Culture / Tour Spots in Iwate Area

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Iwate
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Category

Leisure / Hobbies

Culture / Tour

Iwate Museum of Art

4.0

67 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Pref. Moriokashi Motomiya Matsuhaba 12-3

This art museum that opened in 2001 is located in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. Paintings and sculptures by artists related to Iwate Prefecture, such as Tetsugoro Yorozu, Shunsuke Matsumoto and Yasutake Funakoshi are on display. In addition, in the permanent exhibition, commentaries by volunteers, collection talk events and other events are regularly held, drawing many tourists to the museum.

This is a beautiful museum. I was impressed when I stepped into the lobby. When I went there was barely anyone there so I had the museum to myself. There are many exhibits of local artists...
Tono Municipal Museum

4.5

35 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Pref. Tonoshi Higashidatechou 3-9

Established in 1980, this museum is the first of its kind in Japan. It is a museum introducing the folklore and folk culture of the Tono peoples' lifestyle, environment, history, and culture. The life of the Tono people in the Tono basin valley is displayed in an easy to understand manner through documents and photographs. One can enjoy viewing the Tono Story, the picture works based on local folklore and topics, and the animated film ''Shigeru Mizuki's Tono Story.''

This is of surprisingly high standard for a municipal museum. The 500 yen admission fee includes the loan of an audio visual device which provides a commentary in English. The displays are well...
Kuji Amber Museum

4.0

39 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Pref. Kujishi Kokujichou Dai19chiwari 156-133

This museum is located in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture. Among the amber used in jewelry, this is where you can see amber from Kuji, which has the world's oldest deposits. There are exhibits that show the production of amber and artworks using it. With prior reservations, you can also participate in events where you can experience digging amber.

様々な種類の琥珀や琥珀のモザイク画等が展示されていました。琥珀を触れたり、歩いたり出来るコーナーがありましたが、コロナ禍で触れず残念でした。一番の目的は琥珀の採掘体験で、春から秋にかけて体験出来ます。スタッフの方が色々気に掛けてくれて、アドバイスをくれたり親切でした。 1時間があっという間に過ぎ、夢中になり楽しめました。体験後に小さい琥珀の御守を貰えます。
Iwate Prefectural Museum

4.0

15 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Pref. Moriokashi Ueda Matsuyashiki 34

This museum that opened in 1980 in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the creation of Morioka Prefecture is located in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. It exhibits materials about the natural environment in Iwate and the history of the prefecture from the geological age to the modern era. You can see Mt. Iwate from the second floor on day with clear weather. The private houses Former Sasaki Residence and Former Fujino Residence, both Important Cultural Properties, are exhibited on the premises and visited by many tourists.

盛岡駅から松園バスターミナル行き路線バスに乗り、松園バスターミナルでバスを乗り換え片道410円、約40分位。入館料310円。予想以上に立派な建物で、展示内容もとても充実していたので大満足。新型ウィルス感染症の世界的流行で観光施設が軒並み営業中止している中やる事がなくなり、博物館へ急遽行き先変更。特に、岩手県の地質についてはとても印象的で、化石が数多く発掘されているのが面白かった。ただ、松園...
Iwate Safari Park

3.5

18 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Pref. Ichinosekishi Fujisawachoukinomi Yamaya 121-2

This zoo is located in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture. Besides animals including white lions and tigers, you can also interact with herbivores such as giraffes and camels inside the park. In addition, you can feed animals up close while riding in a bus designed with a tiger motif. Various events are held in the park, drawing many people and their families.

