Morioka (盛岡市 Morioka-shi?), overlooked by Mount Iwate, is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture and twinned with Victoria, Canada. The city's estimated population was 287,672 in 2003. Iwate is quite a rural prefecture and so Morioka is nothing like the visions of high-rise buildings and neon lights you see on TV, but it is nonetheless a vibrant city and a lovely place to live.