Morioka 盛岡市
Core city
Morioka City Montage
Flag Seal
Map of Iwate Prefecture with Morioka highlighted in pink
Morioka
Coordinates: 39°42′7.5″N 141°09′16.2″E / 39.702083°N 141.154500°E / 39.702083; 141.154500
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Iwate
First official recorded	4th century AD
City Settled	April 1, 1889
Government
• Mayor	Shigeru Uchidate (from September 2023)
Area
• Total	886.47 km2 (342.27 sq mi)
Population  (August 1, 2023)
• Total	283,981
• Density	320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Katsura
• Flower	Rabbit-ear iris
• Bird	Wagtail
Phone number	019-651-4111
Address	12-2 Uchimaru, Morioka-shi, Iwate-ken 020-8530
Website	Official website

Morioka (盛岡市, Morioka-shi) is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 August 2023, the city had an estimated population of 283,981 in 132,719 households,^[1] and a population density of 320 per square kilometre (830/sq mi). The total area of the city is 886.47 square kilometres (342.27 sq mi).

Geography

Morioka is located in the Kitakami Basin in central Iwate Prefecture, at the confluence of three rivers, the Kitakami, the Shizukuishi and the Nakatsu. The Kitakami River is the second largest river on the Pacific side of Japan (after the Tone River) and the longest in the Tōhoku region. It runs through the city from north to south and has a number of dams within the city boundaries, including the Shijūshida Dam and Gandō Dam. An active volcano, Mount Iwate, dominates the view to the northwest of the city. Mount Himekami is to the north and Mount Hayachine can sometimes be seen to the southeast.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[2] the population of Morioka peaked at around the year 2000 and has slightly declined since.

Climate

Morioka has a cold, humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) characterized by warm, short summers and long, cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Morioka is 10.2 °C (50.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,314 millimetres (51.7 in) with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are at their highest on average in August, at around 23.7 °C (74.7 °F), and lowest on average in January, at around −2.4 °C (27.7 °F).^[3]

History

Morioka Castle

The area of present-day Morioka has been continuously inhabited since the Japanese Paleolithic period. Numerous Jōmon, Yayoi and Kofun period tombs and remains have been found. The Emishi inhabited the area into the Heian period. During the Enryaku era of the Heian period, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, was ordered north to Shiwa Castle in 803 AD, as a military center to extend the domination of the Yamato dynasty over Mutsu Province. The area was later ruled by the Abe clan until their destruction during the Former Nine Years War at the hands of the Minamoto and Kiyohara clans. The Kiyohara were in turn defeated in the Gosannen War and the area came under the control of the Ōshū Fujiwara Clan based in Hiraizumi, to the south of Morioka. After the Ōshū Fujiwara were destroyed by Minamoto no Yoritomo at the start of the Kamakura period, the area was disputed by several samurai clans until the Nanbu clan, based in Sannohe to the north, expanded their territory during the Sengoku period and built Kozukata Castle in 1592.

Following the Battle of Sekigahara and the formal recognition of Morioka Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate, Kozukata Castle was renamed Morioka Castle.^[5] Its name was changed from 森岡 to 盛岡 (both read as "Morioka")^[6] During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, Morioka Domain was a key member of the pro-Tokugawa Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei.

After the start of the Meiji period, the former Morioka Domain became Morioka Prefecture in 1870, and part of Iwate Prefecture from 1872. With the establishment of the modern municipality system on April 1, 1889, the city of Morioka was established as the capital of Iwate Prefecture. The city was connected by train to Tokyo in 1890. The city emerged from World War II with very little damage, having been subject to only two minor air raids during the war.^[7]

On January 10, 2006, the village of Tamayama was merged into Morioka. Morioka was proclaimed a core city in 2008, with increased local autonomy.

During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, Morioka was hit by a 6.1 earthquake, and numerous aftershocks, but with little damage other than extensive power outages.^[8]

Government

Morioka City Hall

Morioka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 38 members. Morioka contributes ten seats to the Iwate Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Iwate first district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Education

Transportation

Local attractions

• The Iwate Museum of Art in Morioka displays works by three notable local artists, Tetsugoro Yorozu, Shunsuke Matsumoto and Yasutake Funakoshi, as well as holding exhibitions on national and international themes.
• Rock-Breaking Cherry Tree - designated a natural monument of Japan.
• Iwate Prefectural Museum
• Site of Morioka Castle, National Historic Site^[9]
• Shiwa Castle ruins, National Historic Site^[10]
• Bank of Iwate Red Brick Building, Important Cultural Property^[11]
• Morioka Hachimangū

Sports

Religion

Temples and shrines

Sansa Odori festival

• Hōon-ji is a Sōtō Zen Buddhist temple which was originally built at Sannohe by the 13th lord of the Nambu clan, Nambu Moriyuki, in 1394, and brought to Morioka by the 27th lord, Nambu Toshinao. It was considered the head temple among the 280 operated by the Nambu clan. A notable feature 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. It is an active Zen training temple for monks.
• Mitsuishi Jinja is a Shinto shrine which has three large rocks on the grounds with shackles around them to represent the story of 'Oni no tegata', which is a legend explaining the origin of the name of Iwate prefecture. According to the legend, there was once an Oni or demon who often tormented and harassed the local people. When the people prayed to the spirit of Mitsuishi for protection, the demon was immediately shackled to the rocks and made to promise never to trouble the people again. As a sign of this promise, the demon left a handprint on one of the rocks, thus giving rise to the name Iwate, literally meaning "rock hand".
• Morioka Hachiman Shrine
• Sakurayama is a Shinto shrine 20 feet above (6 meters) featuring a massive rock.

Cuisine

Morioka attracts tourists with local noodles such as jajamen, reimen, and wanko soba. Brewing is also a thriving industry of the city. Nambu Senbei, a type of rice cracker, is considered a local specialty.

• 
  Morioka Jajamen
• 
  Morioka Reimen
• 
  Wanko soba

Media

• Iwate Asahi Television
• Iwate Broadcasting Company
• Iwate Menkoi Television
• Iwate Nippo
• Television Iwate

International relations

• Victoria, British Columbia, Canada ^[12] (sister city since 1985)

Notable persons

• Hara Takashi, former Prime Minister of Japan^[13]
• Takuboku Ishikawa, poet
• Takuya Kawamura, professional basketball player
• Yusei Kikuchi, professional baseball player
• Yōko Mihara, actress
• Milano Collection A.T., professional wrestler^[14]
• Taka Michinoku, professional wrestler
• The Great Sasuke, professional wrestler
• Inazō Nitobe, author, educator, diplomat, and politician during the Meiji period and Taishō period
• Mitsuo Ogasawara, footballer
• Takatō Ōshima, engineer - made the first Western-style cannon in Japan
• Mikoi Sasaki, actress
• Mitsumasa Yonai, former Prime Minister of Japan
• Nishikigi Tetsuya, sumo wrestler
• Yota Sato (boxer), professional boxer

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morioka, Iwate.

• Morioka travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official Website (in Japanese)