This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
In the first part of our introduction to the food options inside JR Morioka Station, we featured restaurants arranged by JR East located within the station premises
Wikipedia defines "eki-naka" as "a common term for shops and other facilities operated by Japanese railway companies inside or near train stations under their management."
In the past, the term often referred to the area between the ticket gate and the platform, but recently the term "inside the station" has come to be used to refer to the station premises and station buildings directly connected to the station as well.
In this series, we also refer to station buildings directly connected to the station as "station-inside" areas
The "Fesan" shopping complex at Morioka Station is a treasure trove of gourmet food!
The main building of Fezan has floors from the basement to the third floor, housing fast food restaurants and family restaurants, with many of the popular local establishments located in the basement
In addition, you can enjoy the flavors of Morioka at "Odensekan," which is connected to the station on the first floor, and "Menkoi Yokocho," an underground passage
Furthermore, the name FES"AN is derived from "pheasant," the English name for the pheasant, which is the prefectural bird of Iwate Prefecture, and evokes an image of approachability and development like a bird taking flight
"Menkoi Yokocho" features Morioka's three famous noodle dishes, as well as ramen, pasta, and standing bars
"Menkoi Yokocho," which can be accessed from the basement of Fezan via the first basement floor of "Odensekan," is lined up like a row of houses, with six noodle shops and one standing bar
FamilyMart in "Menkoi Yokochō"
The alley is located between the underground passage to the west exit of the station and the east exit, which leads to the bus terminal and Kaiunbashi Bridge. It has a drugstore (Matsumoto Kiyoshi) and a convenience store (FamilyMart)
Ramen☆Billy Morioka Fezan Store (11:00~22:00)
The eye-catching yellow ramen ☆ Billy
This ramen shop, which originated in Sendai, offers both pork bone broth (known as G-kei, or Ramen Jiro-kei) and chicken bone broth
This dish, featuring a generous portion of homemade, extra-thick, flat, wrinkled noodles, vegetables, pork back fat, and garlic, is popular with young people
Yanagiya Ramen in Iwate (11:00 AM - 9:30 PM, Last Order 9:00 PM)
The "Kimchi Natto Ramen," labeled as a "specialty," is synonymous with Yanagiya
Yanagiya, a popular restaurant serving its "Kimchi Natto Ramen," is a favorite among Morioka residents and offers a unique take on ramen
The wheat used in the noodles is grown by Yanagiya themselves, and its chewy texture is what keeps customers coming back
Suzuen (10:00-22:00, last order 21:30)
Suzuen has the appearance of a yakiniku restaurant in the city
Located on the first basement floor of Fesan, this is a sister restaurant of Meimei-ya where you can enjoy Morioka Reimen (cold noodles) made with a soup simmered for 24 hours using beef bones and homemade noodles
For this cold noodle dish, you can also order the spiciness separately ("betsukara") to savor the base soup and then adjust the spiciness to your liking
Tsukemen Wa (11:00 AM - 9:30 PM, Last Order 9:00 PM)
I feel like I'm being drawn in by the delicious-looking photo of the tsukemen (dipping noodles)
The pork bone and seafood broth is a "chemical additive-free" soup that does not use any artificial seasonings, but it is full of flavor
You can enjoy the satisfying texture of these extra-thick tsukemen noodles
Morioka Jajamen Snack Shop (10:30 AM - 9:30 PM, Last Order 9:00 PM)
This also looks like a noodle shop in the middle of town
The main store is located along National Route 4 in Morioka City and is a popular restaurant that rivals even the long-established Morioka Jajamen restaurant "Pairon" located on the first floor of Odensekan
This is the Jajangmyeon from the main store; make sure to mix it well before eating
Jajamen, a representative B-grade gourmet dish of Morioka, may look similar at every restaurant, but each restaurant has its own unique meat sauce, so I highly recommend trying and comparing them
Standing Bar Ebisusuke (11:00 AM - 11:00 PM, Last Order 10:30 PM)
This is the only standing-only izakaya in "Menkui Yokocho," and you can see a few people drinking there even during the daytime
This standing bar is popular for its grilled skewers, offal stew, and beef tendon stew
The popular pork bowl served at lunchtime features thick-cut pork loin marinated in Ebisusuke's special sauce and grilled over charcoal. It's a popular menu item along with the "Ebisusuke Original Curry."
Pronto (Weekdays 7:00-23:00, Last Order 22:30; Weekends and Holidays 8:00-22:00, Last Order 21:30)
It has a stylish atmosphere, making it a safe and comfortable place for women traveling alone
Based on the concept of "a cafe during the day and a bar at night," the cafe is open from 7:00 to 17:30 (from 8:00 on weekends and holidays), and the coffee bar is open from 17:30 to 23:00 (until 22:00 on weekends and holidays)
It's located near the north exit of the station, and it seems to be popular with passengers waiting for their trains
A variety of shops at "Odense-kan," which connects Fezan and the station!
