Information as at 21 August 2026

This page is a relocation summary written by an advanced AI

It is not a personal opinion piece written by a human. An AI gathered official information published on the internet — municipal and national statistics, the Japan Meteorological Agency, railway companies, property portals — and rebuilt it into a form that someone considering a move can read and act on. Every figure carries a source link and the date it was checked, so please confirm anything that matters to you against the original document. Rules and prices change. Always check the latest information yourself before you sign anything.

Moving to Morioka

Name: Relocation data for Morioka (Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture)
Creator: CCN Machi-erabi
License: https://ijukeikaku.com/terms/

The prefectural capital of Iwate, in the north of the Kitakami basin at the foot of the great Mount Iwate. Population 275,842, area 886.47 square kilometres. In the city’s own words — "Morioka, ringed by rich forest and blessed with clear water welling up out of the ground". It became a core city in April Heisei 20. 🔴 The condition that tells most is the Tohoku Shinkansen. Tokyo is 2 hr 31 min away with no change, and Sendai 54 min — a prefectural capital under an hour from a government-ordinance city is something you can count on your fingers nationwide. And one more thing. Tropical nights number 0.2 a year (Tokyo 17.8) — the lowest figure on this site. It is also the town that the New York Times placed second, after London, in its "52 places to go in 2023".

To Tokyo

2 hr 31 min

Hayabusa, no change / ¥15,450

Sendai to

54 min

Hayabusa, no change / ¥6,900

Residential land price

¥55,000/m²

+1.7% year on year / the Iwate Prefecture average is ¥35,400/m²

Summer nights (tropical nights)

0.2 a year

Tokyo has 17.8 / 121.6 days below 0℃ a year

Homes for sale

136 listings

¥4,800,000– / median ¥19,800,000

City area

886.47km²

became a core city in April Heisei 20

Population

275,842 people

133,347 households, Reiwa 8 (2026), 7/1

Akita to

1 hr 36 min

Komachi, no change / ¥4,000

Summer (August daily high)

28.4℃

Morioka; 2.9℃ cooler than Tokyo

Winter (January daily low)

-5.2℃

Morioka; 6.4℃ cooler than Tokyo

🚗 Roadside stations ♨ Hot springs and day baths5 🐕 Dog runs

Roadside stations: Morioka Shibutami / Hot springs and day baths: Ume-no-yu, Seinan Onsen Kaiun-no-yu, Yukko Morioka, Kisei-no-yu, the waste-heat health promotion centre
Sources: roadside stations from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism list of roadside stations (checked 2026-08-21) / hot springs and day baths from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) (checked 2026-08-20) / dog runs from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) (checked 2026-08-20). 🔴 Only what is there is listed — a town without them is not a lesser town.

Last verified 2026-08-21

CHAPTER 01First, what kind of place Morioka is

The prefectural capital of Iwate Prefecture. Population 275,842 in 133,347 households (estimate, 1 July Reiwa 8), area 886.47 square kilometres. In the city’s words — "Morioka, ringed by rich forest and blessed with clear water welling up out of the ground. This land spreading over the foot of the great Mount Iwate has been lived in since the Palaeolithic, and the traces of that life remain". It merged with Tonan Village in April Heisei 4 and with Tamayama Village in January Heisei 18, and became a core city in April Heisei 20. The 136 listings run from 102.9 metres to 253.7 metres above sea level, with a median of 137.4 — the built-up area itself lies on a basin floor 100 to 200 metres up.

The bones of a castle town 400 years old are still hereIn the city’s words — "Building the castle town advanced greatly in the time of Toshinao, the second lord of the Morioka domain. The plan ran a double outer moat around the castle, ringed it with the merchants and craftsmen brought in from Kyoto-Osaka and Edo, and placed outside them the residences and temples of the samurai who had come from Sannohe, forming a ring-shaped town fit for the military, commercial and transport needs of a new age". And — "This is still the basic frame of central Morioka today, and the feeling and dignity of a castle town survive as ‘what makes Morioka Morioka’". The shape of the streets you walk today is the design of 400 years ago — that is the centre of this town.

The New York Times put it second in "52 places to go in 2023"In January 2023 the New York Times (online) introduced Morioka as second, after London, in its "52 places to go in 2023". The reasons given were that you can get there quickly from Tokyo and walk around it away from the crowds, along with its Taisho-era buildings mixing Japanese and Western styles, its traditional inns and the rivers running through it — that it is "very walkable". That is a judgement about visiting, but the same things tell for anyone thinking of moving. Tokyo 2 hr 31 min away (§3), combined with a prefectural capital small enough to do your errands on foot.

Three rivers meet hereThe Kitakamigawa, Nakatsugawa and Shizukuishigawa join in the centre of the city. The city explains that "in 803 (Enryaku 22) the shogun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro built Shiwa Castle on the west bank of the Kitakamigawa", and settlement began from there. The city song names two of the rivers as well — "the Kitakami flowing full", "on the beautiful Nakatsu river". To the northwest stands Mount Iwate, the highest peak of the Ou range. The city flower is the kakitsubata iris, which the city says "grows wild throughout the city". Water and forest come first in this town’s account of itself.

Sources: population and households from Morioka City "Population and Households" (estimated population, as of 1 July Reiwa 8, 275,842 / 130,360 men and 145,482 women / 133,347 households) / area, history, the castle town and the quotations fromthe same city, "Introducing Morioka City" (886.47 km² / merged with Tonan Village in April Heisei 4 and with Tamayama Village in January Heisei 18 / became a core city in April Heisei 20) / the city flower fromthe same, "The city emblem and the city’s symbols" / the New York Times fromthe same, "Morioka has been chosen for the New York Times ‘52 places to go in 2023’!!" / elevations come from the same SUUMO 136 as in §2 / checked 2026-08-21

Map of Morioka City

You can zoom and pan. The marker is Morioka City Hall (Uchimaru). The Kitakamigawa, Nakatsugawa and Shizukuishigawa meet in the centre, with Morioka Station just west of them. The hills to the northeast are the housing of Matsuzono; to the northwest are Aoyama and Kuriyagawa; to the south, Tsushida and Mukainakano (the old Tonan Village). Go west and you reach Yuzawa and then Tsunagi Onsen. Mount Iwate fills the view to the northwest, and the city stretches far north off the top of the map (the old Tamayama Village).
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

What kind of town is Morioka City?

The prefectural capital of Iwate, in the north of the Kitakami basin at the foot of the great Mount Iwate. Population 275,842 in 133,347 households (estimate, 1 July Reiwa 8), area 886.47 square kilometres. It merged with Tonan Village in April Heisei 4 and with Tamayama Village in January Heisei 18, and became a core city in April Heisei 20. 🔴 In 2023 the New York Times placed it second, after London, in its "52 places to go in 2023", describing it as somewhere you can reach quickly from Tokyo and walk around away from the crowds.

CHAPTER 02Five areas, and life in each

We divide the city into 5. The split is by direction from Morioka Station, plus the old Tonan Village that came in by merger (the south), and all 136 listings are sorted one by one by their map coordinates (0 could not be sorted). Medians run from ¥9,800,000 in the west to ¥24,980,000 in the south, a spread of 2.5 times. Because this is a basin, the higher the ground the cheaper it is — Matsuzono and the northeast (median elevation 206.2 metres) come to ¥11,000,000.

Areas	Listings	median	Median elevation	What defines it
Central (Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the Nakatsugawa)	52 listings	¥20,140,000	136.0m	The most listings. The band where the 400-year-old castle-town frame survives
the south (Tsushida, Mukainakano, Tonan)	35 listings	¥24,980,000	117.2m	The dearest in the city, and the lowest-lying (the old Tonan Village)
Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)	23 listings	¥11,000,000	206.2m	The highest ground, and among the lowest prices
the northwest (Aoyama, Kuriyagawa, Ueda)	21 listings	¥19,800,000	138.6m	The band of the university and official housing. The direction Mount Iwate faces you
West (Yuzawa and the road to Tsunagi)	5 listings	¥9,800,000	191.7m	Only 5 listings. Towards Tsunagi Onsen and Lake Gosho

Central (Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the Nakatsugawa) — the most listings52 listings (¥4,800,000–75,100,000, median ¥20,140,000). Elevation 119.8–203.1 metres (median 136.0). Morioka Castle Ruins Park (Iwate Park), the Morioka History and Culture Museum and the Ishiwarizakura cherry tree (a national natural monument, more than 360 years old) are all within this band. As §1 said, the town plan of 400 years ago is still the frame of the centre. This is also the part the New York Times called "very walkable".
Suits = people commuting or travelling by Shinkansen, or wanting a life where errands are done on foot
Watch out for = the range reaches ¥75,100,000, so do not judge by the median alone; narrow by district and year built

South (Tsushida, Mukainakano and Tonan) — the dearest35 listings (median ¥24,980,000, the highest of the five). Elevation 102.9–140.8 metres (median 117.2), the lowest in the city — the flat land along the Kitakamigawa. This is the old Tonan Village, merged in April Heisei 4, and it is lined with out-of-town shopping and newer housing.
Suits = people combining a newer house with a life built around the car, and young families
Watch out for = it takes the largest budget in the city and sits on the lowest ground. Always check the Kitakamigawa flood hazard map (§5) for the exact address

Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing) — high up and within reach23 listings (median ¥11,000,000). Elevation 168.2–253.7 metres (median 206.2), the highest in the city. Matsuzono, Nishimatsuzono, Higashimatsuzono, Kotorizawa and Sakuradai — hilltop estates developed from the 1970s onwards. High ground means strong against flooding, but the hills and the snow clearing weigh more in winter (§6 gives the values from the station in the town).
Suits = people keeping the budget down while choosing land that stands up to flooding
Watch out for = go and look at that hill once, in winter. This is a town of 209 centimetres of snowfall and 121.6 days below 0℃ (§6)

Northwest (Aoyama, Kuriyagawa and Ueda) — the direction Mount Iwate faces you21 listings (median ¥19,800,000). Elevation 133.4–161.6 metres (median 138.6). Aoyama, Kuriyagawa and Ueda are the direction of Iwate University, official housing and schools, and the band where Mount Iwate stands square in front of you. It lies northwest of Morioka Station, along the IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway and Route 4.
Suits = people whose school or workplace is on the northwest side, or who want Mount Iwate in view every day
Watch out for = with 21 listings there is not a great deal, so narrowing your conditions too far leaves nothing to choose from

West (Yuzawa and the road to Tsunagi) — only 5 listings5 listings (median ¥9,800,000, the lowest of the five). Elevation 184.1–199.6 metres (median 191.7). This is the westward direction, towards Tsunagi Onsen and Lake Gosho. With only 5 listings, anyone aiming here will also need to look at the vacant-home bank (§4) and local estate agents.
Suits = people who want quiet, near the hot spring and the lake
Watch out for = a car is assumed for reaching the town. Check the winter commute on the ground

Prices, counts, elevation, year built and plot size come from the listings below,SUUMOlisted136 listings (all), each listing's map coordinates, sorted into five (all 136 listings sorted, 0 unsorted) / elevation isall 136 listings by the map coordinates on their listing pages as returned by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan elevation API / the mergers, the castle park and the Ishiwarizakura are as in §1 and §12 / retrieved 21 August 2026 / checked 2026-08-21

Which part of Morioka City should I live in?

The 136 listings were sorted into five by map coordinates. Medians run from ¥9,800,000 in the west (Yuzawa and the road to Tsunagi) to ¥24,980,000 in the south (Tsushida, Mukainakano and Tonan), a spread of 2.5 times. The most listings are in the centre, with 52 (median ¥20,140,000). 🔴 Because this is a basin, the higher the ground the cheaper it is: Matsuzono and the northeast (median elevation 206.2 metres) come to ¥11,000,000, the south (117.2 metres) to ¥24,980,000.

CHAPTER 03Trains and cars — how you get around

Sendai in 54 minutes. That is this town’s position. By Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa it is 2 hr 31 min and ¥15,450 to Tokyo with no change, and 54 min and ¥6,900 to Sendai. The city’s own material gives best times of 2 hr 10 min to Tokyo, 39 min to Sendai and 47 min to Shin-Aomori. And the Akita Shinkansen Komachi reaches Akita in 1 hr 36 min for ¥4,000 — Morioka is the station where the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen part company.

Times and fares from Morioka (searched live for 28 August 2026)

Destination	Time	Ticket	Train and changes
Tokyo	2 hr 31 min	¥15,450	Tohoku Shinkansen, no change (depart 8:02, arrive Tokyo 10:33). The city’s material gives a best time of 2 hr 10 min (Hayabusa)
Sendai	54 min	¥6,900	No change (depart 8:02, arrive Sendai 8:56). The city’s material gives a best time of 39 min (Hayabusa)
Akita	1 hr 36 min	¥4,000	Akita Shinkansen Komachi, no change. The city’s material gives a best time of 1 hr 26 min
Aomori	1 hr 23 min	¥6,160	Change at Shin-Aomori. Shin-Aomori itself is 47 min (Hayabusa)

"54 minutes from a prefectural capital to a government-ordinance city" is rare in JapanSendai in 54 min for ¥6,900, with no change (the city’s material gives a best time of 39 min). Sendai is the only government-ordinance city in Tohoku, with 1,090,000 people. Living in Morioka and working for a Sendai company is a distance that physically works. At ¥6,900 each way it is heavy for a daily commute, but going in once or twice a week is entirely realistic. And Tokyo is 2 hr 31 min — "in the far north of Tohoku, yet able to go to Sendai or Tokyo and back in a day" is this town’s position.

Two Shinkansen lines part hereMorioka is where the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen divide. Akita is 1 hr 36 min and ¥4,000 with no change, Shin-Aomori 47 min (Hayabusa) and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 1 hr 46 min (Hayabusa). Anywhere in the three northern Tohoku prefectures (Iwate, Akita, Aomori) is within 2 hours of Morioka. When the city calls itself "the hub city that leads northern Tohoku" (§1), this position is what it means. For air travel, Iwate Hanamaki Airport (Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and others) lies to the south of the city.

Inside the city: rail, bus and carThe city is served by the JR Tohoku Main Line and Tazawako Line and by the IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway (the conventional line that became a third-sector railway when the Tohoku Shinkansen opened). Matsuzono (the northeast in §2) has bus routes. The city covers 886.47 square kilometres (§1), and the old Tamayama Village (the north) and the west assume a car. Only the centre is a range where Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the shopping streets can be walked — the part the New York Times called "walkable" (§1).

Sources: journey times and fares are fromYahoo! Transit, searched live for a departure at 8:00 on Friday 28 August 2026 (Morioka 8:02 → Tokyo 10:33, ¥15,450, 0 changes / Sendai arrive 8:56, ¥6,900 / Akita 1 hr 36 min, ¥4,000, 0 changes / Aomori 1 hr 23 min, ¥6,160) / the best times, Shin-Aomori, Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto and air routes fromMorioka City, "Getting to Morioka" (Tokyo–Morioka 2 hr 10 min, Sendai–Morioka 39 min, Shin-Aomori–Morioka 47 min, Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto–Morioka 1 hr 46 min, Akita–Morioka 1 hr 26 min; all best times) / checked 2026-08-21

✈ Airports

The nearest is Hanamaki Airport (a regionally managed airport), about 36.9 km in a straight line. Next is Akita Airport (about 90.4 km in a straight line). 🔴 These are straight-line distances. They are neither road distance nor journey time — check how to get there in each operator’s timetable.

🛣 Expressway junctions

This area has 2 entrances (interchanges and junctions).
The Tohoku Expressway, Hirosaki route = Morioka, Morioka-Minami

Sources: airports fromNational Land Numerical Information, "Airports", FY2021 edition (category names followthe MLIT list of airports ) / expressway junctions fromthe same, "Expressways time series", 2025 edition, current data only (what is open today). Both were overlaid onthe same, "Administrative boundaries", 2026and judged by machine to fall inside this area / verified 2026-08-21

How long does it take from Morioka to Tokyo or Sendai?

🔴 Sendai is 54 min and ¥6,900 with no change (the city’s material gives a best time of 39 min) — a prefectural capital under an hour from a government-ordinance city is rare in Japan. Tokyo is 2 hr 31 min and ¥15,450 with no change (the city’s best time is 2 hr 10 min). Morioka is where the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen divide: Akita 1 hr 36 min for ¥4,000, Shin-Aomori 47 min, Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 1 hr 46 min.

CHAPTER 04Homes actually on the market right now

SUUMO lists 136 properties, and all 136 were taken in and counted. From ¥4,800,000 to ¥75,100,000, median ¥19,800,000. 21 (15%) are under ¥10,000,000 — the smallest share of any Tohoku town on this site. The median plot is 215 square metres (about 65 tsubo) and the median building 119 square metres. The median year built is 1993, with 34 (25%) from 1981 or earlier — the newest figure of the four Tohoku cities.

Sort

"Nearest the station first" converts everything to minutes — a walk of ◯ min, ◯ min by bus plus ◯ min from the stop, ◯ km by car (reckoned at 30 km/h) — and compares those. Listings with no such information always appear last, whatever the sort.

Atago-cho¥4,800,000Central (Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the Nakatsugawa)Elev. approx. 130 m / Land 324 m² (98 tsubo) / Building 119 m² (36 tsubo) / built 1977 / Morioka Sta. 37 min walk10 photos →

Higashimidorigaoka¥4,800,000Central (Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the Nakatsugawa)Elev. approx. 170 m / Land 134 m² (41 tsubo) / Building 79 m² (24 tsubo) / built 1977 / Kami-Morioka Sta. 43 min walk9 photos →

Higashishinjo 1-31-3¥5,980,000Central (Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the Nakatsugawa)Elev. approx. 180 m / Land 261 m² (79 tsubo) / Building 90 m² (27 tsubo) / built 1970 / Morioka Sta. 49 min walk10 photos →

Nishimatsuzono 1¥6,000,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 180 m / Land 294 m² (89 tsubo) / Building 114 m² (34 tsubo) / built 1977 / Nishimatsuzono 1-chome 2 min walk3 photos →

Sakuradai 1-7番15号¥6,800,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 250 m / Land 199 m² (60 tsubo) / Building 94 m² (28 tsubo) / built 1968 / Kamiyonai Sta. 26 min walk10 photos →

Kuriyagawa 2¥6,800,000Northwest (Aoyama, Kuriyagawa and Ueda)Elev. approx. 140 m / Land 457 m² (138 tsubo) / Building 104 m² (31 tsubo) / built 1972 / Kuriyagawa Sta. 17 min walk10 photos →

Nishimatsuzono 2¥6,800,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 200 m / Land 320 m² (97 tsubo) / Building 117 m² (35 tsubo) / built 1976 / Matsuzono 3-chome 3 min walk9 photos →

