Morioka Castle Ruins

Morioka, Japan, Japan

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Morioka Castle Ruins, located in the center of Morioka city in Iwate Prefecture, is the former site of Morioka Castle, a hirayama‑style (hill‑and‑flatland) Japanese castle built by the Nanbu clan.

Construction began in 1597 as Kozukata Castle and was completed in 1633 after 36 years of work, with the castle’s buildings set on a hill at the confluence of the Kitakami and Nakatsu rivers. The castle served as the residence of the Nanbu lords, who ruled the Morioka Domain for more than two centuries, until most of its buildings were demolished in 1874 under the Meiji government due to neglect, and the grounds were left unused for thirty years.

In 1906, the site was redesigned as a public garden by park designer Yasuhei Nagaoka and opened as Iwate Park; in 2006 it was renamed Morioka Castle Ruins Park to emphasize its historic character. Today, the original wooden structures are gone, but the castle’s distinctive granite stone walls, a storehouse, and a remaining pond survive, and the park is officially recognized as a national historic site, one of Japan’s 100 best historical parks, and one of the 100 best castles of Japan.