The purpose of this study is to examine the location of elementary school playgrounds in the local district at the early time of the school physical education in the Meiji era. The main sources are 383 plane figures of school of building, sub-jointed document of the applications of school establishment, which were presented to the Iwate Prefectural Office during 1833-84. The analysis of sources in this paper is carried out by the same way as a reliable research method of Tsuda (1983), originated the case of Nara prefecture. The significance of this paper should be as follows: 1) To give geographical and comparativ view to a historical study on the playgrounds in Iwate and in Nara, based on the identical bases of sources and period. 2) To make evidence, by elucidating the condition of the playgrounds in that time, to support the fact that an official report mentioned: "In 1886 Iwate prefecture has about 50 elementary schools that carry into practice the physical education program." 3) To give original view to the basic historical study how the playgrounds of the local schools in Japan has developed and enlarged. The results obtained are as follows: 1) Only 55 of 383 schools (14.4%) named the area of the playground. (In the case of Nara,only 11 of 415 schools (2.4%) named so.) Among them the largest area was 345 tsubo (1,138.5 m^2),the smallest area was 8 tsubo (26.4 m^2), and the mean area was 82.2 tsubo (271.3 m^2).2) Two hundred and twenty-three schools estimated the playground area (total school area minus schoolhouse area) were classified into three groups. (The mean total school area was l14.5 tsubo (378.5 m^2), the mean schoolhouse area was 31.1 tsubo (102.6 m^2) and the mean playground area was 83.6 tsubo (275.8 m^2)). A) under 50 tsubo (165 m^2):109 (48.8%), B) 50-100 tsubo (165-330 m^2):43 (19.2%), C) over 100 tsubo (330 m^2):109 (48.8%). A percent over 100 tsubo total schoolhouse area were Iwate 46.8%, and Nara 20%. 3) Most of the playgrounds were shaped like a square. 4) Most of the playgrounds were placed in the south or east of the schools area. That is to say, about 68% of the elementary schools in those days had hardly any playground area. But, the official report in 1886 is evidently supported by the condition of the playgrounds,because of the number of the over 100 tsubo playgrounds were about 70. As compared with Iwate and Nara, Iwate had somehow preferable playgrounds conditions more than Nara. As one of that reason, following social and educational background is supposed: Iwate had been enthusiastic to the education from the beginning of Meiji era, in order to overcome the poverty and the humiliation of the defeat of the Boshin civil war (1968).