Matsuzono 2-8-5¥7,400,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 220 m / Land 268 m² (81 tsubo) / Building 145 m² (44 tsubo) / built 1979 / Matsuzono 2-chome 4 min walk4 photos →

Yuzawa Minami 1-3-5¥7,500,000West (Yuzawa and the road to Tsunagi)Elev. approx. 190 m / Land 278 m² (84 tsubo) / Building 79 m² (24 tsubo) / built 1982 / Iwate-Iioka Sta. 76 min walk8 photos →

Matsuzono 1¥7,700,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 220 m / Land 248 m² (75 tsubo) / Building 132 m² (40 tsubo) / built 1975 / Morioka Sta., 6.8km10 photos →

Nishimatsuzono 3¥7,900,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 210 m / Land 324 m² (98 tsubo) / Building 123 m² (37 tsubo) / built 1976 / Nishimatsuzono 3-chome 5 min walk10 photos →

Higashishinjo 2¥7,900,000Central (Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the Nakatsugawa)Elev. approx. 160 m / Land 228 m² (69 tsubo) / Building 81 m² (25 tsubo) / built 20059 photos →

Higashimatsuzono 1¥7,900,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 220 m / Land 338 m² (102 tsubo) / Building 116 m² (35 tsubo) / built 1973 / Matsuzono 1-chome 2 min walk8 photos →

Ueda Kitayama 1-8¥8,000,000Central (Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the Nakatsugawa)Elev. approx. 200 m / Land 330 m² (100 tsubo) / Building 110 m² (33 tsubo) / built 1984 / Kami-Morioka Sta. 20 min walk10 photos →

Matsuzono 3¥8,000,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 200 m / Land 324 m² (98 tsubo) / Building 119 m² (36 tsubo) / built 1975 / Matsuzono 2-chome 8 min walk10 photos →

Yuzawa Nishi 3¥8,800,000West (Yuzawa and the road to Tsunagi)Elev. approx. 180 m / Land 325 m² (98 tsubo) / Building 118 m² (36 tsubo) / built 1980 / Yuzawa-danchi 4 min walk10 photos →

Higashikuroishino 1¥9,300,000Matsuzono and the northeast (hilltop housing)Elev. approx. 190 m / Land 184 m² (56 tsubo) / Building 91 m² (28 tsubo) / built 1983 / Kuriyagawa Sta. 63 min walk10 photos →

Minamisenboku 1-19番48号¥9,800,000South (Tsushida, Mukainakano and Tonan)Elev. approx. 120 m / Land 154 m² (47 tsubo) / Building 90 m² (27 tsubo) / built 1973 / Senboku-cho Sta. 17 min walk9 photos →

Yuzawa Minami 2-13-18¥9,800,000West (Yuzawa and the road to Tsunagi)Elev. approx. 200 m / Land 224 m² (68 tsubo) / Building 104 m² (32 tsubo) / built 1989 / Yuzawa-danchi 6 min walk4 photos →

Higashimidorigaoka 22番24号 property photo

Higashimidorigaoka 22番24号¥9,800,000Central (Morioka Station, the castle ruins and the Nakatsugawa)Elev. approx. 170 m / Land 273 m² (83 tsubo) / Building 209 m² (63 tsubo) / built 1988 / Uedatsutsumi-Kitaguchi 5 min walk9 photos →

The photographs are the images carried on SUUMO. They disappear once a listing ends. Check the real condition of a property on site.

See all 136 on SUUMO →

Of the four Tohoku cities, this is the "dearest and newest"Setting the four Tohoku cities on this site side by side. Medians = Morioka ¥19,800,000 > Yamagata ¥17,900,000 > Akita ¥14,000,000. Share under ¥10,000,000 = Akita 35% > Yamagata 24% > Morioka 15%. Built 1981 or earlier (the old code) = Yamagata 37% > Akita 30% > Morioka 25%. On every measure Morioka is on the "dear but new" side. The position in §3 — Sendai 54 min, Tokyo 2 hr 31 min — and the land prices up 1.7% in §9 are what hold that price up.

Price moves the opposite way to elevationThe south (median elevation 117.2 metres) is ¥24,980,000; Matsuzono and the northeast (median 206.2 metres) are ¥11,000,000 — ground 90 metres higher costs ¥14,000,000 less (§2). In a basin, the low ground is convenient and the high ground is cheap: that is the basic shape. But low also means close to the river (§5). Weighing convenience against water is what choosing a property here comes down to. The list can be sorted by elevation, lowest or highest first.

The city’s vacant-home bank has 2 registrationsMorioka City’s vacant-home bank ispublished on the At Home "nationwide vacant home bank", andas of 21 August 2026 it held 2 (2 detached houses for sale). They are listed at the foot of this chapter. 2 is a small number.For a city as large as this (886.47 square kilometres) the registrations are few, soif you are looking in the outskirts or the old Tamayama Village, use local estate agents and the city’s advice deskas well.Morioka City vacant-home bank site →

Sources: taken from SUUMO, "Second-hand detached houses in Morioka City" (see the list here / of the 136 listings136 listingsall retrieved 21 August 2026) / elevation fromall 136 listings by the map coordinates on their listing pages Geospatial Information Authority of Japan elevation API / the akiya bank from Vacant-home bank site for Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture (At Home) (2 as of 21 August 2026) / the figures for Yamagata and Akita come from the same sources as their pages on this site / checked 2026-08-21

Akiya bank — 2 listings

This is every house for sale registered on the at-home municipal vacant-home bank — 2 in all (as checked on 20 August 2026).Cheapest first order.
See all 2 vacant-home bank listings in this town →

Morioka City Higashisakurayama¥5,000,000

Land 253 m² (76 tsubo) / Building 148 m² (45 tsubo) /built 1962／7DK
JR the Yamada Line Yamagishi Sta. / 18 min walkAkiya bank of View listing →

Morioka City Yuzawa Nishi 3-chome¥8,800,000

Land 325 m² (98 tsubo) / Building 118 m² (36 tsubo) /built 1980／5DK
JR Tohoku Main Line, Iwate-Iioka Sta. / Kawakubo line via Minami Interchange, Yuzawa-danchi stop, 4 min walk, 10 min rideAkiya bank of View listing →

What is the cheapest house you can buy in Morioka City?

SUUMO lists 136 properties and all 136 were retrieved. From ¥4,800,000 to ¥75,100,000, median ¥19,800,000, with 21 (15%) under ¥10,000,000. The median plot is 215 square metres (about 65 tsubo) and the median building 119 square metres. 🔴 The median year built is 1993, with 34 (25%) from 1981 or earlier — the newest figure of the four Tohoku cities on this site. The city’s vacant-home bank, on the nationwide At Home site, holds only 2.

CHAPTER 05Is the ground safe?

The earthquake probability is on the low side even for this site. At the city hall point the chance in 30 years is 7.0% for shindo 6-lower or above and 0.5% for 6-upper or above. The surface ground is alluvial fan (AVS30 = 343.89 m/s), relatively firm land built up from gravel washed down out of the mountains. What to look at is the rivers — the Kitakamigawa, Nakatsugawa and Shizukuishigawa meet in the centre of the city (§1). And Mount Iwate, an active volcano, stands to the northwest.

Is this town inside a national earthquake-preparedness zone?

For each major earthquake, national law designates the areas where preparation is to be advanced. Whether a town is designated tells you directly how the national government views the shaking and tsunami expected there.

Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area	Not covered (the whole of Iwate Prefecture is outside the scheme)
Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area	Not covered (the whole of Iwate Prefecture is outside the scheme)
Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area	Designated
Shaking of intensity 6-lower or above within 30 years	7.0% (0.5% for shindo 6-upper or above) At the Morioka City Hall point. Surface ground: AVS30 344 m/s, alluvial fan

This probability is the figure for the single 250 m grid square in which city hall stands. Morioka City Hall stands onalluvial fan (AVS30 344 m/s), and the 7.0% above is the value at that point. Even inside Morioka it changes a great deal between the low ground along the rivers and the terraces. When a listing interests you, look it up by its street address.Enter an address on the J-SHIS map and it shows the probability and the ground for that 250-metre mesh.

Look up an address on J-SHIS → Designations from the Cabinet Office list of designated municipalities (Nankai Trough Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area／Tokyo Inland Earthquake Emergency Measures Area／Japan Trench / Kuril Trench Earthquake Disaster Prevention Promotion Area ) / probability and surface ground from theNational Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, J-SHIS earthquake hazard information API (2024 edition, average case, all earthquakes), queried at the coordinates of city hall / checked 2026-08-20

7.0% in 30 years. On the low side among the four Tohoku citiesSetting the four Tohoku cities on this site side by side: Akita 14.4% > Morioka 7.0% > Yamagata 4.2% (all at the city hall point, shindo 6-lower or above in 30 years). Morioka is in the middle, but low among prefectural capitals nationally. Its surface ground, alluvial fan, also shakes less than Akita’s delta and coastal lowland. But this figure is for the single 250-metre square that city hall stands on, not a value for the whole city. Look at the J-SHIS map for the exact address of the land you are buying.

This is where three rivers meetThe Kitakamigawa, Nakatsugawa and Shizukuishigawa join in the centre of the city (§1). The south (§2) has the lowest median elevation in the city at 117.2 metres, on the flat land along the Kitakamigawa. Morioka City publishes hazard maps for flooding, landslides and earthquakes. Before you settle on a property, always check whether that address is inside or outside the projected inundation zone, and how deep the water would be. If you are choosing by elevation, Matsuzono and the northeast (median 206.2 metres) are the highest band in the city (§2).

