Latitude  ·  Places

39.7° N

Morioka

Iwate, Japan

Rin spent one cold, grey November day here: off the morning train, Mount Iwate from the Kaiun bridge, salmon in the river below the bronze finials of Kaminohashi, iron kettles in Konyacho, jajamen at noon, a café window over the Nakatsu river, and the same bridge again at night.

Rin on the Kaiun bridge in the morning, Mount Iwate at the end of the riverRin by a bronze finial on the Kaminohashi bridgeRin walking past iron kettles on the shopfronts of KonyachoRin at a café window over the Nakatsu river, a cup in both handsRin on the Kaminohashi bridge at night, a hand on the wooden rail
Rin's day in Morioka  →

Rin's day, in order

  1. 08:16

    Morioka Station

    Off the morning train from Tokyo.

    Nearby, Rin would go to: Seirokaku, Azumaya, Morioka Station, KANEIRI STANDARD STORE Morioka

  2. 08:30

    Kaiun Bridge

    Mount Iwate at the end of the river.

    Nearby, Rin would go to: pono books & time, Some Blue Coffee

  3. 08:50

    I Kaminohashi

    Looking down at the river beside the bronze finials.

  4. 09:40

    The castle walls

    Under the stone walls of the castle, where no keep stands.

    Nearby, Rin would go to: Shokudoen

  5. 10:30

    II Konyacho

    Past the shopfronts of the old street, fingertips brushing an iron kettle.

    Nearby, Rin would go to: Kamasada, Shirasawa Senbei, shop+space Himekuri, cafe & grocery NOOK, Kuranbon

  6. 10:45

    An ironware shop

    Lifting a cold iron kettle with both hands.

  7. 12:50

    Jajamen

    Jajamen, then an egg stirred into what is left: chitantan.

  8. 13:50

    The riverbed

    On the stones below Kaminohashi, salmon in the shallows.

  9. 15:00

    III Nakatsu River

    A window seat in a café over the river, the jacket off.

  10. 16:25

    Out of the café

    Out as the lamps come on, the collar held to her throat.

  11. 17:50

    Konyacho, after dark

    Back along the old street after dark.

  12. 18:20

    IV Kaminohashi

    The same bridge at night, a hand on the wooden rail.

What to wear in Morioka, late november

  • Around 11°C by day and 2°C at night, with about 86 mm of rain (Morioka, 1991–2020 averages).
  • A little snow can fall late in the month. The sun sets at about 16:15.
  • In October a knit and a light jacket are enough; it is about 18°C by day. In December it is about 4.5°C by day and snow begins to lie; add gloves, a scarf and shoes with grip.
A dark charcoal wool shirt jacket with silver snaps and a large black curly shearling collar, turned up; a grey marl crew-neck knit, long taupe flannel barrel trousers, black suede kitten-heel ankle boots, a dark brown suede satchel.
08:16A dark charcoal wool shirt jacket with silver snaps and a large black curly shearling collar, turned up; a grey marl crew-neck knit, long taupe flannel barrel trousers, black suede kitten-heel ankle boots, a dark brown suede satchel.RinOff the train, the collar goes up to the chin.
Inside the shop, the jacket open and the collar down over the shoulders; the knit, with its pointed hem, left out.
10:45Inside the shop, the jacket open and the collar down over the shoulders; the knit, with its pointed hem, left out.RinIndoors, open the front. The knit stays out.
In the café, the jacket off on the chair; the grey knit on its own.
15:00In the café, the jacket off on the chair; the grey knit on its own.RinOne jacket for the whole day. Under it, one knit is enough.

All clothes are VUAL originals.

Where Rin would go

Morioka · Nambu ironwareMorioka · Morioka's three noodlesMorioka · Stencil dyeingMorioka · SweetsMorioka · CoffeeMorioka · Vessels

KonyachoZaimokucho

Made in Morioka

Nambu ironware

Nambu ironware is cast iron from Morioka and Oshu in Iwate, a nationally designated traditional craft. In Morioka it goes back to the seventeenth century, when the Nambu domain brought kettle makers to its castle town; workshops in Konyacho still cast kettles by hand.

  • Kamasada

    Konyacho

    A Nambu cast-iron workshop and shop on Konyacho. Closed on Sundays.

