Morioka Castle Ruins Park (Iware Park)

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”.

The park is lush with greenery, with two ponds (moats), a lawn, and forests of cherry and plum trees. It is a place of recreation and relaxation where citizens can enjoy the scenery of the four seasons. In spring, cherry and plum blossoms, wisteria trellises in May, hydrangeas in July, maple and ginkgo trees in fall, and the stone walls are illuminated in winter. In winter, the stone walls are illuminated.

The park is also dotted with stone walls reminding one of a castle, a time bell designated as a tangible cultural property by Iwate Prefecture, and storehouses built in the feudal domain era.　There are also many monuments to poets and writers, such as Inazo Nitobe, Takuboku Ishikawa, and Kenji Miyazawa.