ゾウライドは正直あまり良い印象を受けませんでした。象にドリルのようなものを刺して痛みを与えて従わせていたからです。人が乗るたび毎回刺されているかと思うと、あまりに可哀想なのでもう乗りません。
Denshoen

4.0

8 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Pref. Tonoshi Tsuchibuchichoutsuchibuchi 6-5-1

Located in Tono, land of Japanese folklore, Denshoen is a facility which exists to share the lifestyle of farmers in the area once lived to future generations. Visitors can learn about old folk tales, experience traditional events, and try making folk crafts. The facility also engages in silkworm raising. Each year a festival to pray to the household god Oshira-sama is held at Denshoen. In addition, the facility regularly has a storyteller share old Tono folktales (fee and reservation required). You can enjoy local Tono cuisine in Denshoen’s cafeteria, and there’s also a memorial museum dedicated to Tono storyteller Kizen Sasaki, as well as the Oshira-do Hall.

古民家や水車小屋・雪隠・井戸などの昔の建物や、土着神オシラサマを祀るオシラ堂を見ることができます。また遠野物語の語り部である佐々木喜善に関する展示もしています。レストランもあり、郷土食のひっつみ(すいとん)やけいらん(もち粉の皮で餡を包んで茹で汁をはったデザート)を食べることができます。総じてなかなか満足度が高い施設でした。
Ichinoseki City Museum

4.0

14 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Pref. Ichinosekishi Gembichou Okinono 215-1

This museum is located in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture. You can learn about the history and culture of the Ichinoseki area and the accomplishments of previous generations. It shows cultural assets and tools from the stone age until the modern era. In addition to permanent exhibitions separated by theme, it also hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures and experiential learning events.

いわゆるローカル観光地にありがちな取って付けたような博物館かな思いきや、蘭学・辞書編纂・和算などのテーマ別に掘り下げて展示することで地元出身の学者の業績をわかりやすく展示していたり、舞草刀(もぐさとう)という、日本等の源流となる刀の展示もあり、かなり見応えがある博物館でした。厳美渓に来たらここにも立ち寄らない手はないです。
Sekino-ichi Brewery Sake-no-minzoku Culture Museum

3.5

14 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Ichinoseki-shi Tamuracho 5-42

A sake folk museum runs by Iwate's 100-year-old Sekinoichi brewery. Originally it was Tohoku’s largest storehouse for the initial stages of the brewing process, then was remodeled into a museum. A variety of sake brewing equipment is on display, including a large barrel for preparation. The sake making process is explained in detail. You can also visit the brewer’s room, dedicated to Matsuo Daimyojin, the god of sake. There is also a literary museum with materials from authors with ties to Ichinoseki.

以前にも来たことがありました。今回は併設されているレストラン（ビアレストランと和食レストランがある）で餅御膳をいただきました。おいしい日本酒がたくさん陳列されていて、利酒をしながら選ぶとよいなあと思いました。
Yorozu Tetsugoro Memorial Museum

4.0

11 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Hanamaki-shi Towacho Tsuchizawa 5-135

"About two minutes by car from Towa Interchange on the Kamaishi Expressway. An art museum that honors Yorozu Tetsugoro, a painter from Tsuchizawa, Towa-cho, Hanamaki City and one of the pioneers of modern Japanese art. Under the theme of ""Yorozu and Tsuchizawa,"" the museum displays collected work that includes oil paintings, ink paintings, sketches, and other items such as notebooks, letters, photographs, and his personal articles. The Haccho Dozo on the west side of the museum is the earthen storehouse from his family home that was transferred to the site and rebuilt. The gallery holds exhibitions with a focus on contemporary art. The adjacent cafe is open to everyone, not just museum visitors."

大正から昭和初期にかけて日本洋画における前衛を切り開いた萬鉄五郎の記念館。その作品の収蔵数も充実しており、萬の一生を通して作品を観覧することが出来ました。見学していてふと思った事、萬の絵の情緒は土地の風土が影響していたのではと感じた点、宮沢賢治とは分野が違えど、同じ地域で育った人、二人共、自然と地域の人との関係性が、情操の成長に作用していたのではとふと考えていた自分に気づきました...
Kesen Carpentry and Folklore Museum

4.5

10 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Rikuzentakata-shi Otomocho Myoga 1-237

A museum located a 90-minute drive from the Ichinoseki Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway. The museum is modeled after early Meiji period Kesen homes and was built to pass on the techniques of Kesen carpentry to future generations. The museum was built exclusively with local materials like Kesen cedar wood. The main building is made of wood and modeled after a single story thatch roof family home. Looking up from beyond the irori sunken hearth, visitors can spot Kesen carpentry techniques everywhere, such as three stage beams. There's also a 3.11 Light of Hope eternally lit gas lamp on the grounds which was lit from the 1.17 Light of Hope in Kobe.