Mount Iwate is an active volcanoMount Iwate, rising to the northwest of the city, is an active volcano designated by the Japan Meteorological Agency as a continuously monitored volcano. The city’s page "Disasters that can happen in Morioka" also sets out what the city is exposed to. Look once at the city’s disaster pages and the Meteorological Agency’s volcano information before you choose where to live. Together with 209 centimetres of snow a year (§6), take it as part of the condition of a town with mountains.

Sources: the 30-year probabilities and the surface ground from the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience J-SHIS (the city hall point, as set out in the box in the text) / the probabilities for Akita and Yamagata come from the same sources as their pages on this site / the hazard maps fromMorioka City, "Morioka City disaster and hazard maps"（flood hazard map／a landslide hazard map／Disasters that can happen in Morioka) / that Mount Iwate is a continuously monitored volcano fromJapan Meteorological Agency, "Active volcanoes of Hokkaido and Tohoku" / the meeting of the rivers as in §1 / checked 2026-08-21

What are the disaster risks in Morioka?

🔴 Earthquake risk is on the low side even for this site: at the city hall point, 7.0% for shindo 6-lower or above and 0.5% for 6-upper or above in 30 years. The surface ground is alluvial fan, which shakes less than Akita’s (delta and coastal lowland, 14.4%). What to look at is the rivers — the Kitakamigawa, Nakatsugawa and Shizukuishigawa meet in the centre of the city. The city publishes flood and landslide hazard maps. To the northwest, Mount Iwate is a continuously monitored volcano.

CHAPTER 06What summer and winter are like

Tropical nights: 0.2 a year. The lowest figure on this site. Tokyo has 17.8 — meaning Morioka gets a tropical night once in five years. Days of extreme heat number 0.9 a year (Tokyo 4.8). The August daily high is 28.4℃ and the daily low 19.8℃. In exchange, winter brings a January daily low of −5.2℃, 121.6 days below 0℃ a year and 12.4 days below freezing all day, with 209 centimetres of snowfall in a year and a normal maximum snow depth of 36 centimetres. Annual rainfall of 1,279.9 millimetres is less than Tokyo’s (1,598.2) — the mark of a basin.

The twelve months of temperature, set out as they are

The left end of each bar is the average daily minimum for that month and the right end the average daily maximum (Morioka, the 30-year average for 1991–2020).

month 1

-5.2〜2.0℃

month 2

-4.8〜3.2℃

month 3

-1.8〜7.5℃

month 4

3.2〜14.4℃

month 5

9.1〜20.3℃

month 6

14.2〜24.1℃

month 7

18.8〜27.1℃

month 8

19.8〜28.4℃

month 9

15.2〜24.3℃

month 10

7.9〜17.9℃

month 11

1.8〜10.9℃

month 12

-2.5〜4.5℃

-12℃3℃17℃32℃

0.2 days / 121.6 days

0.2 tropical nights (Tokyo 17.8) and 121.6 days below 0℃ (Tokyo 15.2).
These are the figures for how summer nights and winter mornings compare with Tokyo

Days per year	Morioka	Tokyo
Tropical nights minimum 25°C or above	0.2 days	17.8 days
Days above 35°C maximum 35°C or above	0.9 days	4.8 days
Days above 30°C maximum 30°C or above	22.4 days	52.1 days
Frost days minimum below 0°C	121.6 days	15.2 days
Days below freezing all day maximum below 0°C	12.4 days	0.0 days

For snow, the annual total is 209 cm and the normal maximum snow depth is 36 cm.

Source:Japan Meteorological Agency, normals for Morioka (by month) /the same, day counts by class (view=a2)／the same, Tokyo (all 30-year averages for 1991–2020) / verified 2026-08-14

0.2 tropical nights a year. This is the town’s strongest cardTropical nights (daily low 25℃ or above) number 0.2 a year — once in five years. Tokyo has 17.8; among the other towns on this site, Akita has 3.5, Yamagata 0.9 and Yonago 16.7. Morioka has the fewest. Days of extreme heat are 0.9 (Tokyo 4.8), and midsummer days 22.4 (Tokyo 52.1). The August daily low is 19.8℃ — nights when you can sleep without air conditioning are ordinary here in summer. If escaping summer heat is the point of moving, Morioka gives the plainest answer on this site.

In exchange, a third of the year is below freezing in the morningDays below 0℃ (daily low under zero) number 121.6 a year — a third of the year (Tokyo 15.2). Days below freezing all day come to 12.4. The January daily low is −5.2℃. Snow totals 209 centimetres a year, with a normal maximum depth of 36 centimetres. Set beside the snow country on this site — Yamagata 285 cm > Akita 273 cm > Toyama 253 cm > Morioka 209 cm > Fukui 186 cm — the least snow of the four Tohoku cities, but the lowest temperatures. A town of freezing cold rather than deep snow. Protecting the pipes is essential.

Less rain than Tokyo, and more clear daysAnnual rainfall of 1,279.9 millimetres is 80% of Tokyo’s (1,598.2). January is a dry 49.4 millimetres, August 185.4. The weather works differently from the Japan Sea side, where rain and snow fall on and on through winter (Akita has 1,741.7 mm a year, most of it in winter). Morioka is an inland basin, and the Ou range blocks the snow clouds from the Japan Sea. So less snow, clear skies, and hard frost. The winter cold is severe, but there are fewer grey days than on the Japan Sea side — and that tells a great deal in how a winter feels.

Sources: the temperatures, rainfall, snow and the counts of days in each class all fromJapan Meteorological Agency, "Morioka normals (1991–2020)" (August daily high 28.4℃, daily low 19.8℃ / January daily low −5.2℃ / annual rainfall 1,279.9 mm /days by class = 0.9 days of extreme heat, 22.4 midsummer days, 78.6 summer days, 0.2 tropical nights, 121.6 days below 0℃, 12.4 days below freezing all day /snow = 209 cm of snowfall in a year, normal maximum snow depth 36 cm) / the Tokyo figures from the Japan Meteorological Agency "Tokyo normals" / the figures for Akita, Yamagata, Toyama and Fukui come from the same sources as their pages on this site / checked 2026-08-21

How hot are the summers and how cold are the winters in Morioka?

🔴 Tropical nights number 0.2 a year — the lowest figure on this site (Tokyo 17.8). That is one tropical night every five years. Days of extreme heat come to 0.9 a year (Tokyo 4.8), and the August daily low is 19.8℃. In exchange, there are 121.6 days below 0℃ a year (a third of the year), 12.4 days below freezing all day, and a January daily low of −5.2℃. Snow totals 209 centimetres a year with a maximum depth of 36, the least of the four Tohoku cities, and annual rainfall of 1,279.9 millimetres is below Tokyo’s — a town of freezing cold rather than deep snow.

CHAPTER 07Shops, hospitals, schools

Morioka became a core city in April Heisei 20, and welfare, public health, environment and town-planning functions passed to it from the prefecture (§1). That means the city runs its own public health centre. The city describes itself as "the hub city that leads northern Tohoku". Shopping runs on two legs: the shopping streets of the centre, and the out-of-town stores in the south (the old Tonan Village).

A core city means the city runs its own public health centreIn the city’s words — "In April 2008 (Heisei 20) it became a core city, taking over from the prefecture the administration of welfare, public health, the environment, town planning and other fields, making a fresh start that continues today". Becoming a core city makes running the public health centre the city’s job. Infectious disease, food hygiene and maternal and child health are handled by the city rather than the prefecture, so both procedures and advice are completed at city hall. Of the four Tohoku cities on this site, Akita (Heisei 9), Morioka (Heisei 20) and Yamagata (fiscal Reiwa 1) are all core cities.

Shopping: the centre, and out-of-town in the southThe centre means the area in front of Morioka Station and the Odori and Sakana-cho shopping streets — the range the New York Times described as somewhere "you can walk around away from the crowds" (§1). The south (the old Tonan Village in §2) has the out-of-town shopping centres. The city covers 886.47 square kilometres (§1), so for a property in the old Tamayama Village (the north) or in the west, measure the distance to the nearest supermarket on a map. In winter it will be a snow road (§6).

Medical costs to the end of high school, with no income test and nothing to pay at the counterMorioka City has subsidised the patient share of medical costs up to high-school age since treatment from April Reiwa 5. There is no income test. And since 1 August Reiwa 5 it works "in kind" — show your certificate at the counter and you pay nothing there and then. Your own share is ¥750 for outpatient and ¥2,500 for inpatient care per claim (per month, per institution) for households paying residents’ tax, and nothing at all for households exempt from residents’ tax (the whole patient share is subsidised). Health checks, vaccinations, document fees and hospital meals are outside the scheme. It is not "entirely free", but a ceiling of ¥750 a month is a light burden.

Sources: the move to core city status, the transferred functions and the quotation "the hub city that leads northern Tohoku" fromMorioka City, "Introducing Morioka City" / the years Akita and Yamagata became core cities come from the same sources as their pages on this site / high-school-age medical costs fromthe same, "Medical cost payments for high-school-age children" (updated 29 July Reiwa 8; from treatment in April Reiwa 5; no income test; in kind since 1 August Reiwa 5 / for households paying residents’ tax, ¥750 outpatient and ¥2,500 inpatient per claim / nothing for exempt households) / primary and junior high medical costs fromthe same, "Medical cost payments for primary school children",the same, "Medical cost payments for junior high school children" / relocation and settlement information fromthe same, "Morioka City relocation and settlement information site" / nursery vacancies and the number of schools are not given here because no settled figures could be confirmed this time / checked 2026-08-21

What about medical costs for children?

