Morioka

Morioka
盛岡
Core city
盛岡市 · Morioka City
Flag of Morioka
Flag
Official seal of Morioka
Emblem
Location of Morioka in Iwate prefecture
Location of Morioka in Iwate prefecture
Morioka is located in Japan
Morioka
Morioka
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 39°42′7.5″N 141°09′16.2″E / 39.702083°N 141.154500°E / 39.702083; 141.154500
CountryJapan
RegionTōhoku
PrefectureIwate prefecture
Government
 • MayorHiroaki Tanifuji
Area
 • Total886.47 km2 (342.27 sq mi)
Population
 (2005)
 • Total300,740
 • Density588/km2 (1,520/sq mi)
Symbols
 • TreeKatsura
 • FlowerRabbitear iris
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
City hall address12-2 Uchimaru, Morioka-shi
020-8530
Websitewww.city.morioka.iwate.jp

Morioka (盛岡市, Morioka-shi) is a city in the Tōhoku region of Japan on the island of Honshu. It is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture.

It has been recognized as a core city since 2008.

History

In the 9th century, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro led forces which brought the region under imperial control.

In 1599, Morioka was founded as a castle town (jōka-machi).

In the Boshin War, Morioka was a pro-shogunate city.

During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, Morioka was hit by a 6.1 earthquake.

Culture

The Iwate Museum of Art (IMA) is in Morioka. IMA's collection includes works works by notable local artists.

References

  1. ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Morioka" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 661; "Tōhoku" at p. 970.
  2. ↑ Jacobs, A.J. "Japan's Evolving Nested Municipal Hierarchy: The Race for Local Power in the 2000s," Urban Studies Research, Vol. 2011 (2011), p. 8 [PDF 8 of 14]; retrieved 2012-12-5.
  3. ↑ MarketWatch.com, "New 6.1 magnitude quake hits near Morioka, Japan," March 11, 2011; retrieved 2012-8-31.
  4. ↑ Iwate Museum of Art (IMA), "Message from the Director" Archived 2012-06-17 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-8-31.

Other websites

Media related to Morioka, Iwate at Wikimedia Commons