[Morioka, Iwate Prefecture] Let's go to Morioka Castle Ruins Park by Denden Mushi! The historic and solid stone walls are worth seeing.

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  • Last updated: 2024.04.30

Morioka Castle Ruins is a famous spot in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. While you can feel the remains of the castle that no longer exists, the sight of the stone walls that still tower today gives you a sense of emotion and timeless beauty. This time, we will introduce Morioka Castle Ruins Park, which is essential when talking about Morioka.

You can go to Morioka Castle Ruins Park from Morioka Station by taking the Dendenmushi for 100 yen.

Morioka Castle was the residence of the Nanbu clan of the Nanbu domain. It's a 5-minute walk from Morioka Station and is a must-see spot. A 100 yen bus called Dendenmushi leaves from the station. More convenient access. If you take a bus from the station, you will arrive in 5 minutes.

Morioka Castle is especially famous for the size of its stone walls. Among the many famous castles, this one has a particularly huge stone wall. This is an amazing word.

Eboshi Rock is also one of the highlights. Originally, it was a stone that got in the way when the castle was being built and was removed. However, when they dug it up, they found it to be a really huge rock, and decided to enshrine it as a god. The locals also call it "Omamori Rock".

The monument to Takuboku Ishikawa's poem is also a popular spot. There is an inscription from a famous song that reads, ``Fifteen hearts lied down on the grass of the castle of the unknown, sucked up by the sky.'' This is a poem written by Takuboku Ishikawa as a boy, escaping out of the school window, digging through books, and composing them in a daydream. The engraving of the letters is done by Kyosuke Kindaichi.

Morioka Castle Ruins Park is divided into three areas.

Morioka Castle Ruins Park is roughly divided into Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru areas. On the stone wall of Sannomaru, there is a standing board inscribed with the names of two magistrates who worked on the stone wall. Usually indicated by a stamp. However, the handwritten name remains on this board. This is an extremely rare case. The name of the magistrate is written not only on the Sannomaru, but also on the Ninomaru.

A few meters below Ninomaru is the Sakakiyama Inari Kuruwa. However, all that remains is the remains of a well. This is where the Sakakiyama Inari shrine was originally located. However, there is a story behind it being relocated along with the abandoned castle. What is special about it is that it has a very acute triangular curve. In line with this, the outer stone wall is also triangular. If you look at it from Ninomaru, you can see that the stone wall protrudes in a triangular shape. Why did they make it into such a triangular shape? It is a place that tickles the intellectual curiosity of those who see it.

You can access the main enclosure from the Ninomaru Corridor Bridge. A must-see spot for the Honmaru Mie Yagura Ruins. Originally built as a turret, it became a castle tower. It must have been a landmark of Morioka Castle. Some of the stone walls have now been recreated on the site.

To the east of the castle ruins is the very beautiful Tsurugaike Pond. This area is a firefly village and has an environment that is easy to walk around.

Morioka Castle Ruins＜Information＞

  • Name: Morioka Castle Ruins (Iwate Park)
  • Address: 1-37 Ichimaru, Morioka, Iwate 020-0023
  • Phone number: 019-681-0722
  • Official URL: http://www.moriokashiroato.jp/

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