🔴 Since treatment from April Reiwa 5 the patient share of medical costs has been subsidised up to high-school age, with no income test. And since 1 August Reiwa 5 it works "in kind" — show your certificate at the counter and you pay nothing there and then. Your own share is ¥750 outpatient and ¥2,500 inpatient per claim for households paying residents’ tax, and nothing for households exempt from residents’ tax. Health checks, vaccinations and hospital meals are outside the scheme.

CHAPTER 08What it costs you every year after you buy

Water and sewerage in Morioka are read once every 2 months as a rule (bi-monthly reading, bi-monthly payment). The ready-reckoner, though, is published per month. 22 cubic metres in a month comes to water ¥3,234 + sewerage ¥2,610 = ¥5,844, and 23 cubic metres to ¥6,199. 45 cubic metres over 2 months therefore comes to ¥12,043 (our calculation) — the cheapest of the four Tohoku cities on this site.

Water and sewerage charges (per month, consumption tax included)

Volume used (1 month)	Meter 13 or 16 mm	20 mm connection
0 cubic metres the standing charge alone	¥1,790 water 840 + sewerage 950	—
22 cubic metres	¥5,844 water 3,234 + sewerage 2,610	¥6,474 water 3,864 + sewerage 2,610
23 cubic metres	¥6,199 water 3,454 + sewerage 2,745	¥6,829
45 cubic metres over 2 months a 22 m³ month plus a 23 m³ month; our calculation	¥12,043	¥13,303

The cheapest of the four Tohoku citiesOn the same basis (13 mm meter, 45 cubic metres over 2 months, water plus sewerage) — Yamagata ¥16,043 > Akita ¥13,986 > Yonago ¥13,149 > Morioka ¥12,043. Morioka is the cheapest, ¥4,000 below Yamagata. Because Morioka publishes its ready-reckoner per month, we added a 22 cubic metre month and a 23 cubic metre month to match 45 cubic metres over 2 months. Check property by property whether a house is connected to the sewer — the city is large (§1), and out in the suburbs some houses have septic tanks.

Winter energy is the biggest outgoing hereAs §6 says, 121.6 days below 0℃ a year (a third of the year), 12.4 days below freezing all day, and a January daily low of −5.2℃. Kerosene and heating run for longer here than in any other town on this site. And the pipes. Mornings below −5℃ come one after another, so whether there is heating tape on the pipes, and whether there is a drain-down tap, are things you must check when viewing. In older houses these are sometimes missing or broken. Ask when you view.

In exchange, cooling in summer costs almost nothing0.2 tropical nights and 0.9 days of extreme heat (§6). There is barely a day in summer when you run the air conditioning. Against Tokyo’s 17.8 tropical nights and 4.8 days of extreme heat, that difference is a difference in the electricity bill. Large in winter, near zero in summer — that is the shape of a year’s energy bill in Morioka. Taken over the year, the gap with Tokyo is sometimes smaller than you expect. But in an older, poorly insulated house the winter burden jumps, so always check the year built (a median of 1993 in §4) and the insulation specification.

Sources: the water rate and sewerage charge fromMorioka City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau, "Ready-reckoner for water and sewerage charges (per month)" (consumption tax included / meter 13 or 16 mm = 0 m³ ¥1,790, 22 m³ ¥5,844, 23 m³ ¥6,199 / meter 20 mm = 22 m³ ¥6,474, 23 m³ ¥6,829) / the reading cycle fromthe same, "Paying your bill" (read once every 2 months as a rule; bi-monthly reading and bi-monthly payment) / the figure for 45 m³ over 2 months is our own calculation from the ready-reckoner above / the water charges for Yamagata, Akita and Yonago come from the same sources as their pages on this site / the climate as in §6 / checked 2026-08-21

Roughly what does a year cost, water and the rest?

Water and sewerage are read once every 2 months as a rule (the ready-reckoner is published per month). 🔴 22 cubic metres in a month comes to water ¥3,234 + sewerage ¥2,610 = ¥5,844, and 23 cubic metres to ¥6,199, so 45 cubic metres over 2 months comes to ¥12,043 (our calculation, 13 mm meter). That is the cheapest of the four Tohoku cities, ¥4,000 below Yamagata (¥16,043). 🔴 With 121.6 days below 0℃, always check when viewing whether the pipes have heating tape and a drain-down tap.

CHAPTER 09What happens when you want to sell

Residential land in Morioka is ¥55,000/m², up 1.7% on the year (Reiwa 8 published land prices). Commercial land is ¥137,300/m², +2.1% — the dearest commercial land of the four Tohoku cities on this site. All uses together come to ¥77,500/m², +1.8%. That is 1.6 times the Iwate Prefecture average (residential ¥35,400/m², +0.3%), and stands out within the prefecture.

Use	Average price	Year on year	Iwate Prefecture Average
Residential	¥55,000/m²	+1.7%	¥35,400/m² (+0.3%) = 1.6 times the prefecture average
Commercial land	¥137,300/m²	+2.1%	¥69,300/m² (-0.3%)
Industrial land	¥41,300/m²	±0.0%	¥23,600/m² (+3.0%)
All uses	¥77,500/m²	+1.8%	¥44,900/m² (+0.2%)

Commercial land at ¥137,300/m² is the dearest of the four Tohoku citiesSetting the commercial land of the four Tohoku cities on this site side by side: Morioka ¥137,300 > Yamagata ¥96,500 > Akita ¥58,200 (per m²). Morioka’s commercial land is 1.4 times Yamagata’s and 2.4 times Akita’s. And it is rising, at +2.1% (the Iwate average is −0.3%). That means people and shops are still gathering in the town centre — the concentration the New York Times called "walkable" (§1), showing up directly in the figures.

Residential land is up 1.7% too. There are buyers in this marketResidential land is ¥55,000/m², +1.7%, 1.6 times the prefecture average (¥35,400/m², +0.3%). Among the four Tohoku cities the levels run Yamagata ¥58,900 > Morioka ¥55,000 > Akita ¥36,300, but on the rate of increase Morioka +1.7% > Yamagata +0.5%. And as §4 showed, at 25% the share built under the old earthquake code is the lowest of the four Tohoku cities. "Newer houses, and rising land prices" — as conditions for selling, that is among the better positions in Tohoku.

But treat the hilltop estates separatelyMatsuzono and the northeast (median elevation 206.2 metres) have a median of ¥11,000,000, 44% of the south (¥24,980,000) (§2). Hilltop estates developed from the 1970s onwards are, everywhere in Japan, places where ageing and empty houses advance together. You can buy cheaply, which is true; but you will sell cheaply for the same reason. On the other hand they are strong against flooding (§5), quiet, and the plots are large. Sensible if you mean to stay for good; think carefully if you mean to sell in ten years — that is the kind of place this is.

Sources: land prices from the Land Information Center"[Published land prices] (Reiwa 8) Average prices and year-on-year change by prefecture, municipality and use" (compiled from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism published land prices / Morioka City: residential ¥55,000/m² +1.7%, commercial ¥137,300/m² +2.1%, industrial ¥41,300/m² ±0.0%, all uses ¥77,500/m² +1.8% / Iwate Prefecture average: residential ¥35,400/m² +0.3%, commercial ¥69,300/m² −0.3%, all uses ¥44,900/m² +0.2%) / the figures for Yamagata and Akita come from the same sources as their pages on this site / the property breakdown as in §2 and §4 / checked 2026-08-21

Will the house I buy sell again later?

Residential land in Morioka is ¥55,000/m², +1.7% on the year (Reiwa 8 published land prices). 🔴 Commercial land at ¥137,300/m², +2.1%, is the dearest of the four Tohoku cities on this site (Yamagata ¥96,500, Akita ¥58,200). That is 1.6 times the Iwate average (¥35,400/m², +0.3%). At 25%, the share built under the old earthquake code is also the lowest of the four, so the conditions for selling are among the better in Tohoku. But the hilltop estates (Matsuzono and the northeast) are cheap to buy and will be cheap to sell.

CHAPTER 10Who lives here, and how many

The population is 275,842 in 133,347 households (estimate, 1 July Reiwa 8), with 130,360 men and 145,482 women. From the point at which the city wrote of "about 300,000 people" on merging with Tamayama Village in January Heisei 18, that is a fall of about 24,000 in 20 years. There are 2.07 people per household. About a quarter of the population of Iwate Prefecture lives in this city.

From "about 300,000" to 276,000 todayThe city writes that "in January 2006 (Heisei 18) it merged with Tamayama Village to the north, becoming a new Morioka City of about 300,000 people and 886.47 square kilometres". As of 1 July Reiwa 8 that is 275,842 — a fall of about 24,000 (8%) in 20 years. It is falling, and yet land prices are rising: residential +1.7%, commercial +2.1% (§9). The fall in population is not showing up directly in land prices — a sign that people within the prefecture are gathering in its capital.

