Iwate, Iwate

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Iwate-machi (岩手町) is a town located in Iwate District, Iwate, Japan, 40° latitude.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 18,264 and a density of 46.36 persons per km². The total area is 360.55 km².

Built at the source of the kitakami river (北上川), the town was founded in 1960, when the four villages of Numakunai (沼宮内), Kawaguchi(川口), (御堂) and (一方井) merged. Found on Route 4, the main highway of northern Japan, Iwate machi is famous for its blueberry production. A local farmers' market square produces blueberry ice cream, and is a wonderful place to laze away a summer's day.

The town is also home to the internationally renowned stone sculpture museum. Since 1973, there has been an annual stone sculpture contest, with the winner being added to the display outside the town hall. The sports center boasts an astroturf pitch which, laid in 1993, was the first in the prefecture. The success of the town's hockey club dates back to 1970, and since then both the town and high school have a constantly strong team. The high school always places highly in the all-Japan inter-high championships.

Its station on the Tohoku Shinkansen, built in 2003, is one of the least used stations in all of Japan.^{[citation needed]}