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A town with thoughts of literature and actualized love
Takuboku Ishikawa (1886-1912) moved from Shibutami to Morioka when he was nine years old to study at Morioka higher elementary school (present day Shimonohashi junior high school). After that he continued on to study at Morioka junior high school (present day Morioka Daiichi high school) but he often skipped class to visit the nearby Morioka Castle Site Park to read books. At the Ninomaru Palace area in Morioka Castle Site Park, there is a memorial plaque that reads, “Lying on the grass of Kozukata’s palace staring up at the sky, the heart of being 15.”
Takuboku often took walks to Morioka Tenmangu. If you climb up the long stone stairs and go through the shrine gate you can see the elegant main building with a gabled roof. Along the path to the shrine you’ll notice pairs of guardian dogs facing each other with funny expressions. Takuboku’s poems are engraved on the base of these statues.
Takuboku was born in Shibutami, which is in Tamaya ward in northern Morioka. At the Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Hall you can learn about Takuboku’s life, including Hotokuji, the temple he lived when he was young and Shibutami Jinjo elementary school, where he taught.
Morioka Castle Site Park (Iwate Park) (Morioka)
Looks at the beautiful rock walls! A great park for a walk.
Morioka Castle Site Park was founded in 1906 under the name “Iwate Park” on the site of Morioka Castle, which was the castle of the Nanbu Clan. The first lord of the Nanbu Clan, Nanbu Nobunao, started construction of Morioka Castle and it was finished under the third generation of Nanbu lords, Shigenao. Only the beautiful stone walls of the original castle remain. The Ninomaru palace walls use some of the oldest special construction stones in Japan that date to 1686, making them very remarkable walls.
Sakurayama Shrine came to house the protective deity of the Nanbu clan and was built to be integrated into Morioka Castle’s walls. Popularly known as “Sakurayama-san” by locals, many come to pray there throughout the year. On the grounds there is a huge pyramid-shaped rock called the “Eboshiiwa” after the eboshi hats worn in the Heian era that boasts a dignified presence. This rock was uncovered during the construction of the castle, when they were digging to make the Sannnomaru palace the same height as the Ninomaru palace. The second generation lord, Toshinao, exalted the great boulder as holy, and today the area is known as a power spot. It is said that those who find a similar shaped rock on the grounds will achieve true happiness.
This area shows off its beauty in all seasons, making it a popular resting place for people in the city viewing cherry blossoms in the spring, beautiful colors in the fall, and the snow covering the walls in the winter.
Mido Kannondo and Yuhazu Spring (Iwate)
A long journey begins here.
The source of the Kitakami River, which at 294 kilometers long is one of the largest rivers in northern Japan, is right here at Yuhazu Spring on the grounds of Mido Kannondo.
According to legend, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son Yoriie came to this site during the Zenkunen War. Their soldiers were suffering from extreme thirst in the heat, and Yoshiie is said to have struck a rock with the nock of his bow. Water sprung up from where he struck the rock, and they were able to quench their thirst.
It is said that Mido Kannondo, “Tendai Kitayama Shindorihoji Shogakuin” was established in June of 807 by Shogun Sakanoue Tamuramaro under the monk Ryoukei, who was of his own clan.
Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival and Onikoshi Sozen Shrine (Takizawa)
Chagu Chagu Umakko Festival is held on the second Saturday in June. About 100 decoratively dressed horses walk along the road from Sozen Shrine in Takizawa about 15 kilometers to Hachimangu Shrine in Morioka. Small bells attached to the horses’ decorative clothing ring as they walk, making the “chagu chagu” noise that gives the festival its name.
This region has long been famous as a horse center. Families used the horses for farm labor, and valued them as much as members of the family. The traditional “Magariya” houses that shelter the horse’s stable under the same roof as the family are one expression of these values. Local people developed a religious faith centered on horses, and would pray to them for protection against sickness and disasters. Sozen Shrine (Onikoshi Sozen Shrine) celebrated the horse god it houses on May 5th (on the old calendar), and people would come with their horses to pray on that day. We are told this was the beginning of the Chagu Chagu Umakko festival.
This playhouse will take you back to the Meiji era, and perforamances are still being held.
The Kozaka Mine was made during the first open-cut mining in Japan. Korakukan was built as a recreational facility there. The theatre was opened on April 16, 1910 with Kabuki and modern theatre performances, and movies later on. In 1971, general performances and showings were stopped. After a combined effort of locals, the theatre was reopened in 1986, and now it is the oldest playhouse still operating in Japan.
The front of the building is done in a sort of American gothic wood style. The side of the building has traditional Japanese moldings and woodwork, giving the building a sort of half-Japanese, Half western look. The upper gallery is slightly slanted, and the electric lamps were revolutionary at the time they were installed. It has the trademarks of a traditional playhouse, the “flower road” and a trap door. Even now it is used as a kabuki theatre, with famous kabuki actors putting on performances here.
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020-8530 12-2 Uchimaru, Morioka-shi, Iwate-ken TEL：019-651-4111 FAX：019-604-1717