2.07 people per household. A town of one- and two-person homes275,842 ÷ 133,347 households = 2.07 people per household. Among the four Tohoku cities on this site, Yamagata 2.26 > Akita 2.09 > Morioka 2.07, all at much the same level. In a prefectural capital with a university, the prefectural government and branch-office employment, the share of single-person households runs high. Read alongside the median plot of 215 square metres and building of 119 square metres in §4, you can see large houses used by small households, which in time come onto the market.

The city has a relocation deskMorioka City runsthe "Morioka City relocation and settlement information site". It handles information on daily life, support schemes and where to askis gathered here. The relocation grant is ¥600,000 for a single person and ¥1,000,000 for a household, plus ¥1,000,000 for each household member under 18 (run jointly with Iwate Prefecture). The conditions include"having been a resident of, or a commuter into, the 23 wards of Tokyo for a total of 5 years or more within the last 10" among others. The city states plainly that "we ask that you always consult us before applying. Applications made without prior consultation may not be accepted". And that"payment is made within the budget, and if the budget ceiling is reached we may stop accepting applications before the year is out"——so consult them early.Morioka City relocation and settlement information site →

Sources: population and households from Morioka City "Population and Households" (estimated population, as of 1 July Reiwa 8, 275,842 / 130,360 men and 145,482 women / 133,347 households) / "about 300,000 people" fromthe same city, "Introducing Morioka City" (at the time of the merger with Tamayama Village in January Heisei 18) / people per household is our own calculation, population divided by households / the figures for Yamagata and Akita come from the same sources as their pages on this site / the relocation grant fromthe same, "Morioka City relocation grant" (updated 15 July Reiwa 8 / ¥600,000 single, ¥1,000,000 household, plus ¥1,000,000 for each child under 18; the conditions and quotations are from the same page) / relocation and settlement fromthe same, "Morioka City relocation and settlement information site"/ Verified 2026-08-21

Share of foreign residents

0.85%national average 3.26%

Of the 274,941 people living in Morioka City, 2,341 are foreign residents. That is below the national average (3.26%).
Nationwide, foreign residents are 3.26% of the total population (4,031,159 out of 123,767,642). 34 municipalities are above 10%.

Source: calculated by this site from the municipality-level tables of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Population, population change and households based on the Basic Resident Register" (as of 1 January Reiwa 8, published 2026-07-29). The ministry's publication page / verified 2026-08-17

What is happening to Morioka City's population?

275,842 people in 133,347 households (estimate, 1 July Reiwa 8). From the point at which the city wrote of "about 300,000 people" on merging with Tamayama Village in January Heisei 18, that is a fall of about 24,000 (8%) in 20 years. 🔴 And yet land prices are rising, residential +1.7% and commercial +2.1% — a sign that people within the prefecture are gathering in its capital. There are 2.07 people per household.

CHAPTER 11Community life and the year's events

In the city’s words — "Morioka has many events grown out of its history and its land. It flourished from early times as a producer of rice and horses, and many traditional events and folk performing arts have been handed down". The four it names as especially well known include Chagu Chagu Umakko (the second Saturday in June) and the Morioka Sansa Odori (1 to 4 August). The Sansa Odori holds the world record for the most Japanese drums played at once, 3,437.

The Morioka Sansa Odori — 1 to 4 AugustIn the city’s account — "The Sansa Odori is a dance handed down from the days of the domain. Its origin lies in the ‘legend of the three rocks’, and it is now firmly established as the main event of summer. Dancers move to powerful drums and light flutes: the sight of summer in Morioka". On 29 June Heisei 26 it took on the world record for the most Japanese drums played simultaneously and set a record of 3,437. On the last day of the festival that feat is recreated in "the world’s greatest drum parade". 3,437 people striking drums at once is a measure of how many people take part. There is a real route into it as a dancer after you move.

Chagu Chagu Umakko — the second Saturday in JuneIn the city’s account — "Held on the second Saturday in June, this festival of devotion to Sozen-sama sees about 100 horses walk the roughly 14 kilometres from Onikoshi Sozen Shrine in Takizawa to Morioka Hachimangu in Morioka. The horses are gorgeously decorated and hung with many bells, and the chagu-chagu sound they make at every step is said to be the origin of the name". In Showa 53 it was selected as an intangible folk cultural property for which records should be made, and in Heisei 8 the sound of the bells was chosen for the Ministry of the Environment’s "100 soundscapes of Japan to be preserved". A festival whose sound was made a cultural property.

Land that "flourished as a producer of rice and horses"As the city says, Morioka was a town of rice and horses. Chagu Chagu Umakko is an event to thank the working horses. The city emblem, too, is the diamond of the Nanbu family, and the city notes that "because it can also look like a stylised folded crane, some say it stands for the ‘crane’ of the Nanbu family crest". A castle town of 400 years (§1), rice and horses, dance and drums — the events of this town are themselves an account of its land.

Sources: the descriptions of the festivals and all quotations fromMorioka City, "Festivals of Morioka" (Chagu Chagu Umakko = the second Saturday in June, about 100 horses, about 14 kilometres, selected by the state in Showa 53, chosen for the Ministry of the Environment’s "100 soundscapes of Japan to be preserved" in Heisei 8 / Morioka Sansa Odori = 1 to 4 August, world record of 3,437 Japanese drums played simultaneously on 29 June Heisei 26) / the city emblem fromthe same, "The city emblem and the city’s symbols"/ Verified 2026-08-21

What are community life and the festivals like?

The city writes that it "flourished from early times as a producer of rice and horses, and many traditional events and folk performing arts have been handed down". 🔴 The Morioka Sansa Odori (1 to 4 August) set a world record of 3,437 Japanese drums played simultaneously on 29 June Heisei 26, recreated on the last day as "the world’s greatest drum parade". At Chagu Chagu Umakko (the second Saturday in June) about 100 horses walk some 14 kilometres, and the sound of their bells is one of the Ministry of the Environment’s "100 soundscapes of Japan to be preserved".

CHAPTER 12Things nearby that move land prices

What holds up land prices in Morioka (residential +1.7%, commercial +2.1%, §9) is three things: ① the Shinkansen position — Sendai 54 min, Tokyo 2 hr 31 min; ② being the hub of northern Tohoku where the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen divide; ③ a centre where a 400-year-old castle town can still be walked. To which the New York Times in 2023 (§1) was added.

"A walkable centre" is itself the asset valueCommercial land at ¥137,300/m², +2.1% is the highest of the four Tohoku cities (§9). Within walking distance in the centre are Morioka Castle Ruins Park (Iwate Park), the Morioka History and Culture Museum and the Ishiwarizakura. Of the Ishiwarizakura the city writes that "out of a split in a huge granite boulder an Edohigan cherry has grown stoutly up, and every year from the middle to the end of April it opens its graceful pale blossom. It is said to be more than 360 years old, and was designated a national natural monument in 1923" — and it stands inside the grounds of the courthouse, which is very Morioka. Not a sight to visit but part of the everyday scene: that is what holds up the value of this centre.

The junction of the three northern prefecturesMorioka is where the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen divide (§3): Akita 1 hr 36 min, Shin-Aomori 47 min, Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 1 hr 46 min. The city describes itself as "the hub city that leads northern Tohoku" (§1). On top of being a prefectural capital with the prefectural government, a university, branch offices and hospitals, this position as a junction gathers people and work. About a quarter of the population of Iwate Prefecture lives in this city (§10).

The New York Times effect is still visible in the figuresSince the piece of January 2023 (§1), visitors from Japan and abroad have increased. It is natural to read the rise in commercial land, +2.1% (§9) as reflecting part of that. But the popularity of a place moves. If you are thinking of moving, look rather at the substance the New York Times praised — that it is walkable: a 400-year-old town plan, three rivers, a size you can cross on foot (§1, §3). Those were there before the article, and they will not change.

Sources: land prices as in §9 / Shinkansen times as in §3 / the Ishiwarizakura, Morioka Castle Ruins Park and the Morioka History and Culture Museum fromMorioka City, "Things to see in Morioka" (the Ishiwarizakura = more than 360 years old, designated a national natural monument in 1923) / the New York Times as in §1 / checked 2026-08-21

What holds up asset value in Morioka?

🔴 Three things: ① the Shinkansen position — Sendai 54 min, Tokyo 2 hr 31 min; ② being the hub of northern Tohoku where the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen divide; ③ a centre where a 400-year-old castle town can still be walked. The city itself writes that "the feeling and dignity of a castle town survive as ‘what makes Morioka Morioka’", and the New York Times called it "very walkable" — the city’s own account and the view from outside point at the same place. Commercial land at ¥137,300/m² is the highest of the four Tohoku cities.

CHAPTER 13What this place makes

What a place earns its living from shows up both at your dinner table and in your work once you live there. The amount raised through the hometown tax scheme is a rough measure of how many products a place has that people all over Japan choose.

¥511,150,000

Furusato tax donations received in fiscal Reiwa 7 (14,966 gifts).
588th of the 1,788 municipalities in Japan, and 9th within Iwate Prefecture

What this town names as its own products

On its "The tastes and crafts of Morioka" page the city lists wanko soba, Morioka reimen, Morioka jajamen, Nanbu ironware, Iwate rice and Iwate horses (the tradition of Chagu Chagu Umakko).

Source:Morioka City, "The tastes and crafts of Morioka" (wanko soba, Morioka reimen, Morioka jajamen)／the same, "Festivals of Morioka" (flourished from early times as a producer of rice and horses)/ Verified 2026-08-21

You can support a town without living there

Even if a move is still some way off, you can be involved from today through the hometown tax scheme. Your donation goes straight to the municipality, and you choose what it is spent on. A way to give something back to a place you got to know here.

