Madogawa › Mount Iwate: on the left or the right, facing the direction of travel (Tohoku Shinkansen)
Mount Iwate: on the left or the right, facing the direction of travel (Tohoku Shinkansen)
Last updated: 17 Oct 2026
Mount Iwate on the Tohoku Shinkansen: toward Shin-Aomori, mostly on your LEFT (facing forward), on your RIGHT (facing forward) in places [Seen]; toward Tokyo, mostly on your RIGHT (facing forward), on your LEFT (facing forward) in places [Line of sight only] (calculated).
On the Tohoku Shinkansen, it lies about 14 km northwest of the track near Morioka Station. Its elevation is 2,038 m (the mountain elevation published by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, GSI), and the calculation checks the line of sight to this single summit point.
Side and timing by direction
Seen = 2+ reports from the train + line of sight by calculation / Line of sight only = line of sight by calculation, fewer than 2 reports / Needs checking = reported but no calculated line of sight, cannot be judged by calculation alone, or neither reported nor in calculated line of sight (lakes and seas labelled Seen are shown as "Seen (hidden by noise barriers in places)")
| Direction | Label | Side | Section (near station) | Timing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| toward Shin-Aomori | Seen | on your RIGHT (facing forward) | Mizusawa-Esashi – Kitakami | About 115 min after leaving Tokyo, for about 2 min, hidden in places |
| on your LEFT (facing forward) | Kitakami – Shin-Hanamaki | About 120 min after leaving Tokyo, for about 4 min, hidden in places | ||
| on your LEFT (facing forward) | Morioka – Ninohe | About 130 min after leaving Tokyo, for about 6 min, hidden in places | ||
| toward Tokyo | Line of sight only | on your RIGHT (facing forward) | Ninohe – Morioka | About 35 min after leaving Shin-Aomori, for about 6 min, hidden in places |
| on your RIGHT (facing forward) | Shin-Hanamaki – Kitakami | About 55 min after leaving Shin-Aomori, for about 4 min, hidden in places | ||
| on your LEFT (facing forward) | Kitakami – Mizusawa-Esashi | About 60 min after leaving Shin-Aomori, for about 2 min, hidden in places |
Times assume you board at the end of the line and are estimates from the published fastest travel times: where a published fastest time to an intermediate station exists, we use it, and between those points the time is spread in proportion to distance. They change if you board at an intermediate station or take a train that stops at every station. The table lists up to four of the longest sections with a line of sight, in the order you pass them (if there is a section on the opposite side, the longest of those is always included). "About N min" converts only the distance with a line of sight into time; sections where the view is interrupted are marked "hidden in places". Left and right are as you sit facing forward.
Noise barriers, buildings, trees and cuttings are not in the calculation. Low features such as lakes, rivers and the sea may be hidden by barriers.
Departure times that reach the section in daylight (by month)
Using the 2026 calendar, these are the ranges of departure times for which the sun is at least 6° high when the train enters the section, on all three of the 1st, the 15th and the last day of each month. This is not a weather forecast. Even on a clear day, haze or cloud can hide the view.
| Month | Departure (JST) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 5:35–13:30 |
| Feb | 5:15–14:05 |
| Mar | 5:00–14:40 |
| Apr | 5:00–15:15 |
| May | 5:00–15:40 |
| Jun | 5:00–16:05 |
| Jul | 5:00–16:00 |
| Aug | 5:00–15:25 |
| Sep | 5:00–14:35 |
| Oct | 5:00–13:45 |
| Nov | 5:10–13:20 |
| Dec | 5:35–13:20 |
| Month | Departure (JST) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7:10–15:00 |
| Feb | 6:50–15:35 |
| Mar | 6:15–16:15 |
| Apr | 5:25–16:45 |
| May | 5:00–17:15 |
| Jun | 5:00–17:40 |
| Jul | 5:00–17:35 |
| Aug | 5:05–16:55 |
| Sep | 5:35–16:05 |
| Oct | 6:10–15:20 |
| Nov | 6:45–14:50 |
| Dec | 7:10–14:50 |
About this place
Mount Iwate, known as "Nanbu Katafuji", is the highest mountain in Iwate Prefecture at 2,038 metres. Takizawa City says the volcanic landforms created by five eruptions in recorded history are rare in Japan.
Source: 滝沢市 (checked 16 Oct 2026). Changes after that date (renovation, rebuilding, demolition) are not reflected.
Near the summit of Mount Iwate there is a colony of komakusa, unusual on a mountain of around 2,000 metres. Takizawa City says that from the summit you can see Mount Iwaki and the Hakkoda Mountains, and in the distance Mount Chokai.
Source: 滝沢市 (checked 16 Oct 2026). Changes after that date (renovation, rebuilding, demolition) are not reflected.