Morioka Castle

From Jcastle.info

If you are in the area, Morioka Castle is highly recommended. There are few such vast Edo Period castles in the Tohoku region. As you will see from the photos, the walls are immense and well preserved. Active efforts to preserve and restore the stone walls make the site even better as time goes by

Morioka9.jpg

History

Nanbu Nobunao, lord of Sannohe Castle was awarded lands around Morioka for his loyalty to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He founded Morioka Castle in 1598 to better control the important riverways of the Kitakami and Nakatsu rivers. Unfortunately, Nobunao died before finishing construction. The castle was completed by his son Shigenao in 1633. The Nanbu family retained control over this castle for the entire Edo Period until the coming of the Meiji Restoration. Nanbu Nobunao also contributed to the construction of Hizen Nagoya Castle which may have influenced him to make such a vast stone walled castle. During the construction there were some problems with flooding and weak foundations of the castle site. You will see some smaller stone walled buttresses against some of the walls that seem to serve no purpose. They may have been built like that to further strengthen the walls.


Field Notes

If you are in the area, Morioka Castle is highly recommended. There are few such vast Edo Period castles in the Tohoku region. As you will see from the photos, the walls are immense and well preserved. Active efforts to preserve and restore the stone walls make the site even better as time goes by.


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Gallery
  • Stone walls of the Koshiguruwa Bailey
  • Stone walls
  • Honmaru entrance
  • Stone walls of the Koshiguruwa Bailey
  • Tsurugaike. Moat of the Shimokuruwa Bailey
  • Entrance to the Sannomaru Bailey
  • Morioka6.jpg
  • Ninomaru stone walls
  • Ninomaru stone walls
  • Koshikuruwa stone walls
  • Koshikuruwa stone walls
  • Stone walls of the Fukiage Gate
  • Sakariyama Inari Bailey and stone walls
  • Sakariyama Inari Bailey stone walls
  • Sakariyama Inari Bailey stone walls
  • Sakariyama Inari Bailey stone walls
  • Small Bailey for a well which you can see along the left edge
  • Small well bailey
  • Small well bailey
  • Bridge from the Honmaru to the Ninomaru. Originally it was a covered bridge.
  • Bridge to the Honmaru
  • Bridge between the Honmaru and Ninomaru
  • Bridge between the Honmaru and Ninomaru
  • Honmaru side of the bridge
  • Honmaru stone walls
  • Honmaru stone walls
  • Bridge between the Honmaru and Ninomaru
  • Ninomaru bailey
  • Ninomaru stone walls
  • Ninomaru stone walls
  • Entrance to the Ninomaru from the Sannomaru
  • Honmaru entrance
  • Ninomaru stone walls
  • Sannomaru stone walls
  • Ninomaru stone walls
  • Ninomaru stone wall buttress
  • Honmaru stone walls
  • Ninomaru stone walls
  • Ninomaru stone walls
  • Awajimaru bailey moat
  • Sannomaru stone walls
  • Honmaru stone walls
  • Honmaru stone walls
  • Awajimaru stone walls
  • Awajimaru stone walls
  • Awajimaru stone walls
  • Awajimaru stone walls
  • Hikookura Storehouse. Original storehouse from the Edo Period.
  • Hikookura Storehouse
  • Map
  • Map


Castle Profile
English Name Morioka Castle
Japanese Name 盛岡城
Founder Nanbu Nobunao
Year Founded 1592
Castle Type Hilltop
Castle Condition Ruins only
Designations Top 100 Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period Edo Period
Features water moats, trenches, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access Morioka Station (Tohoku Honsen), 15 minute walk
Hours park, open anytime
Time Required 90 mins
URL Castle Website
Location Morioka, Iwate Prefecture
Coordinates 39.69991, 141.15058
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2002
Contributor Eric
Admin Year Visited 2002, 2018
Admin Visits October 14, 2002; May 11, 2018


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(17 votes)
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