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Morioka City, which was selected as the second most popular city in the world in the "52 Places to Visit in 2023" published by the New York Times in January 2023, is dotted with many "senbero bars."
In this article, we will introduce some particularly recommended "senbero" bars in three locations in the city's old and new downtown areas (Odori, Morioka Station, and Yahata-cho)
What is the definition of “senbero”?
The word originally referred to a bar where you could get very drunk for 1,000 yen, but now it has come to mean a bar where you can get 2 to 3 drinks and snacks for 1,000 yen.
In this article, we have defined the criteria for certification as a "Senbero" bar as follows.
You can order two glasses of alcohol (type and quantity are free) and one snack in addition to the appetizer and drink it for less than 1,000 yen.
Set prices such as "Senbero Set" are available for less than 1,000 yen.
Family restaurants where you can eat rice crackers are not eligible.
We also introduce sets that cost less than 1,500 yen as "high-priced rice crackers," but we appreciate your understanding.
Please note that prices in the article include tax unless otherwise stated and are as of the end of September 2023.
Recommended "Senbero Sakaba" in the "Odori" area, Morioka's largest downtown area
An alley off Morioka Boulevard
From Kaiun Bridge near the east exit of Morioka Station to Morioka Castle Ruins Park, about 1 kilometer east, there is a bustling downtown area centered around the intersection of Odori and Eigakan-dori, where many restaurants and bars are concentrated
Sakurayama Shrine, dedicated to the Nanbu clan
The main street connecting "Odori" to "Uchimaru" or "Sakurayama" was a shopping street that thrived during the Showa era, but as more and more stores closed, it was on the verge of becoming a ghost town
View of Uchimaru from the main street
However, many restaurants have opened in their place, and the area is bustling with activity, unlike the Showa era
Marufuji Bar
This authentic "senbero" bar has an atmosphere that recreates the atmosphere of a downtown Tokyo bar from the Showa era, and you can enjoy daytime drinking from 11:30pm
The best value is the "Senbero Set" which is available from 3pm to 5pm and includes three drinks and your choice of two snacks from four options for 1,100 yen. Draft beer is only 500 yen, so it feels like a great deal
There are over 100 types of snacks available, ranging from 100 yen yakitori to slightly more luxurious sashimi
Our recommendations are the 600 yen meat tofu, which is filled with melt-in-your-mouth meat and soaked tofu, and the chicken and radish dish, which is a perfect combination of radish that has absorbed the flavor of chicken stock and plump chicken.Both are popular specialty dishes of this restaurant
The drink menu is extensive, with prices priced at around 500 yen, and you can even reserve a bottle of Kinmuya Shochu, a classic Hoppy drink that pairs well with meat and tofu
Marutomi Bar ＜Information＞
Store name: Marutomi Bar
Address: 1F Chisuga Building, 1-9-1 Odori, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
This popular pub is located across from Sakurayama Shrine in Uchimaru, and is also a popular "senbero" (cheap drinking) spot with a retro Showa-era atmosphere
The 1,100 yen "Senbero Set" includes your choice of two drinks and two snacks
There is a wide variety of drinks available, but they are particularly known for their selection of local sake
Previously, the restaurant had the image of a retro Showa-era skewer restaurant specializing in yakitori and yakiton, but the interior has recently been renovated to give it a new look while still retaining its retro feel, and a hideaway-like room has also been added
Recently, new international menu items have been developed, such as charcoal grills and sundubu hotpots that can be enjoyed at the table, as well as Napoli curry, a fusion of Neapolitan and curry, and there is also a Chinese noodle dish to finish off the meal
Sakurayama Chanchiki Sakaba <Information>
Store name: Sakurayama Chanchiki Sakaba
Address: 5-1 Uchimaru, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
"Let's go to Morioka for Oden!" "Senbero Sakaba" in front of Morioka Station
Recently, a wide variety of restaurants have opened one after another in the area from the east exit of Morioka Station to Kaiunbashi Bridge, creating a lively atmosphere. There is also an increase in "senbero izakayas" (cheap drinking establishments) that can be easily visited by tourists disembarking from the Shinkansen or while waiting for a train
