Ultimate Guide to Morioka

Head over to Morioka Castle Site Park where the castle has been turned into a park. Currently, only the castle walls remain but the walk through the huge garden will provide you with a great appreciation of nature in the center of the city.

A shrine located to the north of Morioka Castle Site Park. Although a small shrine, the majestic front shrine is splendid. A must-see is the massive rock, Eboshi Iwa which has been enshrined next to the front shrine as a god protecting the people of Morioka.

A museum to learn about the history and traditional culture of Morioka which was a thriving castle town. Clothing, paintings, writings and other precious displays related to the Nambu clan can be seen.

Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the former Iwate Bank can be seen as a historic landmark with its proud Western-style architecture. The interior has been made into a museum, and a glimpse can be made of the historical archives from those days along with the interior.

Have the famous Morioka dish of wanko soba for lunch. Walk over to the main branch of the venerable Azumaya wanko soba restaurant which is close to the Former Iwate Bank. Enjoy the soba as small bowls of it are continuously served to you.

Visit Iwate Prefecture’s grandest shrine. On its wide grounds, in addition to Morioka Hachiman-gu itself, there is also the ancient Kasamori Inari Shrine so that both shrines can be toured. After making the pilgrimage to Morioka Hachiman-gu, return on foot to the “Morioka Bus Center” bus stop and take the Denden-mushi bus going in the counter clockwise direction and get off at the “Takuboku Shinkon no Ie-guchi” bus stop. (a 12-minute ride)

Take a look through the house related to famed Japanese poet Takuboku Ishikawa who was active from the 19th century to the early part of the 20th century. The house was once the residence of a middle-ranked samurai in the Edo Era so that you can learn about the lifestyle of the Japanese in the old times.

This is the site associated with a work created by poet and children’s story writer Kenji Miyazawa who was a contemporary of Takuboku Ishikawa. It currently has a small museum as well as a shop dealing in folk art and handicrafts. The café is also popular. Enjoy shopping and a tea break here.