Morioka

Morioka (Japanese: 盛岡) is the capital of Iwate Prefecture. Due to its transport links, it's a good option for a stopover on the way to either Akita or Hokkaido or a base for day trips to Kakunodate and some of the other small towns in the area. The city is also worth visiting in its own right, as there are enough interesting things to see and do for a day or two.

Understand
For a traveller, Morioka is perhaps not high on any itinerary and is best known as a major transport hub for Tohoku. From here, one can branch off on the Shinkansen towards Akita and some of the tourist towns on the Akita Shinkansen line.

Morioka is an ancient city; it has been inhabited since prehistoric times. You're not likely to see much of its history, however, as it presents itself as much like any Japanese city of its size.

Tourist Information Sites
The city government has an official Japanese-only site for sightseeing with integrated Google Translate.

The local tourist association also has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate.

By train
Morioka is a major Shinkansen (bullet train) station on the Tohoku Shinkansen line. It is also a major transit station for regular trains.

The most frequent Shinkansen services from Tokyo to Morioka are the all reserved Komachi (こまち) and Hayate (はやて), which normally run coupled together as a single train. The ride takes 2½ hours at a cost of ¥13,840 each way, so you may want to consider purchasing a JR East Rail Pass or Japan Rail Pass beforehand.

Faster Hayabusa (はやぶさ) services make two daily round-trips between Morioka and both Tokyo and Aomori, complementing the other services. Fares for the Hayabusa are slightly higher (¥14,340 from Tokyo).

The Japan Rail Pass and JR East Rail Pass are valid for travel on the Hayate, Komachi and Hayabusa. On the other hand, rail passes will only cover the basic fare if you are willing to try out the premium first class seating on the Hayabusa called "GranClass". To use "GranClass" the limited express and GranClass fare has to be paid (¥14,640 from Tokyo). Without a rail pass, "GranClass" costs ¥22,830 between Tokyo and Morioka.

Morioka is a good option for a stopover if you are travelling by train to either Hakodate or Akita during peak times where it can sometimes be impossible to get a seat to your final destination. Depending on where you are going, you will be allocated a seat on either the Hayate or Komachi, which travel together as a joined train until Morioka where they split off to go to Shin-Hakodate and Akita respectively. If you are only travelling as far as Morioka you can be allocated a seat on either part of the joined train. It's then possible to spend the night in Morioka and get an early train in the morning to the place you want to go, or to jump on a local train if you're only going so far as an intermediate Shinkansen stop between Morioka and Akita or Shin-Hakodate, for example if you're going to Kakunodate.

By bus
An overnight bus service, the Rakuchin, runs twice nightly from Tokyo Station to Morioka (about 7½ hours, ¥7,850 one way). Other companies offer cheaper, less comfortable rides for as little as ¥5,000. Suspended as of March 2024.

Get around
Morioka is a small enough city to walk around. The furthest you're likely to want to go is the Morioka Castle site which is about a 30-minute walk from the front of the train station over the steel arch bridge and through the central business district. You can otherwise get the bus to the castle site (below), but the walk through the city is quite pleasant, though can be slippery, snowy and just plain cold in winter and unpleasantly hot and humid in summer.

From the station, the easiest and safest way to into the city proper is to use the underground tunnels from the station which go underneath the bus station and the main road. This can be slightly confusing at first for people who cannot read Japanese signs. The tunnels are wheelchair accessible via lifts. Sticking to the left side of the road from the station to the castle allows you to use overbridges to cross some intersections, though they don't save much time.

There is a wide and flat walking trail along the Kitakami river that makes for a pleasant walk or a good jogging spot with nice views of Mt Iwate. It's about a five minute walk from the front of the station, walking straight ahead to the steel arch bridge and then taking the stairs on either side of it down to the river.

By bus
There is a large and sometimes confusing bus centre at the front of the station. Watch where you're going here as buses come from all directions while you're trying to cross the short distance to the shops in front of the station. Sometimes there will be a security guard who will stop traffic for you to cross.

Iwateken Kotsu bus operates the Den-Den-Mushi Bus (でんでんむし, Japanese for 'snail', which seems a strange name for a bus; it's easy to spot with a picture of a multi-coloured snail on the side of each bus) which encircles the city central area starting from Morioka main station via castle park and Bus Center. The cost is ¥100 per ride, and run every 10 min both clockwise and anti-clockwise during daytime. For such a low price it is a good way to get your bearings if you're new to Morioka.

The bus services to the outlying areas of the city are generally somewhat infrequent, but are usable with a little bit of advance planning. Fares can be paid using an IC card.

See




Do




Festivals and events
Morioka has a number of popular festivals.



Buy
There are some good shops selling local souvenirs in the station. The station shopping centre also has an underground area with a number of restaurants, including a McDonald's if you're so inclined.

If you're in Morioka as a stopover destination and need to stock up on basics, there is a large supermarket, Jusco, by walking left on the main road in front of the station for about ten minutes, it's on the right just after you walk under the overpass. A large branch of Daiso, a national ¥100 shop chain, that sells cheap and basic and sometimes strange Japanese goods, can be found in the city centre. If you walk in a straight line from the station across the bridge and into the city you will find it on the right. There are also plenty of convenience stores in the area.



There are several shops selling high end clothes (including upmarket workwear brands for men) on the main roads leading from the train station to the centre of the city. Other clothes shops are located in and near the Kawatoku department store in the center of the city. The Aeon mall in western Morioka houses branches of Uniqlo and Muji, among many other stores.

There are also a number of arts and music stores in the center of the city.

Eat
Regional specialities include:

There are a lot of restaurants in the underground shopping area of the station, though they can be quite expensive and not especially good. Other eating options are in the central business district area or in the area in front of the station.

Some good options are:

Drink
Morioka is a small city, but it offers a number of good drinking options. The water in the area is clean and pure so there are a number of sake breweries. Japanese style 'Izakaya' bars are everywhere, and there are also some German style beer breweries which offer a variety of brews.


 * Ootaru (大たる), Oodori (15 minutes walk from the station). Japanese-style eatery with Asahi on tap and ¥1,500 2½-hr nomihodai (all you can drink) deals. Try the pizza.

As with most cities in Japan, karaoke is a good drinking option, especially if you have a large group. Most places cost ¥1,000 an hour, including drinks. A good place is right off Odori on the fourth floor across the street from Ootaru.

Budget
Budget travellers of the male variety will likely quickly have their attention drawn to a heavily advertised capsule hotel and sauna existing directly opposite the train station. The price can be extremely cheap, but be warned however that capsule patrons can expect a rapidly upward sliding price scale on repeat use of the sauna facilities, and you may well wish to use them a second time in the morning because the air conditioning intake for the sleeping capsules lies in the smoker's lounge.

An alternative lies in a relaxation cafe, Kaikatsu Club (快活クラブ, 2-6-8 O-doori) along the main street on the left hand side, about a 1 km from the station. Essentially this is a manga/internet cafe where the owner has thrown away all pretense of people reading manga and focused on the essentials, napping, relaxing, sleeping, showering (small surcharge) and maybe checking the internet.

Mid-range
Morioka has quite a few mid-range options, though note that most appear to be somewhat elderly and dated. You might want to opt for the more modern hotels in this price range to get value for money.

Go next

 * Hanamaki
 * Hachimantai
 * Takizawa
 * Iwaizumi
 * Tono
 * Hiraizumi
 * Shizukuishi
 * Kitakami
 * Kakunodate