Iwaki

Largest city in Fukushima prefecture, Japan, located on the Pacific coast 180 km/112 mi north of Tokyo; population (2005) 354,500. Large-scale coal mining began in the area in 1883 and ceased in 1976. Services and chemical and petrochemical industries now central to the local economy.

The city was created in 1954, following the amalgamation of the city of Taira with neighbouring towns and villages. The current boundaries were established in 1966. A medieval highway check-point, celebrated in literature, is a local tourist attraction.