MIZUSAWA

city, Iwate ken (prefecture), Japan. It lies in the valley of the Kitakami River. Established as a fort to exterminate the aboriginal Ainu peoples in the northern frontier of ancient Japan (c. 802), it later developed as a castle town along the Owu Highway during the Tokugawa period (16031867). The city is now a commercial centre for agricultural products such as rice, apples, and dairy products, as well as for traditional cast metalware produced in the Kitakami valley. It is also internationally known as the location of the Mizusawa Latitude Observation Station (390834 N). Pop. (1990) 58,189.