Support Morioka City through furusato tax →

Source:Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Survey on the state of the hometown tax scheme (conducted FY Reiwa 8)", the table of amounts and numbers received (provisional FY Reiwa 7 settlement), tallied by this site. The rank is out of all 1,788 municipalities in that table / verified 2026-08-14

What does Morioka City earn its living from?

On "The tastes and crafts of Morioka" the city lists the three great noodles — wanko soba, Morioka reimen and Morioka jajamen — and Nanbu ironware. 🔴 The city states officially, by name, that Morioka reimen was begun by Aoki Teruhito of Shokudoen and jajamen by Takashina Kansho of Pairon. This is land that flourished from early times as a producer of rice and horses. Furusato tax receipts came to ¥511,150,000 from 14,966 gifts, 588th nationally and 9th within Iwate Prefecture.

CHAPTER 14A message from Morioka City

Morioka City’s "Introducing Morioka City" is a piece that tells the story from the Palaeolithic to the present as one continuous thread. What tells for someone thinking of moving is the sentence at its close — "We will go on raising our independence and meeting new challenges, running the city soundly and aiming to develop further as the hub city that leads northern Tohoku".

It begins with "Welcome to Morioka"The heading of the city’s introduction is "Welcome to Morioka", and the first sentence is "Morioka, ringed by rich forest and blessed with clear water welling up out of the ground. This land spreading over the foot of the great Mount Iwate has been lived in since the Palaeolithic, and the traces of that life remain". Not statistics, not industry, but forest, water and mountain first — the first sentence shows what this town holds dear. The city song too begins with mountain and river: "the morning sun on the foot of Iwate", "the Kitakami flowing full", "on the beautiful Nakatsu river".

The city explains "what makes Morioka Morioka" by its town planIn the city’s words — "This is still the basic frame of central Morioka today, and the feeling and dignity of a castle town survive as ‘what makes Morioka Morioka’" (§1). The city itself defines "what makes Morioka Morioka" as the survival of a 400-year-old town plan. What the New York Times called "very walkable" (§1) is exactly that plan. The city’s own account and the view from outside point at the same place — which is unusual.

And then, "the hub city that leads northern Tohoku"The closing sentence is "We will go on raising our independence and meeting new challenges, running the city soundly and aiming to develop further as the hub city that leads northern Tohoku". As §3 showed, Morioka is the station where the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen divide, with Akita 1 hr 36 min and Shin-Aomori 47 min away. "Hub" is not a figure of speech but a fact on the map. The commercial land of §9, at ¥137,300/m² (the highest of the four Tohoku cities), comes from that position too.

Sources: all quotations fromMorioka City, "Introducing Morioka City" / the city song fromthe same, "The Morioka city song" / the New York Times as in §1 / checked 2026-08-21

What kind of town is Morioka building?

The city’s introduction begins "Welcome to Morioka", and its first sentence is "Morioka, ringed by rich forest and blessed with clear water welling up out of the ground" — not statistics, not industry, but forest, water and mountain first. It closes: "We will go on raising our independence and meeting new challenges, running the city soundly and aiming to develop further as the hub city that leads northern Tohoku". The relocation grant is ¥600,000 single, ¥1,000,000 household, plus ¥1,000,000 for each child under 18.

CHAPTER 15A year in Morioka

The Ishiwarizakura in spring, Chagu Chagu Umakko in June, the Sansa Odori in August, and the castle ruins lit up in winter. Of Morioka Castle Ruins Park the city writes: "in spring it is famous for its cherry blossom, in summer it makes green shade at the heart of the town, in autumn it is dressed in splendid colour. And in winter it is wrapped entirely in a snowscape like an ink painting, the lit-up stone walls conjuring a winter night out of a dream". To eat, there are the "three great noodles": wanko soba, Morioka reimen and Morioka jajamen.

Season	Events and seasons
Spring	Mid to late April = the Ishiwarizakura (in the grounds of the Morioka District Court, more than 360 years old, a national natural monument). The cherry blossom of Morioka Castle Ruins Park. The city flower, the kakitsubata iris, opens purple in early summer
Summer	The second Saturday in June = Chagu Chagu Umakko (about 100 horses, about 14 kilometres). 1 to 4 August = the Morioka Sansa Odori (the world record of 3,437 Japanese drums played at once). Tropical nights number 0.2 a year — the evenings stay cool (§6)
Autumn	The autumn colour of Morioka Castle Ruins Park. The season of new soba — the city describes wanko soba as "a traditional food culture unique to this place, born of the spirit of hospitality handed down from our forebears"
Winter	Morioka Castle Ruins Park lit up — in the city’s words, "wrapped entirely in a snowscape like an ink painting, the lit-up stone walls conjuring a winter night out of a dream". 121.6 days below 0℃ and 209 centimetres of snow a year (§6). Reimen and jajamen are eaten all year round

Wanko soba, Morioka reimen, Morioka jajamen — "the three great noodles"In the city’s account, wanko soba is "said to have been devised to entertain large numbers of guests at a banquet. Bite-sized portions of soba are savoured at length with a range of condiments. It varies by restaurant, but about 15 bowls make up one ordinary serving of mori soba". Morioka reimen "was born in Morioka at the hands of Aoki Teruhito of Shokudoen, who came from the northern Korean peninsula and settled in Japan", and Morioka jajamen is "a noodle dish begun from a street stall by Takashina Kansho of Pairon". Two of the three were begun by real individuals — and that the city writes their names officially is very Morioka.

The Ishiwarizakura stands in a courthouseIn the city’s account — "The Ishiwarizakura in the grounds of the Morioka District Court is an unusual cherry, often brought up when people boast of Morioka: ‘the Ishiwarizakura, now there is a famous tree.’ Out of a split in a huge granite boulder an Edohigan cherry has grown stoutly up, and every year from the middle to the end of April it opens its graceful pale blossom". More than 360 years old, and a national natural monument since 1923. Not a visitor attraction but a tree on public office grounds — that citizens take pride in it says something about how this town keeps its distance.

Cool summer nights change the quality of a yearAs §6 says, tropical nights number 0.2 a year. Neither the Sansa Odori from 1 to 4 August nor Chagu Chagu Umakko in June is a festival to be endured dripping with sweat. Being able to spend a summer evening outdoors turns directly into quality of life in a town with this many events (§11). Winter is hard, with 121.6 days below 0℃, and in exchange the three months of summer are worth a great deal — that is the shape of a Morioka year.

Sources: the quotations on the Ishiwarizakura and the four seasons of Morioka Castle Ruins Park fromMorioka City, "Things to see in Morioka" / the quotations on wanko soba, Morioka reimen and Morioka jajamen fromthe same, "The tastes and crafts of Morioka" / the festivals as in §11 / the city flower fromthe same, "The city emblem and the city’s symbols" / the climate as in §6 / checked 2026-08-21

The information on this site is gathered by an AI that visits primary sources — municipalities, the Japan Meteorological Agency, national statistics — on a regular cycle, and it is updated with a source and a date of verification attached.

What is there to enjoy through the year in Morioka?

Mid to late April = the Ishiwarizakura (in the grounds of the Morioka District Court, more than 360 years old, a national natural monument since 1923), the second Saturday in June = Chagu Chagu Umakko, 1 to 4 August = the Morioka Sansa Odori, and in winter Morioka Castle Ruins Park, in the city’s words "wrapped entirely in a snowscape like an ink painting, the lit-up stone walls conjuring a winter night out of a dream". 🔴 With 0.2 tropical nights a year, you need not endure the summer festivals dripping with sweat.

CHAPTER 16The people who run this city

When you are thinking of moving, who is steering this town, and where to is something the future resident wants to know even more than the present one. This chapter sets out, with sources, only what Morioka City publishes itself. 🔴 As of 22 August 2026, following the official site, I (an AI) could find 3 of the 6 below. The mayor of Morioka City is Uchidate Shigeru (confirmed on the city’s introduction page).

What is published	Published	What you can read
About the mayor	MAYOR’s OFFICE	Name, career, greeting
Policy address	Statement of intent	What they say they will do this year
List of council members	Could not find one	Who the members are, and their groupings
Council broadcasts and recordings	Could not find one	Whether you can watch the council in session
Searchable minutes	Could not find one	Whether you can search past debates by wording
Master plan	The Morioka City comprehensive plan	How many years ahead this town has decided

The mayor of Morioka CityUchidate Shigeru. The page carrying that name was last updatedReiwa 6 (2024), 4/1.
🔴 Age and gender have not been guessed from the name.Only what is published is reproduced here, as published.Morioka City introduction page →

How much of the council can you see?A list of members, live or recorded broadcasts of full sessions, and searchable minutes — where these three are published, you can read a town's debates for yourself before you ever move there.
🔴 The names, photographs and social media of individual council members are not carried on this site. We point you to where you can read them.
Once you have moved, when your own turn to decide comes round is something those three will tell you.

How many years ahead has been decidedIn Morioka City,the Morioka City comprehensive plan. A master plan usually sets outwhat the town has decided to do and by whenand ,where it intends to halt its population decline. 🔴 The period and the population target are not copied out on this site — plans get revised, and a misreading changes the meaning.Please check the official text from the link below.The Morioka City comprehensive plan →

🔴 What I will not do in this chapter1. I will not guess gender or age from a name. Only what is published appears here. 2. I will not write that anything is good or bad. Only what is being put forward, and where it comes from. 3. I will not compare election candidates.
🔴 And mayors change. This site always records the date it checked (2026-08-22), and reopens the original page each time to confirm by machine that the name is still there. If you notice something has nonetheless gone out of date, please let us know.

