Spots in Morioka City / Shizukuishi Town / Koiwai Area

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Iwate
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Morioka City / Shizukuishi Town / Koiwai

Category

Hayasaka Plateau Visitor Center

Travel / Tourism

Iwate Shimohei-gun Iwaizumicho Kamatsuta Gongen 45-5

This visitor center located along the Hayasaka Pass is also a Forestry Agency-certified therapy road center. Inside, there is information on area hiking routes, and informational panels featuring the alpine plants found on the Hayasaka Plateau. The center also sells soba mochi dumplings, dengaku tofu roasted with miso, and other light dishes and snacks, and many people driving through the area stop here to take a break.
Ganso Shizukuishi Light Truck Market

Shopping

Iwate Iwate-gun Shizukuishicho

Located about a five-minute walk from JR Shizukuishi Station, this morning market is held on the Shizukuishi Yosharedori Shopping Arcade with it closed to vehicular traffic, and has hawkers directly selling their best products from rows of light trucks. There are many products unique to the production area such as fresh vegetables, fruits, marine products, crafts, items rarely seen, and highly discounted goods. There are also other fun events. It is held on the first Sunday of every month from May to November (the second Sunday only in July). There is a shuttle bus that operates between the parking lot, market area and Shizukuishi Station when the market is open.
Shizukuishi Tourism & Local Products Center

Shopping

Iwate Iwate-gun Shizukuishicho Teranoshita 46-3

A complex consisting of a town-run community facility and Shizukuishi Station on the JR Tazawako Line. The building's design was inspired by the children's stories of Kenji Miyazawa and has been selected for inclusion of a list of the Tohoku region's 100 best stations. A destination, crammed with the unique charms of Shizukuishi, on the first floor, you can find a tourism and cultural exchange center; and Horosuke Hoho, an izakaya (Japanese pub) offering a wide variety of choices, including lunch options, yakiniku (Japanese barbecue), and of course popular izakaya options. On the second floor, there's Kobirikko, a restaurant serving Japanese-style fast food; and Ekinaka Sanchoku, a shop which sells rice, vegetables, Koiwai dairy products, Shizukaishi beef, and souvenirs.
Kakkonda Gorge

Travel / Tourism

Iwate Iwate-gun Shizukuishicho

This is a 10-kilometer gorge in the upper reaches of the Kakkondagawa River, extending from Genbu Cave to Takinoue Hot Spring. Extending for 160 meters along the left bank of the river is a series of spike-like formations, 70 meters high, and Torigoe Falls drops 30 meters into a deep green pool from the rock face deep within the gorge. Extensive areas of various broad-leaf trees, especially old-growth beeches, grow in the river basin, and both the new spring greenery and the autumn colors of yellow birches and red maples are a lovely sight. The best time for seeing autumn leaves in most years is from early to mid-October.
Kobo-zakura Cherry Tree

Travel / Tourism

Iwate Iwate-gun Shizukuishicho

Located about a 30-minute drive from the Tohoku Expressway’s Morioka Interchange and about ten minutes by taxi from JR Shizukuishi Station. The edo-higanzakura cherry is about 800 years old and is designated as a natural monument in Shizukuishi. It is the oldest in Iwate Prefecture and the largest in size. There is a legend that when Kobo Daishi visited, the cherry blossom staff he had took root where he stabbed it into the ground and became a cherry tree. Every year around Golden Week, many beautiful flowers bloom with such power that it does not seem like an old tree.
Hana Kobo LaLa Club

Shopping

Iwate Iwate-gun Shizukuishicho

Located about a 17-minute drive from the Tohoku Expressway’s Morioka Interchange, this direct sales flower shop is the largest in the Tohoku region. The flowers produced on their own farms do not pass through the market, so they are cheaper than the market price, and there are many varieties that are not readily available elsewhere. There is an English garden and Christmas rose garden on site where you can take strolls. Shibazakura no Oka, which is completely dyed pink, is wonderful especially in mid-May. The adjacent “Farmer’s Restaurant LALA” offers simple and comforting dishes with a focus on local cuisine.
Amihari Onsen Arine Sanso

