Morioka Customized Half-Day Tour — Guide Hitoshi

What Is a Private Walking Tour of Morioka Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The tour was arranged and guided according to the guests' wish to learn about the daily life and culture of Morioka's residents. The guests were interested in the willow-lined path along the Nakatsu River, where salmon swim upstream, and in the long-established bamboo crafts, straw crafts, and Nambu ironware of Konya-cho (all of which have been featured in The New York Times). At Morioka Hachimangu Shrine, the guests focused on the large torii gate. There were questions about how to tell temples and shrines apart, the etiquette at the purification fountain, omikuji fortunes (everyone drew one), and how to worship at a shrine. At the sake brewery, the guests listened attentively as a staff member explained the sake production process. In addition to the free tastings of junmai and ginjo sake, the guests also sampled a paid, handcrafted daiginjo that had won a gold prize at a competition a few days earlier. Some of the guests tried amazake, but unfortunately gave up after a single sip, as the taste seemed unfamiliar to them. The guests showed interest in the achievements of Takashi Hara and Mitsumasa Yonai, prime ministers from Morioka. At Seiryusui, the guests drank water from the first well. While looking with interest at the large stones of Asahidani, the guests photographed the Taiko Bridge (featured in The New York Times) and Mount Iwate as seen from the Ninomaru area of Morioka Castle Ruins Park. The guests also showed interest in the Eboshi Rock at Sakurayama Shrine. The guests paused in front of the handprints of the medalists of the 1993 Alpine World Ski Championships held in Morioka and Shizukuishi, matching the names of the athletes (many of them from Europe) with their handprints. The guests appeared to enjoy the beautiful scenery and traditional buildings unique to a former castle town.

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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.