into the headlands. Between the two, the Kitakami River runs the prefecture south through farmland and old castle towns. Move down that geography and the stops accumulate. On the coast: the white rhyolite combs of Jodogahama, the two-hundred-metre cliffs of Kitayamazaki, the lone Miracle Pine at Rikuzentakata, baskets of Sanriku uni hauled from cold water. Inland and uphill: the limestone pool of Ryusendo, the boatman poling through Geibikei gorge, the gilded Konjikido at Hiraizumi keeping its twelfth-century quiet. In the central valleys: the magariya farmhouses and kappa pools of Tono, Hayachine kagura masks, the Ishiwarizakura cherry that split a granite boulder outside Morioka District Court. Above it all, Mt. Iwate holds its symmetrical shape over the capital. Forty pages here. The route is coast to mountain by way of river and farmhouse: Nanbu tetsubin on the brazier, wanko soba waiting under its lid, chagu-chagu horses in their bells, snow settling on Morioka rooftops. The line that holds it together is north, cold, and deliberate.
“North, cold, and patient, one page at a time.”
- 40 original Iwate Prefecture illustrations
- Single-sided pages to prevent bleed-through
- 8.5 x 8.5 inch square format
- A mix of detailed and breathable compositions
- Brief editorial introduction to Iwate
- Anyone with an interest in Japan, its culture, and its northern landscapes
- Adults who use coloring for relaxation and quiet focus
- A considered gift for friends and family with a love of Japan
The Iwate coloring book is Volume 3 of Sora Mikami's Prefectures of Japan series, a 47-volume collection that explores Japan one prefecture at a time. It gathers 40 original black-line illustrations of Iwate. It draws on Hiraizumi Golden Hall, Geibikei Gorge, and Nanbu Ironware, alongside the everyday scenes Iwate considers its own.
You will find Hiraizumi Golden Hall, Geibikei Gorge, and Nanbu Ironware, together with the landmarks, food, and quiet corners that give Iwate its character. The compositions move between detailed, intricate pages and calmer, more breathable ones, so there is something for every mood.
Yes. The book mixes detailed illustrations with more open, breathable designs, so beginners and experienced colorists alike can settle in. The large 8.5 x 8.5 inch square pages give you plenty of room to work, and every page is printed single-sided.
Colored pencils, markers, and gel pens all work beautifully. Because every illustration is printed single-sided on white paper, you can use heavier media without bleed-through onto another design. Slip a sheet of card behind the page if you want to be sure.
It is Volume 3 of a planned 47, one book for every Japanese prefecture. The volumes can be coloured in any order, and together they sketch the whole country one place at a time. Iwate sits in the Tohoku region of Japan.