Accommodations / Hot Spring

Iwate Iwate-gun Shizukuishicho Naga Yama Komatsu Kura 13-7

Located about 40 minutes via National Route 46 from the Tohoku Expressway’s Morioka Interchange, this simple day-trip hot spring facility in the middle of nature has relaxing breezes at the foot of majestic Mt. Iwate. With bathing rooms, a sauna and outdoor bath, you can enjoy bathing while watching the magnificent Shizukuishi Basin that spreads before your eyes. The milky white hot springs are simple acidic, sulfur, and acidic hypotonic extra hot springs. It is said to be effective for chronic dermatitis, chronic women’s diseases and cuts. There is a free rest area, and there is also a direct sales corner that sells seasonal items mainly on weekends and national holidays.
Shiwa Vineyard

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Shiwa-gun Shiwacho Sahinai Ii Toyoda 59-1

This vineyard is located about 30 minutes from the Shiwa Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway via National Route 456 and is one of many vineyards in Iwate Prefecture. Located among the range of broad, green hills in the Sahinai District of Shiwa　Town, it welcomes visitors. It grows grapes in environmentally friendly ways and prioritizes production of a reliable product. The rows of vines are far apart enough to allow a wheelchair to pass through, and since they are inside a simple greenhouse, visitors can pick grapes even when it is raining. Between late August and early October, Shiwa Vineyard sells grapes by weight for visitors to take home. Visitors who make reservations may barbecue in specified places.
Shiroyama Park

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Shiwa-gun Shiwacho Futsukamachi Furudate

Located about a 15-minute drive from the Tohoku Expressway’s Shiwa Interchange, this park was built on the site of Kosuiji Castle on a small mountain near the center of town. Kosuiji Castle once flourished as the residence of the Shiba family in the Ashikaga clan, and it prospered for about 400 years as the center of medieval Shiwa County. The Kitakami River flows below you, and the park overlooks Mt. Iwate and Mt. Azumane in the distance, and about 2,000 cherry trees such as Edo-higanzakura cherry, Yoshino cherry and double-flowered cherry are planted in the park. The path leading to the park becomes a wonderful tunnel of cherry blossoms when they are in bloom.
Mt. Nansho

Travel / Tourism

Iwate Shiwa-gun Yahabacho Kemuyama

This mountain is about a 20-minute drive from JR Yahaba Station, an 848-meter mountain on the border between the towns of Shizukuishi and Yahaba. With a symmetrical shape like a horizontal mirror, it is home to many species of animals and plants. It has been celebrated since ancient times as the home of Seiryu Daigongen, and “lion’s head” is offered on the mountain top for praying for rain. Author Miyazawa Kenji is known to have visited this mountain many times. The Nusakake Trail, which starts near Yahaba Hot Srping toward the fifth station of the mountain is the family-friendly, while other route is for more advanced climbers. The mountain is closed for the winter between December and April.
Nusakake Falls

Travel / Tourism

Iwate Shiwa-gun Yahabacho Kemuyama

This falls is about a ten-minute drive from the Morioka-Minami Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway. It is at the entrance to one of the climbing routes on Mt. Nansho. The falls is 7 meters high and 4. 5 meters wide and is notable for consisting of an upper and lower stage. It is known as a good place to escape summer heat and to absorb negative ions, features that attract many tourists who seek to cool off in the summer. In former times, the winter hunters who roamed Mt. Nansho prayed for safety by making offerings (“nusa”) to the gods, which is how the falls received their name. The area is beautiful for spring greenery and autumn leaves and other seasonal wonders, and in the river above Nusakake Falls is another waterfall, Kitanosawa Otaki Falls, 13 meters high.
Yahaba History and Folklore Museum

Travel / Tourism

Iwate Shiwa-gun Yahabacho Nishitokuta 3-188-2

This museum is located in the Dai 3 Chiwari area of Nishitokuta in Yahaba Town, Shiwa County. It holds exhibits centering on excavated items from sites such as the neighboring Tokutan Castle Ruins, a nationally designated historic site, and Fujisawa Ezomori Kofun in the same town. In addition, the Sasaki family magariya (bent house ) displays folklore materials such as living tools in the building with a unique architectural style of the Nanbu region.
Mt. Himekami

