14 Things to Do in Morioka

The best time to visit Morioka is in the spring.
During the cherry blossom season, the annual Morioka Sakura Festival at Morioka Castle Ruins Park attracts many visitors.
At night, the park is illuminated with lanterns, letting you enjoy the stunning night cherry blossoms, which offer a different charm from the daytime view.

It takes about 2 hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo.
From Nagoya or Osaka, it takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to Hanamaki Airport in nearby Hanamaki City.
From Hanamaki Airport, you can take a bus to Morioka, taking approximately 45 minutes, making it easily accessible from major cities.

It was built in 1911 as the head office of the Bank of Morioka, designed by Kingo Tatsuno and Manji Kasai Architects. It is the only remaining architectural work in the Tohoku region designed by Kingo Tatsuno, and is also famous for designing Tokyo Station. The red brick with white granite shingles and a dome on the roof gives the building a Tatsuno-like appearance. The Renaissance-style building is a National Important Cultural Property.

Kaiunbashi Bridge (Good Fortune Bridge) is located near JR Morioka Station. This bridge spans the Kitakami-gawa River that flows through Morioka City and connects Morioka Station and the city center. The first bridge was built in 1890, and the current bridge is the third generation, built-in 1953. The bridge went through a period of dark green and white, and the existing bridge is painted moon white.

This museum utilizes the building of the "Former 90th Bank Main Office", constructed in 1910 and designated as a national important cultural property. It introduces the figures of Ishikawa Takuboku and Miyazawa Kenji, who spent their youth in Morioka, and the town of Morioka at that time, which nurtured their sensibilities, through various exhibitions.

Comprising three zones, the Handcraft Workshop, the Nambu Magariya (L-shaped House), and the Shop (Morioka Local Industry Promotion Center), this complex offers visitors the opportunity to learn about and experience Morioka's craftsmanship.

Iwayama Park Land is a charming, nostalgic amusement park located on a gently rolling hill about a 15-minute drive from Morioka city center. The park features over 10 different attractions, catering to various age groups. Classic rides include the "Tea Cups" and "Merry-Go-Round," as well as the "Great Ferris Wheel" offering spectacular views. Thrill-seekers can enjoy the "Rainbow Spin Coaster" and the "Ultra Swinger." Younger children can have fun with the "Battery Cars."

Located within the grounds of Morioka Castle Ruins Park (Iwate Park), the Morioka History and Culture Museum serves as a hub for exploring the rich history and culture of Morioka. The museum, which opened in 2011, was built by renovating and expanding the former Iwate Prefectural Library building. It views the Morioka Castle Ruins and the central city area, once a castle town, as an open-air museum.

Located in Morioka City's Central Park, this museum primarily displays works by artists with connections to Iwate Prefecture. These include the Western-style painter Yorozu Tetsugoro, who was active from the Taisho to the early Showa period, Matsumoto Shunsuke, who was both a Western-style painter and an active writer, and Funakoshi Yasutake, one of the leading sculptors representing Japan after World War II.

A mere 3-minute walk from the west exit of Morioka Station, the MALIOS building stands as the tallest skyscraper (92m in height) in the northeastern region of Tohoku and serves as Morioka city's landmark tower. Come Christmas time, the entire building gets illuminated, turning it into a radiant beacon that enlivens the wintry Morioka.

It is said to have been built in Enpo 8 (1680) by Shigenobu Nanbu, the third lord of the Mutsu Morioka Domain. It is the prefecture's largest shrine, with 12 deities residing within its precincts.　Each shrine enshrines a deity closely related to daily life, such as agriculture, commerce, academics, food, clothing, and shelter.

Morioka Castle was built in Keicho 2 (1597) as the residence of the Nanbu family of the Morioka Domain. After the Meiji Restoration, the castle was developed into "Iwate Park" in Meiji 39 (1906), designed by Yasuhei Nagaoka, who is known as a pioneer of modern parks. " Morioka Castle Ruins" has been designated as a national historic site and has also been selected as one of the "100 Great Castles of Japan" and "100 Historical Parks in Japan”.

Morioka District Court is located near "Morioka Castle Ruins Park". The Edohigan-zakura cherry blossom stands in the grounds of the Morioka District Court, about 11 meters high with a root circumference of 4.7 meters. The tree is about 350-400 years old, but the most surprising thing is that the huge cherry tree is growing out of a gap in the huge granite rock, which has a circumference of about 21 meters, as if it were breaking through a stone. It is the earliest in Morioka, and is at its best from mid to late April every year, when it is in full bloom, full of life.

Lake Gando, created in 1961 with the construction of the Gando Dam, is surrounded by forests of white birch and red pine, creating a mystical atmosphere. It's acclaimed as the most beautiful man-made lake in Japan.
The broadleaf trees around the lake change with the seasons, offering vibrant greenery in spring and spectacular autumn colors. With camping sites, plazas, and walking trails developed around it, the lake serves as a delightful natural park.

Shiro Oikawa founded the company when he was one year junior to Kenji Miyazawa at the Higher School of Agriculture and Forestry. He was so impressed by Kenji's work that he decided to publish "The Restaurant of Many Orders," a collection of children's stories. Kenji passed away in 1933 at the age of　37, and this was the only collection of his children's stories that was published before his death. It is said that the book sold very few copies when it was first published.

About 160 stores offering a wide variety of goods such as fashion items, interior goods, lifestyle goods, cosmetics, restaurants, and food stores are gathered in the station building directly connected to JR Morioka Station. Many famous national brands have opened their first stores in Iwate, and the area is crowded with locals and tourists on weekends.