Standing bar Ebisu-ke Morioka Fezan
This casual standing bar, located in the underground passage of Morioka Station, is a popular spot where both drinks and food are cheap, and is renowned for its delicious, slowly simmered beef tendon curry and pork bowl with a huge amount of meat
From the official Facebook page of Ebisuke Standing Bar
In particular, the "Senbero Set" (1,200 yen), which includes your choice of two drinks and two snacks, is highly recommended for its great value
The drinks you can choose from are draft beer and one cup of local sake for the first drink only, but you can choose two highballs or sours, and you can also change the two drinks to three Hoppy (white or dark) and medium (refill shochu)
For snacks, you can choose one item from Group A, which includes ham cutlets and stewed offal, priced over 300 yen, or Group B, which includes cheaper items like edamame, but it's enough for a quick drink while you wait for your train
Ebisuke Standing Bar ＜Information＞
Store name: Standing Ebisuke Morioka Fezan
Address: 1-44 Morioka Ekimae-dori, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Just across Kaiun Bridge from Morioka Station, on the left side, is a retro Showa-era motsuyaki restaurant with a curtain that reads "Home Run." It is popular with the younger generation and is so popular that even late at night, you may not be able to get in without a reservation
From Motsuyaki Home Run official Facebook page
Most of the main dishes, including grilled offal, are priced at 110 yen each, so you can still enjoy "senbero" even without a set meal
One of the reasons for its popularity is that you can order "Sharikin" (Kinmiya shochu frozen into a sherbet form) as a refill for your Hoppy
They also have original drinks that you won't find anywhere else, and the cheap and delicious dishes, such as stewed offal, are probably reasons why young people flock here
Motsuyaki Home Run <Information>
Store name: Motsuyaki Home Run
Address: Kasumi Building 1F, 3-7-9 Odori, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 019-6569850
Business hours: Sunday to Thursday 17:00 to 25:00, Friday and Saturday 17:00 to 26:00
Senbero Sakaba in the Hachimancho area, where the atmosphere of the entertainment district lingers
The approach to Hachiman Shrine (red torii gate in the back) continues from Minami-Odori
The area from Hachimancho in front of Morioka Hachimangu Shrine to Minami-Odori Street and Sakanamachi Arcade in the west is also known as Bangai, and is known as a geisha town where the atmosphere of the old entertainment district still remains faintly
Bar Mansai
From the official Facebook page of Sakaba Hatasai
This "senbero bar" opened in February 2022 after being renovated from a pub located near the bus center on Minami-Odori Street, and is a place where you can enjoy reasonably priced daytime drinks on Sundays
From the official Facebook page of Sakaba Hatasai
Standard snacks are mostly in the 300 to 400 yen price range, but occasionally fresh seafood from Sanriku is brought in, and on those occasions we recommend upping your "senbero" to "nisenbero."
From the official Facebook page of Sakaba Hatasai
Additionally, to coincide with local events such as the Hachiman Shrine Festival, they offer special deals such as 90 minutes of all-you-can-drink for 1,000 yen (with two appetizers), so it's a good idea to check their official Facebook and Instagram accounts
Bar Hatasai <Information>
Store name: Bar Hatasai
Address: 1-5-8 Minami Odori, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: None
Business hours: Tuesday to Saturday 16:00-21:00, Sunday 13:00-20:00
During the Showa era, "senbero bars" were seen as hangout spots for middle-aged and elderly people, but recently, an increasing number of young people are visiting establishments with a Showa retro feel, seeing them as "old but new."
In addition to the restaurants introduced in this article, there are many other restaurants in Morioka city that cater to "senbero" drinking, but we will introduce these bars in a new article
I am a former Edo guy who loves Morioka, loves the six prefectures of Tohoku, and loves history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. We'll introduce you to some interesting, delicious, and good things about Tohoku!