Travel / Tourism

Iwate Morioka-shi Tamayama

This mountain is located in Himekami National Forest in Tamayama, Morioka City. Standing 1,124 meters high, it is part of the Sotoyama-Hayakawa Highland Prefectural Nature Park. The Shibutami District (the former Shibutani Village), west of the mountain, is known as the birthplace of poet Takuboku Ishikawa, whose poems “My Hometown Mountain” reflects his deep ties to the area.
Nambu Magariya no Yu

Accommodations / Hot Spring

Iwate Morioka-shi Tsunagi Yu No Tate 74-2

This is a hot spring facility located inside Hotel Shion along Prefectural Route 172 in Yunotate, Tsunagi, Morioka City. It incorporates the architectural style of the former Morioka Fief, known as Nanbu Magari-ya, and customers can bathe in the alkaline simple springs drawn straight from underground sources are said to be effective against nerve pain, muscle soreness, joint pain, frozen shoulders, motor paralysis, joint stiffness, bruises, sprains, chronic digestive diseases, sensitivity to cold, post-illness recovery, recovery from fatigue, and health promotion. Equipped with two baths with outdoor sections and an outdoor private bath, this facility also accepts day customers.
Sun Farm

Leisure / Hobbies

Iwate Morioka-shi Mukainakano Shinden 7 , Shiwa-gun Shiwacho Kitazawa Nakasawa 14 (Blueberry , Sakuranbo)

This is a farm located in Morioka City. Handed down through 11 generations in Morioka for about 300 years. The farm grows fruit, such as cherries and berries, as well as rice and vegetables, and manufactures and sells processed foods. It has a cherry orchard in Mukainakanoshinden in the same city, and it operates cherry and berry orchards in Shiwa Town, Shiwa County. It holds cherry picking and blueberry picking events depending on the season.
Morioka Konya Oshukaido Antique Market

Shopping

Iwate Morioka-shi Konyacho 1-6

This market is held in Konya-cho, Morioka City on the third Sunday of the month between April and November. Antique dealers and amateurs from inside and outside Iwate Prefecture display their wares. It has been held for more than 30 years, since 1984, and it attracts large numbers of customers, including local people, tourists, and enthusiasts from inside and outside Japan.
Ihatov Avenue Zaimoku-cho

Travel / Tourism

Iwate Morioka-shi Zaimokucho

This street is located in Zaimoku-cho, Morioka City. Besides Kogensha (currently sells folk crafts) that published Kenji Miyazawa’s collection of fairy tales, “The Restaurant of Many Orders,” there are six monuments with motifs from Kenji Miyazawa's works such as the “Ishiza” sculpture of Kenji Miyazawa resting at a stone quarry along the street.
Iwaizumi Junboku Kagu

Shopping

Iwate Morioka-shi Zaimokucho 8-26

This custom furniture store is located in Zaimoku-cho, Morioka City. It exhibits wooden furniture made using broad-leaved trees from Iwate Prefecture, and sells Persian rugs and other items that match the furniture. You can order furniture that matches your lifestyle by considering things including the design and size while consulting with a designer.
Sekiguchiya Kashiho Confectionery

3.5

2 Reviews

Gourmet / Alcohol

Iwate Morioka-shi Shinmeicho 2-3

This Japanese confectionery shop is located in Shinmei-cho, Morioka City. It manufactures “Morioka Dagashi,” which originated from preserved food for the winter. It sells a variety of confectionery such as “shochuto” with shochu in boiled sugar and “ishigoromo” with sugar coated on kneaded and dried bean paste.

盛岡駄菓子の看板が掛かって、老舗感ある建物。商品は、煎餅から万頭類まで様々。煎餅をいただきましたが、このお店の雰囲気にしばらくはぼーっとなっていたように思います。
Ristoro Kinpodo

Gourmet / Alcohol

Iwate Morioka-shi Morioka Ekimaedori 10-3 Underground

This Western restaurant is located in Morioka Ekimaedori, Morioka City. In addition to their famous tonteki pork steaks, it offers classic menus such as hamburgers, fried shrimps, beef stew, set menus and snacks. You can enjoy dishes such as pork steak, grilled curry and the set meal of the month for lunch.

Iwate Morioka City / Shizukuishi Town / Koiwai

Leisure / Hobbies Shopping Gourmet / Alcohol Style / Fashion Life / Living / Hospital Accommodations / Hot Spring Travel / Tourism Transportation

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.