Introducing Morioka

A river runs through it, er, rivers that is: the Kitakami, Nakatsu, and Shizukuishi, making Morioka one of the prettiest cities in Tōhoku. The capital of Iwate-ken, in the early Edo per­iod it was the seat of the Nambu clan. With the grand Mt Iwate volcano as its northwest backdrop and some beautiful old buildings, Morioka is a picturesque place, and its people are very keen to share their city’s delights with outsiders. The city’s wanko-soba culinary ritual is a curious custom that’s fun to try, and exchange with Canada means that residents are refreshingly nonchalant about foreigners, far more so than in other Tōhoku towns.