On the first floor of "Odense-kan" inside Morioka Station, you'll find a wide selection of Morioka's famous sweets that make great souvenirs
The "Odensekan" on the first floor of Morioka Station has not only restaurants, but also souvenir shops, liquor stores, bookstores, convenience stores, pharmacies, opticians, clothing stores, and other things you need for daily life
We'll start with the shop located directly in front of the escalator coming down from the north exit of Morioka Station on the second floor, and proceed clockwise
Gingado 1890 Sweets & Bakery (8:00 AM - 9:30 PM, last order for eat-in space: 8:30 PM)
Since it's close to the bus terminal, bus users can also adjust their schedules here
Located directly opposite the elevator, this shop sells homemade sweets and freshly baked bread, and has an eat-in area, making it a popular waiting spot for trains and buses
Marumatsu, a restaurant specializing in 100% buckwheat soba noodles (11:00 AM - 9:30 PM, last order 9:00 PM)
They also have local sake, so you can enjoy drinking with your soba noodles
We use 100% buckwheat grown in Iwate Prefecture, which is ground daily with a stone mill and used to make our noodles
This is a flavorful 100% buckwheat soba noodle made without any binding agents
Minoru Dining, a restaurant in the pure and savory region of Iwate (11:00-21:30, last order 21:00)
If you want to eat a lot of meat, this is the place to go
They serve grilled dishes made with meat from Iwate Prefecture, available as set meals and rice bowls
They have a private room (capacity 10 people), which is recommended for those who want to enjoy a meal in peace and quiet
Sushi Kagura (11:00 AM - 9:30 PM, Last Order 9:00 PM)
Even though it's inside the train station, you can enjoy sushi while chatting with the chef at the counter
This is authentic sushi, prepared by a skilled chef right in front of you at the counter
If you're craving sushi at Fezan, you can get takeout from this restaurant, Seijiro in the basement, or Tasei Fish Shop, also in the basement
Morioka Reimen Daidoen Morioka Fezan Store (11:00 - 21:30, Last Order 21:00)
You can't grill the meat at the table, but you can enjoy delicious meat that's been cooked in the kitchen
Daidoen is a popular, long-established yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) restaurant founded in 1965. Its main branch is located in front of Morioka Station, and this is its second location
This is one of Morioka's long-loved yakiniku restaurants, where it's not uncommon for people to order only cold noodles at a yakiniku restaurant
Southern Bistro Unmenosu (11:00-21:30, Last Order 21:00)
You can grab a quick drink at the counter near the escalator to the ticket gate
The shop name, "Unmenosu," means "delicious" in the Morioka dialect
There's also this space across the aisle, which is recommended if you want to relax and enjoy your drink
They offer a wide selection of local sake as well as famous sakes from all over Japan, and their dishes made with local ingredients such as seafood from the Sanriku region are very popular
Hakuryu Fezan Store (11:00 - 21:30, Last Order 21:00: Last Order for Food 20:45)
It's a popular restaurant with lines forming even early on weekday evenings, but you don't have to wait as long as at the main branch
If you ask for a recommendation for Jajamen noodles in Morioka, many people will recommend Hakuryu, which was founded in 1953 and is known as the "original" restaurant serving them
While the main store in Uchinaru, Morioka, always has a long line, you can enjoy this beloved soul food of Morioka residents here without having to wait in line for too long
Fast food, non-rotating sushi, and more – a variety of choices on the 1st floor and basement of the main building
From the Tully's Coffee near the entrance, you can get a good view of the buses coming in and out of the bus terminal
On the first floor of the main building, there is a Tully's Coffee and a Vie de France, where people waiting for the bus and, depending on the time of day, high school students can be seen chatting and having fun
This is Vie de France, and their sandwiches are delicious
The basement consists of restaurants and take-out food shops, offering not only dine-in options but also a wide variety of take-out items such as prepared foods and bento boxes
Restaurants are concentrated near the escalator that leads down to the basement from inside the Fezan shopping center
Myongmyongya (10:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Last Order 9:30 PM)
Morioka Cold Noodle Set is a great deal
This restaurant serves Morioka Reimen (cold noodles) and yakiniku (grilled meat), and is a sister restaurant to Suzuen in Menkoi Yokocho
This is recommended for times when you don't have much time, such as before boarding the Shinkansen
McDonald's Morioka Fezan Store (10:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Last Order 9:30 PM)
McDonald's is full of high school students in the evenings
