Nostalgic Kataya-cho, where the life and culture of a castle town is alive and well

Natayacho, located to the southeast of Morioka Castle Ruins Park, has a history of developing as the starting point for the Kitakami River boat transportation and the gateway to the castle town on the Oshu Kaido and Miyako Kaido roads.It is an area that retains strong vestiges of the past, with old merchant houses called ''Morioka Machiya'', storehouses from the shipping era, Teranoshita temples such as Daijiji Temple, and spring water that has been used for domestic purposes.

If you want to walk around Hataya-cho, the first place to go is the Morioka Machiya Monogatari Museum. This facility is a renovated sake brewery of the former Iwate River Hatayacho Factory, where sake was produced until 2006.In addition to being able to tour a traditional townhouse, there are shops, cafes, and galleries. You can also get tourist information, so please stop by.

The Daiji Shimizu Goretsudokoro, which is a renovated townhouse from the mid-Meiji era, has a free resting area, and is recommended for taking a break. The neighboring Daiji Shimizu is one of Morioka's three major clean waters. It is a communal well that draws water from Daijiji Temple, where the Hara Kei Tomb is located, through a wooden gutter, and is still carefully maintained and managed by local people. The first well is for drinking, the second well is for polishing rice, the third well is for washing vegetables and dishes, and the fourth well is for washing feet, so please abide by the rules.

There is another one of Morioka's three major spring waters in Katayacho. There is "Seiryusui" whose water source is Gidaji Temple. In the Daijiji area, which includes Katayacho, there are many shops that make use of spring water, such as tofu shops and soba shops, and Showa Asahigura, which produces the famous sake ''Asakai'', is also located in this area.

You can drink the spring water on the spot or pour it into a water bottle. Enjoy walking around town while staying hydrated.