Sightseeing in Morioka: Walking Three Rivers and the Nanbu Castle Town from North to South

What Kind of Town Is Morioka?

Morioka is the capital of Iwate Prefecture, spreading across the northern part of the Kitakami Basin. In the city center, three rivers (the Kitakami, Shizukuishi and Nakatsu) come together, and mountains form the backdrop: Mount Iwate to the west, Mount Himekami to the north and Mount Hayachine to the east. It was laid out as the castle town of the Nanbu clan in the Edo period, became a city in 1889 (Meiji 22), and in 2008 was designated a core city.

This article introduces the sights in order of latitude, from north to south. We begin at the mountain of Takuboku’s hometown, then move through a lake famed for cherry blossoms, the castle ruins, modern Western-style architecture, a bridge and a shrine, heading south to the memorial museum of the “Commoner Prime Minister.” In 2023 the city was also named one of the New York Times’s “52 Places to Go in 2023.” Along with its tourist face, take a look at the long history of a land embraced by rivers and mountains.

1. Mount Himekami (姫神山)

Mount Himekami is an isolated peak about 1,124 meters high, rising in the north of Morioka on the side of the former village of Shibutami. Its neat, pyramid-like shape is its hallmark, and it is counted among the 200 Famous Japanese Mountains and the New 100 Famous Flower Mountains. It can be seen to the north from the city, and for people in Morioka it has melted into the scenery of daily life.

A man known for loving this mountain deeply was the poet Ishikawa Takuboku, who grew up in Shibutami. Even after leaving his hometown he wrote of his longing for the mountain in his poems, and so Himekami has also been called Takuboku’s mountain of homesickness. There are four trails (Ipponsugi, Kowazaka, Tashiro and Jonai), and the Ipponsugi route is said to be the most popular.

One tradition about the mountain’s name holds that it began when Sakanoue no Tamuramaro enshrined the goddess Tateeboshi. This goddess is said to have become the “Himegami” (princess deity) that gave the mountain its name. This is our conjecture, but with no tall mountains nearby and its shape standing out from every direction, perhaps it was only natural that the mountain was long regarded as a dwelling place of a god. If you climb, you will need gear suited to the season and weather, and you should check the latest information beforehand.

2. Takamatsu Pond (高松の池)

Takamatsu Pond lies in Takamatsu Park in northern Morioka, and a walking path of about 1.4 kilometers circles it. Even at a leisurely pace you can walk around it in about 20 minutes, and it is a favorite place for local walks and jogging. A little way from the city center, it offers the quiet air of a waterside.

The park has been chosen as one of Japan’s 100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots. It is said to be one of only two such places in Iwate Prefecture, and a cherry blossom festival is held every year from late April to early May. As befits the north, where cherries bloom late, it is a view that makes you feel how much later spring arrives than in much of Honshu.

After the cherry blossoms, the peony garden is at its best from mid-May to the end of the month, and there is also a rose garden with more than 40 varieties of roses. Flowers change with the seasons, so the same pond shows a different face depending on when you visit. In this site’s view, because spring in Morioka is short, the people here seem to put special feeling into the time they spend admiring cherry blossoms and flowers.

3. Ishiwari Cherry (石割桜)

The Ishiwari Cherry (“rock-splitting cherry”) is an old cherry tree on the grounds of the Morioka District Court. It is known for the way its trunk rises from a crack in a huge granite boulder, and in 1923 (Taisho 12) it was designated a National Natural Monument. It is an Edo-higan cherry said to be more than 360 years old, with a trunk about 1.35 meters in diameter.

The boulder once stood within a senior retainer’s residence, and it is said that a lightning strike split it. A seed that fell into that crack took root and grew over many years, pushing the rock apart as it went: that is the tale of the Ishiwari Cherry. The tension over time between the hardness of the stone and the strength of the cherry’s roots shows directly in its form.

Blossoming begins around mid-April. In the north, where winters are long, the sight of flowers opening in still-cold air is for many people the signal that spring has come. The grounds are a public space and court business is carried on there, so please visit quietly and with consideration for others. The tree that lived on with enough strength to split stone is also spoken of as a symbol of the tenacity of the people of Morioka.

4. Kaiun Bridge (開運橋)

Kaiun Bridge spans the Kitakami River in front of Morioka Station. It was built to connect the station with the city when the railway opened and Morioka Station began operating in 1890 (Meiji 23). The first bridge is said to have been built at his own expense by Ishii Shoichiro, then governor of Iwate Prefecture, and the bridge’s name (“Kaiun” means “opening of fortune”) is thought to have been chosen in the belief that it would help Morioka prosper.

The first bridge is said to have been washed away by floods in 1896 and 1910. A second bridge was built in the Taisho era, and the present one is said to be the third, built in 1953 (Showa 28). That the bridge has been rebuilt again and again despite repeated flooding is proof that this town has lived with its rivers.