This McDonald's, located closest to Morioka Station, is frequented by many high school students who use trains and buses to get to school in the evenings
Yoshinoya Morioka Fezan Store (10:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Last Order 9:45 PM)
If you want to fill your stomach quickly, this is the place
This is the familiar Yoshinoya beef bowl restaurant
It's a powerful ally when you want to fill your stomach quickly, which is why it remains so popular
Sanriku Washu Isono (11:00-21:30, Last Order 21:00)
If you have plenty of time, I'd love to take my time and fully enjoy the seafood from the Sanriku region here
This Japanese restaurant serves seafood delivered fresh daily from Ofunato
In addition to local sake from Iwate Prefecture, they also stock famous brands of sake from all over Japan
Sushi Seijiro Fezan Store (11:00 - 21:30, Last Order 21:00)
Because it's not a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, you can always enjoy freshly made sushi
Previously known as "Seijiro Conveyor Belt Sushi," it has been reborn as "Sushi Seijiro," which does not use a conveyor belt
This is a popular conveyor belt sushi chain in Morioka, but this particular location has an open-plan interior where you can enjoy freshly made sushi ordered via a touch panel
Tonkatsu Murahachi (11:00 AM - 9:30 PM, Last Order 9:00 PM)
At Murahachi, you can have unlimited refills of rice, cabbage, and miso soup
When it comes to tonkatsu (pork cutlet) in Morioka, it has to be Murahachi!
This is a long-established tonkatsu (pork cutlet) restaurant that has been in business for over 70 years, and it is said that every resident of Morioka has visited it at least once
Sendai Tanya Rikyu (11:00-21:30, Last Order 21:00)
The beef tongue skewers and curry bread at the cash register counter are also delicious
This is a branch of "Rikyu," a beef tongue restaurant located in Sendai
In Morioka, they also have a store on Odori Street, where they serve authentic beef tongue
Yabuya Morioka Station Fezan Branch (11:00 - 21:30, Last Order 21:00)
Recommended for those who don't have much time but want to experience Wanko Soba
You can experience "wanko soba," where a server serves you bowl after bowl, even if you're dining alone inside the train station
While Azumaya in Morioka City is famous for "wanko soba," it is said that the origin is Yabuya, which has its main store in Hanamaki. It is said that Kenji Miyazawa was a frequent visitor to the main store and was fond of "tempura soba and Mitsuya Cider."
Freschissima (11:00 - 21:30, Last Order 21:00)
You can enjoy the chewy texture of handmade fresh pasta
This restaurant serves delicious Italian food made with homemade fresh pasta and ingredients from Iwate Prefecture. It used to be located in "Menkui Yokocho" and is a particularly popular restaurant even in Morioka, a city known for its fierce competition among Italian restaurants
Osaka Ohsho Morioka Fezan Store (10:00 - 21:30, Last Order 21:00)
Ohsho Gyoza is also popular for takeout
As you may know, this is a nationwide chain restaurant known for its delicious gyoza, but I also recommend their other Chinese dishes, such as Tenshinhan (rice omelet with egg and sauce)
Many customers also use our takeout service
Homemade Noodles Kineya (11:00 AM - 9:30 PM, Last Order 9:00 PM)
If the timing is right, you might be able to watch them making udon noodles
This is a specialty shop for handmade udon noodles where you can watch the noodles being made right in front of you
Thanks to the lightly flavored broth made with Kansai-style dashi, you can enjoy the true taste of udon noodles
There are still more restaurants in Fezan
A Starbucks in a quiet spot in the back
At the back of the second floor of the main building is a Starbucks Coffee, where the aroma of coffee fills the air, and you can relax in a calm atmosphere
Saizeriya restaurants are spacious, quiet, and offer a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere
Additionally, on the third floor, there is a reasonably priced Italian family restaurant called "Saizeriya," which is frequented by many families
summary
The floors above the 4th floor of Fezan are occupied by the "Hotel Metropolitan Main Building," and the 4th floor also houses the authentic Chinese restaurant "Chinese Dining JUEN."
Fesan, the station building where Morioka residents often go to eat, is a great place to stop by when you visit Morioka and enjoy the local flavors!
Fezan <Information>
Facility name: Fezan
Address: 1-44 Morioka Ekimae-dori, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
Phone number: 019-654-1188
Opening hours: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM (Please refer to the headings or official website for store hours.)
Closed days: Irregular (Please check the official website)
I'm a former Edokko man who loves Morioka and the six Tohoku prefectures, and I also love history, food, travel, sports, alcohol, and singing. I'll be introducing you to the interesting, delicious, and great things about Tohoku!
