Visit castle ruins and enjoy a rock festival
By the early 20th century, the site of Morioka Castle had been abandoned, falling into disrepair. Renowned park designer Yasuhei Nagaoka transformed the castle grounds with plants, flowers, trees, and walking paths to create Iwate Park.
Don't Miss
- Picnicking under the cherry blossoms in the spring
- Rocking out at the Ishigaki Music Festival
How to Get There
Iwate Park can be accessed by bus or taxi from Morioka Station.
Take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Morioka Station; from there, ride the Morioka City Loop Bus to the park (10 minutes). Alternatively, you may access the park on foot (15 to 20 minutes).
Quick Facts
Chosen as one of the top 100 Japanese historical parks for its ancient ruins
Ishigaki means “stone wall” in Japanese
Rock on the rocks
A popular event held in the park is the Ishigaki Music Festival. The festival, which is held every September, is completely free. There are ten stages throughout the city, with the main stage in Iwate Park. Even if you do not like rock music or understand Japanese, the atmosphere makes the festival worth a visit.
There are other events throughout the year at Iwate Park and many things to see, including a shrine, a pond, statues, a totem pole, and more. You could spend a few hours at the park or a whole day.
* The information on this page may be subject to change due to COVID-19.