On a clear day, Mount Iwate can be seen upstream from the bridge. The bridge also has the nickname “Nidonaki-bashi” (the “cry twice” bridge). It is said to come from the tale that a person transferred to Morioka for work cries when crossing it for the first time because they have come so far, and cries again on leaving because they hate to leave the town. Even if you are only a visitor, standing here may let you feel a little of why this town stays in people’s hearts.

5. Morioka Castle Ruins Park (盛岡城跡公園, Iwate Park)

Morioka Castle was the seat of the Nanbu clan. Nanbu Toshinao began building it in 1598 (Keicho 3), and it was completed around 1633 (Kanei 10). It took some 35 years to build and is distinguished by its all-stone walls of piled white granite. Among the castles of the Tohoku region, where earthen ramparts are common, it is known as a standout. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1937 (Showa 12).

The three-story turret that served as the keep was later renamed the keep itself, but most of the buildings were dismantled in the early Meiji era. The site was developed as Iwate Park in 1906 (Meiji 39), designed by the landscape gardener Nagaoka Yasuhei. In 2006 the nickname “Morioka Castle Ruins Park” was chosen.

Today, the highlights of the castle site are the stone walls surrounding the keep base, the main bailey and the second bailey. Even though no buildings remain, the way the stones are stacked, the upward curve of the corners and the bends in the walls let you picture the builders’ skill and the tension of the defenders. In this site’s view, the fact that only the stone walls survive after the buildings are gone shows how solidly the castle was built. Though in the heart of the castle town, it is a quiet place for a stroll among trees.

6. Morioka Takuboku and Kenji Youth Museum (もりおか啄木・賢治青春館)

The Morioka Takuboku and Kenji Youth Museum makes use of the building that was erected as the main building of the former Ninety Bank’s head office. The building was completed in 1910 (Meiji 43) and is introduced as the work of the architect Yokohama Tsutomu, a graduate of Morioka Middle School like Takuboku and Kenji. It is a brick modern Western-style building, and its design is said to reflect the influence of European architectural movements of the late 19th century.

This facility is a literary museum centered on Morioka, where Ishikawa Takuboku and Miyazawa Kenji spent their middle school years, tracing the youth of the two men. The first floor has a permanent exhibition room displaying first editions and materials, and a cafe space, while the second floor has an exhibition hall for special exhibitions and concerts. A short chronology of the two men is also one of the highlights.

Both Takuboku and Kenji spent their impressionable boyhood in Morioka and went on to become representative figures of Japanese literature. Viewing the exhibits in this building in the middle of town while imagining the scenes the two saw makes it easy to understand the sensibility that Morioka nurtured. This is our conjecture, but perhaps the setting of this town, where rivers, mountains and castle town lie close together and the seasons change clearly, sharpened the sensitivity of these young poets.

7. Morioka Hachimangu Shrine (盛岡八幡宮)

Morioka Hachimangu is regarded as the chief guardian shrine of Morioka. By tradition, it began in 1062 when Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, in the midst of battle, invoked the deity of Iwashimizu Hachimangu. It is said that later, when the Nanbu clan built Morioka Castle, the shrine buildings were renewed as a protective shrine. The Nanbu rebuilt it in 1593, and in 1680 Nanbu Shigenobu is said to have invoked the deity of Kushihiki Hachiman and moved the shrine to its present site.

The shrine consists of a worship hall at the foot of the hill and a main hall that was originally centered on a small shrine on the summit of Hachimanyama. It shows that as Morioka took shape as a castle town, this shrine remained a mainstay of the people’s faith.

Its annual autumn festival is also known for its float processions, offering a scene in which the life and faith of a castle town are bound together. Because this is an active shrine, please visit quietly, with respect for it as a place of worship. As a place of prayer continuing from the Nanbu clan’s rule to the present, it has long supported the hearts of the people of Morioka.

8. Hara Takashi Memorial Museum (原敬記念館)

The Hara Takashi Memorial Museum, in Hongu in the south of Morioka, introduces the career of Hara Takashi, a politician from Morioka. Hara was born in 1856 into a family of the Morioka domain, and on September 29, 1918 (Taisho 7) he became the 19th Prime Minister. He is known for forming the first full-fledged party cabinet, in which all ministers except the military ministers and the foreign minister were members of the Rikken Seiyukai party.

Because he held no peerage and was a commoner, he was called the “Commoner Prime Minister” (Heimin Saisho), and the phrase became a popular catchword at the time. He was so popular that “commoner restaurants” are said to have opened in many places. He used the pen name “Issan” and is also spoken of as a man who kept his feelings for his hometown of Morioka. His grave is at Daiji-ji Temple in Morioka, and its headstone is said to be inscribed with only “Hara Takashi.”

Hara was stabbed at Tokyo Station on November 4, 1921, and died. At the museum you can learn about his political achievements as well as his life as a person who stood at a turning point in history. As for the incident, we would like to face it with a quiet acceptance of the historical facts. In his hometown he is still remembered as the prime minister Morioka produced.