The Kesen carpentry style is unique to the area and unfortunately there are very few carpenters (if any) left to carry on the techniques. Inside the main building with high ceilings is a...
Morioka Study Museum of Archeological Site

4.0

10 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Morioka-shi Motomiya Araya 13-1

"The museum is located in ""Morioka Central Park"" in Hongu-araya, Morioka City. The museum exhibits excavated materials from the Odate Town Ruins, a historical site designated by the prefecture, as well as other ruins excavated in the city. In addition to thematic and special exhibitions, the museum also offers hands-on learning opportunities such as pottery making. There is also a library with access to historical materials."

入口が道路とは反対側にあるので、ちょっと見過ごしてしまいがちですが、結構おもしろい博物館です。土器や石器がたくさんあって、時代ごとの変遷も併せて学べます。
Hachimantai City Museum

4.5

3 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Hachimantai-shi Kamasuda 230

This museum is located in Kamasuda, Hachimantai City. It houses a collection of materials about the culture and history of the old town, which grew up as a key transport center leading to Tsugaru and Akita. Its four permanent exhibitions are “Life and Culture in the Appikawa and Yoneshiro Watersheds,” “Lacquerware: Beauty in the Midst of Everyday Life,” “Carrying Past Ways of Life into the Present Day,” and “Literature, the Jomon Era, and Skiing.” Other exhibits include specially produced Appi lacquerware, everyday goods from the past, and items connected with Kojun, the 15th great high priest of Kan’eiji Temple Gokoku-in.

It was a great place to see Japanese ancient histories and their old stuff. There are many sections by each era, starting from Jomon period. The most fascinating things are Appi Urushi bowls and...
Runbinii Art Museum

4.0

3 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Hanamaki-shi Hoshigaoka 1-21-29

A museum located about five minutes by taxi from JR Hanamaki Station. The main focus of the exhibitions is the artwork of people with disabilities. The free Borderless Gallery, a cafe, and a bakery are on the first floor, and the second floor consists of an atelier used by Mayura, a local creative group featuring artists with disabilities. The atelier is open to the public in the morning except on weekends and other times the museum is closed. The shop on the first floor sells original merchandise.

前回は道路に雪が残っていて、雨が降っていたが、JR花巻駅まで20分前後、道を変えて徒歩で往復した。今回は車だったし、気になって寄ってみたが、福祉関係の情報量が減っているように思えた。気のせいだろうか。道路の向かいは高校で、その北側は花巻球場で賑やかだった。高校は、今回初めて花巻東と気づいた。
Kujira To Umi no Science Museum

4.5

2 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Shimohei-gun Yamadamachi Funakoshi Dai7-chiwari 50-1

山田町の過去の商業捕鯨時代の捕鯨の展示があります。また、それ鯨以外にも三陸の漁の展示があり楽しめます。南部もぐりの展示では、実際に重い装備を持つことができます。地味かもしれませんが、見どころはたっぷりです。
Kuji Underground Aquarium and Science Museum Moguranpia

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Pref. Kujishi Samuraihamachoumugio First District 43-7

This aquarium is located in Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture. It is Japan's first underground aquarium, and uses a tunnel at the National Kuji Storage Base. Besides being able to come into contact with sea creatures, there are also various exhibits and a corner to learn about the oil reserves. You can also see the nanbu moguri (traditional diving technique) and hokugen no ama (northernmost female free divers) underwater demonstrations on weekends and national holidays.
Hekishoji Temple Museum

4.0

1 Reviews

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Waga-gun Nishiwagamachi Sawauchi Ota 3-32

This museum is located on the grounds of Hekishoji Temple in Ota Sawauch, Nishiwaga Town, Waga County. It houses a collection of over 10,000 items related to local folkways, including National Important Cultural Properties, the tools used by “matagi,” traditional local wintertime hunters, and items used in everyday life. Visitors can encounter the unique culture that grew up in the harsh natural environment of Japan’s “snow country.”