Source: allofficial site (Morioka City ), followed on 2026-08-22. What this site counted wasonly whether something is published or not ; the content has not been judged / verified 2026-08-22

What I (an AI) was able to find on this town's official site

This site reads the official sites of every area it covers against the same 30 items, out of 100, and measures how quickly someone thinking of moving can reach the information they need. What was measured is the official site of Morioka City, and the total came to 70 (measured 20 August 2026).

"Not found" does not mean "there is none." It means I followed the official site and could not find it. Tell us the published page and the next measurement will reflect it.

Area	Score	What was found
Getting started with a move	16 / 20	There is a relocation and settlement page; an advice desk (department, telephone, opening hours); support schemes with amounts and conditions; and 2 more
Housing	9 / 15	There is an akiya bank; listings carry photographs, price, year built and floor area; completed deals are organised
The money side of living here	7 / 15	Water and sewerage charges are readable from a rate table; child-raising support is specific about amounts and scope; there are explanations of national health insurance tax and fixed asset tax
Disaster information	19 / 20	Hazard maps are published by district; flood, landslide and earthquake are all covered; the year the assumptions were last reviewed is stated; and 2 more
Industry and local produce	8 / 10	A list of local speciality products is on the official site; hometown tax results are published year by year; there are support schemes for businesses and industry
Transport	5 / 10	There is a community bus timetable; fares are stated
Can an AI read it?	6 / 10	Every page carries an updated date; statistics are published as Excel or CSV; open data is published

See all 30 items and the pages used to judge them

3 / 3　There is a relocation and settlement page
Support for people moving in　Go and see → 0 / 3　There is a dedicated relocation site
Only pages within the official site 2 / 3　A contact point (department, telephone, opening hours)
2 of the department, phone number and opening hours were given　Go and see → 5 / 5　Support schemes state amounts and conditions
Both amounts and conditions　Go and see → 3 / 3　There is trial housing or a trial-stay scheme
The booking status for the trial-living scheme has been updated.　Go and see → 3 / 3　Vacancies in trial housing are published
　Go and see → 4 / 4　There is an akiya bank
There is a municipal akiya bank 1 / 4　Listings carry photographs, price, year built and floor area
0 of 2 (0%) have all four items 4 / 4　Completed deals are organised
No completed deals appear in the list 0 / 3　The conditions of use are stated
Not found 1 / 5　Water and sewerage charges are readable from a rate table
There is a water and sewerage page　Go and see → 5 / 5　Child-raising support is specific about amounts and scope
The scope of free and subsidised care is stated down to the age　Go and see → 1 / 3　There are explanations of national health insurance tax and fixed asset tax
There is a tax page　Go and see → 0 / 2　Tie-ups with banks for mortgages and the like
Not found 5 / 5　Hazard maps are published by district
80 documents by district　Go and see → 5 / 5　Flood, landslide and earthquake are all covered
Flood / landslide / earthquake　Go and see → 3 / 3　The year the assumptions were last reviewed is stated
Produced as a revised edition in February Reiwa 8　Go and see → 3 / 4　Is it machine-readable (a map system or a text PDF)?
A text PDF　Go and see → 3 / 3　Disasters are announced through more than one channel
Disaster email / disaster radio / television and radio　Go and see → 5 / 5　A list of local speciality products is on the official site
6 items (the city's official site)　Go and see → 1 / 3　Hometown tax results are published year by year
1 fiscal year is recorded　Go and see → 2 / 2　There are support schemes for businesses and industry
Information for starting a business　Go and see → 2 / 4　There is a community bus timetable
There is a page　Go and see → 3 / 3　Fares are stated
　Go and see → 0 / 3　The date of the last revision is given
Not found　Go and see → 3 / 3　Every page carries an updated date
14 of the 20 pages read　Go and see → 0 / 2　There is a sitemap.xml
Not found 0 / 2　Site search runs on the server side
It was a Google custom search　Go and see → 2 / 2　Statistics are published as Excel or CSV
　Go and see → 1 / 1　Open data is published
　Go and see →

Compare with other towns → 　For municipalities and local organisations (get in touch here) →

Measurement by this site. The URL of each official site was taken from the municipal information published by Furusato Choice. The score is a score for publishing information, not a score for how good the place is to live / verified 2026-08-20

Who runs Morioka City now?

The mayor of Morioka City is Uchidate Shigeru (confirmed on the city’s introduction page on 22 August 2026). What this site looks at is six things: the introduction to the head of the authority, the policy address, the list of council members, live coverage of the council, a search of the minutes, and the comprehensive plan. 🔴 No judgement of good or bad is made. Only whether it is published or not.

CHAPTER 17Where to go on a day off

Days off never appear in the numbers you use to find a house, yet they bear directly on how satisfied you are once you live there. This chapter counts, on the same yardstick used for every area, the places you can go on a day off in Morioka and the places family and friends can stay when they visit. The area currently has 5 hot springs and day baths, 3 amusement parks, zoos and aquariums, and 1 roadside station. 🔴 Every figure is the number registered in the map data (OpenStreetMap) — in reality there may well be more.

What	Number counted, and names
♨ Hot springs and day baths	Ume-no-yu, Seinan Onsen Kaiun-no-yu, Yukko Morioka, Kisei-no-yu, the waste-heat health promotion centre / Yupiasu (5 places)
🏯 Castles and castle sites	Morioka Castle (Morioka-jo)
🎡 Amusement parks, zoos and aquariums	Morioka Tezukuri Mura, Iwayama Park Land and Morioka Zoological Park ZOOMO (3)
🖼 Museums, galleries and memorial halls	The Morioka Tegami-kan letter museum, the Morioka Machiya Monogatari-kan, the Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum, the Iwate Prefectural Museum, the Iwate Museum of Art, the Morioka Museum of Great Predecessors, the Morioka Children’s Science Museum and the Morioka History and Culture Museum and 13 in all
⛩ Shrines and temples	Shrines 57, temples 28. Those with a Wikipedia entry are Ryukoku-ji, Honsei-ji, Gankyo-ji, Sakurayama Shrine, Morioka Hachimangu, Iwate Gokoku Shrine, Mitsuishi Shrine and Sakakiyama Inari Shrine
🚗 Roadside stations	Morioka Shibutami
🐕 Dog runs	1 (no name registered in the map data)
🛣 Expressway service and parking areas	No expressway service or parking area was found in this area

Somewhere to stay — for family and friends, and for your own travels

What	Number counted
🏨 Hotels and ryokan	29
🏠 Guesthouses and hostels	1
⛺ Campsites and auto-campsites	Fureai Land, the Morioka West Community Centre and the Gandoko Family Holiday Village and 4 in all
🏕 Glamping	Not found among the campsite or hotel names
🚐 RV parks (overnight in your vehicle)	Not found in the map data

This table is the result of me (an AI) putting the same question to the map data for every area (areas are retrieved in batches, so the verification date on some pages is a day apart). Facilities not registered on the map are not counted. "Not found" does not mean "there are none" — nor that the town is any the lesser for it.

Sources: the counts and names of facilities fromOpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) / RV parks fromJapan RV Association, list of certified "Kuruma-tabi" RV parks / roadside stations fromMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, list of "michi-no-eki" roadside stations/ Verified 2026-08-20

Counted the same way, you can compare with other towns.hot springs, castles, shrines and temples, museums, amusement parks, campsites, roadside stations, RV parks, national parks and more12 kinds are counted by putting the same question to every area.

Find a place to move by sights and leisure →

Are there places to go on a day off, and places to stay?

Counted from the map data (OpenStreetMap) and the lists of the Japan RV Association and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, there are 5 hot springs and day baths, 3 amusement parks, zoos and aquariums, 1 roadside station and 29 hotels and inns. Facilities not on the map are not counted, so in reality there may be more (details in §17).

Compare with other areas

Every page has the same 17 chapters in the same order. Move between them and you can compare the same line.

Areas in Hokkaido and Tohoku

Osaki (Furukawa and Naruko Onsen)Osaki City, Miyagilistings148 listings / ¥2,200,000–Akita (the Kanto festival and the port, on the Sea of Japan side of Tohoku)Akita City, Akitalistings259 listings / ¥2,000,000–Fukushima 12 municipalities (Hamadori, the area under evacuation orders after the nuclear accident)Fukushima Minamisoma City, Namie Town, Tomioka Town and 9 other municipalitieslistings42 listings / ¥1,960,000–Fukushima (prefectural capital; 1 hr 16 min to Tokyo by Shinkansen)Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecturelistings253 listings / ¥1,800,000–

Places you could look at for a similar price

Kumamoto (32 minutes to Hakata by Shinkansen; a city whose tap water is 100% groundwater)Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecturelistings613 listings / ¥4,800,000–Kisarazu (21 min to Haneda by bus, at the foot of the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line)Kisarazu City, Chibalistings189 listings / ¥3,980,000–Tateyama (1 hour 54 minutes to Tokyo by express coach; the sea and flowers of southern Boso)Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecturelistings32 listings / ¥3,980,000–Kawachinagano (Oku-Kawachi; 40 min to Namba)Kawachinagano City, Osakalistings155 listings / ¥3,800,000–

Compare areas by budget and region →

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