Morioka Customized Private Tour in 1 Day — Guide Hitoshi

Title: What Is a Private Winter Day Tour of Morioka Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

At Morioka Handi-Works Square, the guests entered the workshops for Nambu ironware and indigo dyeing and observed the production processes with great interest. They purchased Nambu ironware and Nambu senbei crackers as souvenirs. Nambu senbei traces its origins to the Nanboku-cho period, when a local warlord named Akamatsu is said to have offered a hungry emperor a preserved food made with buckwheat (today made with wheat flour). On the return bus from the Handi-Works Square, the guests were amazed by the view of the heaviest snowfall of the year from the window. For lunch, we ordered soba and other dishes at Azumaya, a long-established restaurant that has even been featured in the New York Times. We enjoyed a lively conversation about the differences between the food cultures of Oceania and Japan. In Oceania, even a light lunch reportedly costs more than 2,000 yen. This time we did not try wanko soba, but when I mentioned that competition records exceed 200 bowls, the guests were astonished. At Morioka Hachimangu Shrine, we visited the shrines of the twelve zodiac animals and the main hall. I explained the history of its founding, which dates back to when a local powerful clan prayed for the victory of Minamoto no Yoriyoshi in the Zenkunen War. The guests purchased amulets for good health and well-being. They described the snow-covered grounds, difficult to walk on, as being like a beach. At Hoonji Temple, they took commemorative photos of the magnificent temple gate and visited the main hall. I explained that the temple is one of the representative temples of the Nambu domain, and that in 1867, following the domain's defeat by the new government forces in the Boshin War, a chief retainer committed seppuku there; then, 50 years later in 1917, Prime Minister Hara Takashi, a native of Morioka at the time, held a memorial for those who died in the Boshin War at this site. We entered the Rakando hall next to the main hall and viewed the five hundred rakan statues. I introduced Marco Polo, Genghis Khan, and the only female rakan, and explained how to distinguish Chinese, Indian, and other figures by their clothing. When I explained that there are actually only 499 statues, the guests asked why one is missing, but the reason remains unknown to this day. We searched for the ogre's handprint at Mitsuishi Shrine but could not find it. When we crossed Kaiun Bridge, known as the "bridge of two tears," for the second time, the guests remembered it well, and I was impressed by their strong memory. I had the impression that the guests took a deep interest in the history and culture of Japan and Morioka.

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Tour Report by Hitoshi

My name is Hitoshi Ohata. I’ve been an interpreter and guide for about six years since I retired. I live in Takizawa City which is at the foot of Mt. Iwate, the highest mountain in Iwate Prefecture. My hobby is playing table tennis once a week. I’m not a competitive player, I’m just having fun. I also play go, a board game. The main guides are a guide to Hiraizumi’s cultural heritage and a guide to cruise ship tours in Aomori and Iwate Prefecture. I’ve experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake, so I can talk about things like that. I try to convey Japanese culture and society to people overseas in an easy-to-understand way as much as possible.