    RinChoose a kettle by its weight in both hands.

    WebsiteMap

Made in Morioka

Morioka's three noodles

Morioka is known for three noodles: wanko soba, mouthfuls of soba poured into your bowl one after another; reimen, a firm cold noodle in beef broth, first served here in 1954; and jajamen, flat noodles with meat miso, finished with chitantan, an egg soup made in the dish you ate from.

  • Seirokaku

    Morioka Station

    Morioka reimen and yakiniku on the second floor of a building opposite Morioka Station.

    RinOff the train, reimen first. Even on a cold day.

    WebsiteMap

  • Azumaya, Morioka Station

    Morioka Station

    The station branch of Azumaya, a soba house since 1907: wanko soba and local dishes.

    RinCheck the wanko soba bookings on their site first.

    WebsiteMap

  • Shokudoen

    Odori

    Opened in 1954, the restaurant where Morioka reimen began; yakiniku too. There are no branches.

    RinOnce, at the place where reimen began.

    WebsiteMap

Made in Morioka

Stencil dyeing

In Zaimokucho a dye house still makes Nambu kodai katazome: cloth dyed through cut paper stencils, with patterns that go back to the samurai of the Nambu domain.

  • Ebisuya Onosensaisyo (Nambu kodai katazome)

    Zaimokucho

    A dye house in Zaimokucho making Nambu kodai katazome: small things in cloth dyed through paper stencils. Usually closed on Sundays.

    RinChoose the cloth by its colour, not its pattern.

    WebsiteMap

Sweets

  • Shirasawa Senbei

    Konyacho

    A nanbu senbei shop on a corner of Konyacho since 1936, baked by hand. The hand-baking experience is paused until about the end of November 2026.

    RinWith nanbu senbei, start with sesame.

    WebsiteMap

  • cafe & grocery NOOK

    Konyacho

    A small café and grocery on Konyacho: sweets made with rice they grow themselves, and coffee.

    RinRice sweets, with a coffee.

    WebsiteMap

  • Yamazen, main shop

    Zaimokucho

    A wagashi shop in Zaimokucho: seasonal fresh sweets, dry sweets, and its best seller, mochimochi-yaki. Closed only on New Year's Day.

    RinOne fresh sweet, the one for the season.

    WebsiteMap

Coffee
From Rin's day: a cup by the window
From Rin's day

  • Kuranbon

    Konyacho

    A coffee house on Konyacho that roasts its own beans.

    RinA place to take beans home from.

    WebsiteMap

  • Kogensha Kahikan

    Zaimokucho

    The coffee room at the back of the Kogensha grounds. 10:00–17:00 (last orders 16:30); closed on the 15th of each month.

    RinAfter the crafts, sit down here.

    WebsiteMap

  • pono books & time

    Odori

    A bookshop with a café on the second floor of a building in Odori 3-chome. Tue–Fri 12:00–18:00, Sat 13:00–17:00; closed Sundays and Mondays.

    RinA book and one coffee. That's all.

    WebsiteMap

  • Some Blue Coffee

    Odori

    A coffee shop that opened upstairs in Odori 3-chome in June 2026. From 07:30 on Mon, Tue and Fri; closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.

    RinFirst thing in the morning, start here.

    WebsiteMap

Vessels

  • shop+space Himekuri

    Konyacho

    A shop for tableware and everyday tools on Konyacho, with a run of makers' exhibitions. Closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

    RinCheck what is on show before you go.

    WebsiteMap

  • Kogensha

    Zaimokucho

    Kogensha published Kenji Miyazawa's first book of stories in 1924. Today its buildings around a courtyard hold folk-craft pottery, lacquer and cloth. Closed on the 15th of each month.

    RinDon't hurry through the courtyard.

    WebsiteMap

  • KANEIRI STANDARD STORE Morioka

    Morioka Station

    On the ground floor of the Fesan building at Morioka Station: crafts and everyday things from the six prefectures of Tohoku.

    RinOne thing from here before the train home.

    WebsiteMap

Rin is a fictional traveller. Every place here was checked by the editors to exist and be open (checked 2026-11-01). Please confirm hours on the official site before you go. Paid listings are always marked.