Local Specialties: Food and Drink

Morioka’s food is known above all for the “Three Great Noodles of Morioka”: wanko soba, Morioka reimen (cold noodles) and Morioka jajamen. Morioka jajamen in particular is said to have been created after the war through repeated experimentation in Morioka, based on the Chinese zhajiangmian that people had eaten in the former Manchuria. Flat, udon-like noodles are topped with meat miso, cucumber and green onion, and the dish is traditionally finished by adding an egg soup called “chi-tan-tan” once the noodles are eaten.

Wanko soba is an Iwate way of eating in which small servings of soba are put into your bowl one after another. Morioka reimen is known across Japan as a noodle dish with firm, chewy noodles and a cold soup. The springy noodles and spicy condiments show the range of Morioka’s food culture.

Bread culture, which supports the town’s lunchtimes, is also part of daily life in Morioka. Fillings sandwiched in a coppe-pan roll have long been popular. Flavors vary from shop to shop, so please check the latest information before you go.

Rare Wildlife and Nature

Morioka is a river town, where the Kitakami, Shizukuishi and Nakatsu rivers meet in the urban area. It is surrounded on all sides by mountains, with Mount Iwate to the west, Mount Himekami to the north and Mount Hayachine to the east, and the peaks can be seen even from the bridges.

The Nakatsu River, which flows through the city, sees salmon run upstream and spawn in autumn. People leaning over the bridges to look for salmon are a familiar autumn sight in this town. That salmon come back to a river in the heart of a city is also proof that the relationship between river and people has been carefully protected.

The climate has strong continental characteristics, and winters are severe, with temperatures sometimes dropping to around minus 10 degrees Celsius in the city. There are many frost days a year, and it is said that icy roads from radiative cooling need more attention than snowfall. Summers, on the other hand, are relatively comfortable, with almost no tropical nights.

Other Notable Things About This Town

The name Morioka is said to have arisen in 1691 from a renga (linked verse) exchange between the lord Nanbu Shigenobu and a monk. The town’s history is older still: in 803 (Enryaku 22), Sakanoue no Tamuramaro is said to have built Shiwa Castle. The Nanbu clan brought Iwate and Shiwa districts fully under its control in 1588, and Morioka Castle is said to have taken shape around 1599.

In the Meiji era, Morioka Prefecture was established in 1870 and renamed Iwate Prefecture in 1872. The railway arrived in 1890, and with the provisional opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen in 1982 the city grew as a gateway to the north.

Summer events such as the Sansa Odori dance and Chagu Chagu Umakko are also famous. Chagu Chagu Umakko was selected as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1978 and conveys the deep ties between people and horses in daily life.

The Night Side: Ghost Stories and Haunted Spots of This Town

So far we have walked through Morioka’s daytime face: the stone walls of the castle ruins, the mountain Takuboku loved, salmon swimming up the river, a cherry tree that splits rock. Every one of these places carries layers of time in which people lived, prayed and at times faced great forces.

That depth connects to the town’s night side as well. Morioka may have places spoken of in rumor, but we do not recommend going out to look for them. In this site’s view, a ghost story is a kind of shadow that a place’s history and terrain cast on people’s hearts. The more you learn about a history of repeated flooding and of building up the castle town, the deeper your respect for quiet places grows.

At KARASU CHANNEL we record true ghost stories and haunted spots not so that people will go there, but so that they are remembered. Having come to know the daytime scenery, we hope you will also read the stories of the night.

Before You Go

Opening hours, fees, closing days and access change often, so they are not listed in this article. Before you set out, please check the latest information on each facility’s or local government’s official site. Some places may be restricted because of weather or disaster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. In what order should I visit the sights in Morioka?

A. This article introduces them from north to south. Grouping by area makes touring easier: the central area with the castle ruins, bridge, Youth Museum and Ishiwari Cherry; the north with Takamatsu Pond and Mount Himekami; and the south with the memorial museum. Distances are considerable, so please check transport and seasonal road conditions with the local government or official tourist information.

Q. What is Morioka known for?

A. The Three Great Noodles of Morioka (wanko soba, Morioka reimen and Morioka jajamen) are especially well known. Offerings vary by shop, so please check the latest information before you go.

Q. Is it all right to visit in winter?

A. Winters in Morioka are severe and icy roads need care. Mountain areas such as Mount Himekami may not be climbable because of snow, so check the weather and road information and make a plan that does not push your limits.

Official sites and references consulted
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/盛岡市
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/盛岡城
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/石割桜
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/盛岡八幡宮
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/姫神山_(岩手県)
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/原敬
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/中津川_(岩手県)
https://tabi-mag.jp/iw0241/
https://www.tohokukanko.jp/attractions/detail_1122.html
https://www.gltjp.com/ja/directory/item/18730/
https://hugkum.sho.jp/462997