A journey through the history of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture Japan岩手県盛岡の歴史をめぐる旅〜名須川町、本町通、桜山神社界隈編〜

A journey through the history of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture Japan岩手県盛岡の歴史をめぐる旅〜名須川町、本町通、桜山神社界隈編〜

The tour will take you to Nasukawa Town, Honmachi Dori, and the Sakurayama Shrine area. This area is about 40 minutes walk from Morioka Station, You can get there in about 15 minutes using the Dendenmushi tour bus. The first place I visited was Hoonji Temple in Nasukawa Town.

The king built it in Aomori in 1394. It was moved to this land in 1601 with the construction of Morioka Castle.　 It was loved by literary giants and even appeared in the works of Iwate-born writer Takuboku Ishikawa. The 500 Arhats are decorated with 499 statues modeled after great figures.

It took four years to build from 1731. The statue was created by nine Buddhist sculptors in Kyoto. There are also statues modeled after Marco Polo and Kublai. Each one has a variety of facial expressions. It is rare that it remains in such good condition.

It is a designated cultural property of Morioka City. There is a picture of a dragon on the ceiling. There are also historical exhibits! There was a sign that said “Oni’s Handprint”. Let’s go see it! I was tired, so I teleported from here.

I followed the signboard and arrived at Mitsuishi Shrine. A shrine dedicated to the spirit of the King of Morioka It is the oldest existing shrine in Morioka City. It says that the demon’s handprint is on the top of a large rock.

A long time ago, a demon called Rakshasa appeared. People who were in trouble asked the god of Mitsuishi Shrine to get rid of them. God caught the demon and punished him.

The demon says he won’t do anything wrong again, and for that promise I put my handprint on this stone. This incident is said to be the origin of the name Iwate and is still talked about today.

It is at this shrine that the traditional festival called “Sansa Odori” was born. These three large rocks were created when Mt. Iwate erupted.　 It’s something that flew over. This rock was originally one rock, but It split into three pieces.

Next, go to Sakurayama Shrine, which is about a 15 minute walk from here. I’m heading there while taking a detour. The banks of the Nakatsugawa River are a good walking course. You can feel the seasonal expressions up close. It is one of the landscapes that represent Morioka.

Ayu come to Nakatsugawa in summer, salmon in autumn, and swans in winter. This time we saw ducks and egrets. Uenobashi bridge spanning the Nakatsugawa River This object was created in 1609 and has been designated as an important national art object.

There are restaurants and museums along the river. There is a general store. Let’s also stop by Konyatyou Banya near Nakatsugawa. It is a shop with a cafe and a miscellaneous goods store that sells works related to Iwate. This building was originally built in 1891 as a fire station.

Although its role as a fire department ended in 2005, Currently, it is popular as an exchange facility. It started to rain This street is lined with shops selling miscellaneous goods in traditional buildings dating back to the Edo period.

There is Kamada, a long-established workshop that makes Nanbu ironware, a traditional craft of Iwate. I stopped by Morioka District Court. Here, there are Ishiwarizakura cherry blossoms that herald the coming of spring to the people of Iwate Prefecture. Ishiwarizakura juts out from a crack in a huge rock.

This is an Edohigan cherry tree that is 350 to 400 years old. It has been designated as a national natural monument. The best time to see them is from mid-April to late April. The large torii gate of Sakurayama Shrine came into view. This area is a food district.

Some of these include Hakuryu, which is famous for” Jajamen”, a specialty of Iwate. This is an area where you can enjoy lunch and drinks in the evening. We arrived at Sakurayama Shrine. This shrine was built in 1749. The deity that contributed to the prosperity of Morioka is enshrined here.

Eboshi Rock is located at the top of the stairs. It is said to give you confidence and courage to face difficult times. Morioka Castle Park is located near Sakurayama Shrine. This is the historic site of Morioka Castle.

Buildings within the castle, such as the castle tower, After the Meiji Restoration, it was demolished due to its age. A magnificent stone wall remains. The stone wall is currently being repaired by being dismantled and rebuilt.

Here it was once dismantled, Stone walls are lined up waiting to be stacked up again. What do you think these bumps are? These are holes made by stonemasons during the Edo period to process stones.

Morioka Castle Ruins Park is rich in nature and you can see cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. Best time to see cherry blossoms: Mid-April to early May Best time to see autumn leaves: late October to mid-November Various events are also held here.

This is a picture of last fall’s event. What followed was a renaissance style Iwate Bank Red Brick Building. It was established as a bank in 1911. There is a free zone inside the building. There are paid zones. This is a free zone.

Normally you can enter this floor, but On this day, I was unable to enter due to installation work for the event. Events using this floor There are orchestral concerts and craft markets. The Christmas market held every year is truly wonderful. In the paid zone, you can see things like the vault!

It was evening. To return to Morioka Station Head to Morioka Bus Center. The Sakenachi area along the way also has a long history and many attractions. Iwate’s famous Wanko Soba restaurant “asumaya”

It was designated as a cultural property by Morioka City in 1966. There is Chofukuin Fudo-do Hall, where the statue of Aizen Myoo is enshrined. There are also many humorous objects related to cats. We arrived at Morioka Bus Center. Shops where you can enjoy Morioka’s specialties There are spas and hotels.

There is also a standing soba restaurant. And just like that, this trip is over! If you like, please subscribe to the channel. Recently, I started introducing tourist information and delicious restaurants in Iwate on Instagram! I would be happy if you could follow me too. See you soon.

こんにちわ！
今回は岩手県盛岡の歴史感じる施設を歩いて探検します。
めぐるのは名須川町、本町通、桜山神社界隈です。

hello!
This time, we will walk and explore the historic facilities in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture.
The tour will take you to Nasukawa Town, Hontyou Dori, and the Sakurayama Shrine area.

🌈インスタ始めました！🌈
岩手のグルメや観光情報を紹介しています！
こちらもよろしくお願いします！
https://www.instagram.com/comari_spicy/

00:00 イントロダクションIntroduction
00:27 報恩寺Hoonji Temple
03:22 三ツ石神社Mitsuishi Shrine
05:07 中津川Nakatsugawa
05:47 上の橋kaminohashi
06:31 紺屋町番屋Konyatyou Banya
08:10 盛岡地方裁判所／石割桜Morioka District Court/Ishiwarizakura
09:10 桜山神社Sakurayama Shrine
09:36 烏帽子岩Eboshi Rock
10:26 盛岡城跡公園Morioka Castle Ruins Park
12:05 岩手銀行赤レンガ館Iwate Bank Red Brick Building
13:49 肴町界隈Sakanatyou area
14:23 盛岡バスセンターMorioka Bus Center