Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Morioka (Japan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Morioka Castle, Iwate Prefectural Museum, and Iwate Museum of Art. Also, be sure to include Rock-Breaking Cherry Tree in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Morioka (Iwate).
Table of Contents
Morioka Castle
Also known as: 盛岡城
Park in Morioka, Japan. Morioka Castle is a hirayama-style Japanese castle constructed in 1611. It was the seat of the Nanbu clan, a tozama daimyō clan who ruled over Morioka Domain, Mutsu Province in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan during the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The castle is located in what is now the center of the city of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It was also referred to as Kozukata Castle, but strictly speaking this name pertains to the predecessor of Morioka Castle on the same site.[1]
Iwate Prefectural Museum
Museum in Morioka, Japan. Iwate Prefectural Museum opened in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan in 1980. The collection relates to the geology, natural history, archaeology, history, and folklore of Iwate Prefecture.[2]
Iwate Museum of Art
Also known as: 岩手県立美術館
Museum in Morioka, Japan. The Iwate Museum of Art is an art museum in Morioka, Japan. It was opened in 2001.
The museum has a permanent exhibition of works by local Iwate Prefecture artists Tetsugoro Yorozu, Shunsuke Matsumoto and Yasutake Funakoshi, and houses temporary exhibitions on both Japanese and foreign themes.[3]
Address: Morioka, 12-3 Matsuhaba, Motomiya
Rock-Breaking Cherry Tree
Also known as: 石割桜
Tourist attraction in Morioka, Japan. The Rock-Breaking Cherry Tree is an approximately 400-year-old cherry tree growing out of a crack in a granite boulder in front of the district courthouse in Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. It is a ten-minute walk from Morioka Station.
The tree measures 4.3 meters around the base, and is approximately 10 meters in height. It was proclaimed a Natural Treasure of Japan in 1923.[4]
Address: 9-1 Uchimaru, 020-0023 Morioka
Morioka Hachimangū
Also known as: 盛岡八幡宮
Shinto shrine in Morioka, Japan. Morioka Hachimangū is a Shinto shrine in the city of Morioka, Iwate in northern Japan. The shrine is noted for its annual festival on the second Saturday in June, which is famous for the Chagu Chagu Umakko, a horse parade which was recognized in 1978 as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property. In 1996 the sound of the bells of the Chagu Chagu Umakko was selected by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. The shrine is also noted for its displays of yabusame horse archery during its annual festival on September 15.[5]
Address: 13-1 Hachimancho, 020-0872 Morioka
Hōon-ji
Hōon-ji is a Sōtō Zen Buddhist temple located in the city of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Its main image is a statue of Shaka Nyōrai, although the temple is more famous for its statues of the 500 Rakan.
The temple was built at the seat of the Nanbu clan in Sannohe by the 13th chieftain of the clan, Nambu Moriyuki, in 1394. In 1601, the Nanbu clan was ordered to relocate its seat south to Morioka Castle by the Tokugawa shogunate, and the 27th chieftain (and first daimyō of Morioka Domain), Nanbu Toshinao relocated the temple at that time. During the Edo period, the temple was a seminary and was the head temple of a network of 280 temples throughout the Nanbu domains. In 1869, the karō of Morioka Domain, Narayama Sado, committed seppuku within the Hondō of the temple at the time of the collapse of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei during the Boshin War of the Meiji restoration.
A notable feature of the temple is the Rakan-dō, built in 1735 and rebuilt in 1858. Its central statue Rushana butsu is reported to be made by Kōbō-daishi. Within the Rakan-dō are statues of the 500 Rakan, which were made in Kyoto and later brought to Morioka. Included are representations of Kublai Khan and Marco Polo.[6]
Iwate Bank Red Brick Building
Building in Morioka, Japan. Bank of Iwate Red Brick Building is a former bank building located in the city of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The building is an example of Meiji period western style architecture in Japan, and is listed as an Important Cultural Property. The building is now used as a museum.[7]
Yan shou xian gong hui tang
Concerts and shows, Theater
Iwate University
Also known as: 岩手大学
National university in Morioka, Japan. Iwate University is a national university located in Morioka, Japan. Founded in 1876 as the Morioka Shihan Gakkō, the school was formally established as Iwate University in 1949.
With its main campus located in Morioka, and another in Kamaishi, Iwate, it has several research institutes at cities in the Sanriku region to support the reconstruction of the fishing industry due to the 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake. These are under the jurisdiction of the Iwate University Sanriku Reconstruction and Regional Revitalization Promotion Organization.[8]
Iwate Medical University
Also known as: 岩手医科大学
Private university in Morioka, Japan. Iwate Medical University is a private university in Morioka, Iwate, Japan.[9]
Malios
Also known as: マリオス
Skyscraper in Morioka, Japan. The Malios is a skyscraper located in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Construction of the 92-metre, 20-storey skyscraper was finished in 1997.[10]