山に入り熊を撃つという猟師を岩手と秋田のこの辺りではマタギというようですが、その文化を伝える展示内容が充実しています。
Stone and Kenji Museum

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Ichinoseki-shi Higashiyamacho Matsukawa Takinosawa 149-1

A museum located a three-minute walk from Rikuchu-Matsukawa Station on the Ofunato Line in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture. The museum was established for future generations to share with and make it possible to come in contact with the ideas and lifestyles of engineer Kenji Miyazawa and Tohoku Rubble Factory owner Tozo Suzuki. The museum has lapis lazuli, amethyst, and ammonite fossils on display and a library of books collected by Suzuki. Visitors can also take a tour of the former Tohoku Rubble Factory, which was erected in 1924 and registered a National Tangible Cultural Property in 1996 (note: at the present time, tours are not possible due to renovations; tours are scheduled to reopen in the spring of 2020.)
The Cattle Museum

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Oshu-shi Maesawa Minamijinba 103-1

A museum located a seven-minute taxi ride from Maesawa Station on the Tohoku Main Line in Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture. The museum contains a variety of exhibits on cattle such as cattle skeletons and how milk is produced, the relationship between humans and cattle from ancient times to the present, the history of Maesawa beef, and the cattle industry. The museum holds events such as symposiums and picture book readings, as well as classes like butter making and recreating Meiji period ice cream. The museum store sells original merchandise like T-shirts featuring a cow stomach design, and leather cell phone straps.
Flower and Garden Mori no Kaze

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Iwate-gun Shizukuishicho Oshuku 10-64-1

This authentic Western style garden, located a 25-minute drive from the Morioka Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway in Iwate District, Iwate Prefecture, is one of the largest of its kind in Japan. The garden was designed by world class landscape architect Kazuyuki Ishihara. The facility is divided into the Mori no Keikoku main garden, which is filled with an abundance of seasonal flowers and waterside landscapes; and the Mori no Oka community garden, created based on the idea of a secret flower garden. The facility's store sells gifts and souvenirs like local specialty products, seasonal flower seedlings, and soft serve ice cream. Several events are held here throughout the year such as lighting up the gardens at night.
Kitakami City Oni no Yakata

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Kitakami-shi Wagacho Iwasaki 16-131

"A museum located a 20-minute drive from JR Kitakami Station. The museum was opened in 1994 to present information on oni, mythical Japanese creatures alternately translated as ""ogres"" and ""demons."" The museum introduces all kinds of oni, from scary ones to cute and cuddly ones. Exhibits include a large number of oni masks, including a giant mask three-meter-tall and weighing 80 kilograms. The museum also introduces masks depicting oni-like creates from around the world with a focus on Thailand, Nepal, and other Asian countries."

Iwate

Morioka City / Shizukuishi Town / Koiwai Hanamaki / Tono Hachimantai / Appi Highland Sanriku Coast Hiraizumi / Oshu / Ichinoseki

Leisure / Hobbies Culture / Tour

Aquarium Museum / Science Museum Zoo Art Museum Botanical Garden

Iwate Areas

A northern Tohoku prefecture promising peace and quiet, Iwate is sparsely populated, replacing people with snow-capped mountains, history-rich sites, and fields of crops that are to thank for the region’s delicious local cuisine. Meander along the three-city Golden Route, where you’ll visit the grand Buddhist temples of Hiraizumi and the Tono folk villages before tasting the three famed noodle dishes of Morioka.