Morioka Bus Center Guide: Food, Shopping & Visitor Tips

“Morioka Bus Center” serves as a base for strolling around Morioka. Reborn as a new facility in 2022, it has been transformed from a place merely for waiting for ordinary buses into a place where you can eat, drink, and have fun.

On the 1st floor, there is a food hall and shops where popular local stores gather; on the 2nd floor, there is a coffee shop where jazz plays; and on the 3rd floor, there are accommodation facilities and even a sauna—making it a place packed with “fun.”

In this article, based on photos from the author’s own visit, we introduce the charms of Morioka Bus Center, where you can eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.

Highlights of “Morioka Bus Center”

The Main Building Has Regained Its Original Bus Center Role

Since the old center closed in 2016, the site sat vacant for a while, but through the 2022 renewal, its role as Morioka’s eastern gateway was revived once again.

The new main building offers a spacious waiting area rather than being a mere stop, so you can wait for buses comfortably in air-conditioned and heated surroundings. Digitally displayed guideboards are also easy to understand, serving as important transport infrastructure for Morioka citizens.

Adjacent to the bus center waiting room, the eatery (Soba-dokoro Nambu) has a full lineup of easy-to-enjoy menus, starting with the famous “Niku Soba” (meat soba). Being able to eat quickly while waiting for a bus carries on the strengths of the traditional bus center.

Niku Soba is a filling bowl topped with plenty of meat simmered sweet and savory. Side menu items such as soft-serve ice cream, coffee, and shaved ice in summer are also well stocked. While it is a new and clean space, the charm lies in savoring that somewhat comforting feel of “station soba / bus-waiting gourmet.”

Eating and Drinking at the Annex Izakaya, Restaurant, and Food Court

The annex next to the main building is a food hall where popular local stores gather, so you can enjoy meals and drinks in a free-form style. Counters for Morioka craft beer or local sake, skewer grills, authentic cuisine, and more cover a diverse range of genres.

Because it is an open space without partitions, you can mix and match menus from several shops—casually drinking during the day on your own, or spending lively time in a group—and feel the energy of present-day Morioka. It is a solid spot that makes you want to come specifically to eat and drink, not just while waiting for a bus.

Recommended Shop “Morioka Craft Beer BAEREN”

When you want a quick drink while waiting for a bus, Morioka’s craft beer BAEREN is just right. At this counter inside the annex food hall, you can enjoy authentic craft beer that Morioka is proud to share with the world.

Being able to order casually starting from a single glass is a real plus. Despite the authentic bar atmosphere, because it is an open spot inside a bus center, you can enjoy Morioka’s flavors without hesitation even in the short time before departure.

A recommended dish is the roast plate assortment of Short-Horn Beef, Platinum Pork, and Iwate Chicken (1,000 JPY), a menu item that pairs just right with BAEREN’s bitter beer.

Having a glass of your preferred beer from “Colonia,” “Tsunagu Beer,” “Lemon Radler,” “Classic,” “Alt,” and “Schwarz” is simply irresistible.

The Annex Features a Super Sento Facility

On the 3rd floor of the bus center’s annex, a full-fledged thermal bath facility, “SPA & SAUNA KANAN SPA,” is fully outfitted. Being able to refresh in a sauna or large public bath while waiting for a bus or between legs of a trip is a rare setup nationwide.

• Authentic Finnish-style Sauna: Featuring an authentic sauna capable of self-löyly, with quality that even sauna lovers can appreciate.
• Choice of Cold Plunge and Outdoor Air Bathing: With a firmly chilled cold plunge and outdoor air bathing in the rooftop area, you can experience authentic “totonoi” (sauna-refreshment) right in the middle of the city.
• Stylish and Clean Space: A modern interior with the sparkling cleanliness unique to a new facility opened in 2022.
• Empty-handed Visits Welcome: Because amenities such as rental towels are also well stocked, you can casually drop by on a whim between sightseeing or business trips.

Hotel Annex “HOTEL MAZARIUM”

On the 3rd floor of the annex is the lifestyle museum hotel “HOTEL MAZARIUM.” This hotel features artworks produced by Heralbony throughout guest rooms and shared spaces, creating a special place where the stay itself becomes an art experience.

While it sits in a very convenient location inside the bus center building, stepping inside offers a modern, calm atmosphere that makes you forget the hustle and bustle outside. All rooms use Simmons beds, with a clear focus on comfortable sleep. Directly connected to the “KANAN SPA” introduced above, it serves as a stay base where you can feel Morioka’s new culture while enjoying saunas and spas.

Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Museum

Located inside the “HOTEL MAZARIUM” lounge on the 3rd floor of the annex is the “Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Museum,” which traces the career of world-renowned jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi. It is a precious spot where not only fans but anyone can casually encounter that culture.

Inside, Toshiko’s precious photos and materials, as well as numerous award trophies, are on display. At the attached cafe “Cafe Bar West38,” you can also enjoy coffee, the famous jazz curry, or drinks while listening to authentic jazz. Live performances are also held regularly, so you can enjoy a grown-up Morioka moment with high-quality music—all while remaining inside the bus center.

Key Points to Note at “Morioka Bus Center”

Key Point: Buses Passing the Bus Center Do Not Appear on the Bus Center’s Electronic Display Board

Regarding the splendid electronic display board inside the Morioka Bus Center building, there is actually a rule that “what is displayed here are only buses that originate from or terminate at the Bus Center (or highway buses and the like that enter the premises).”

Many buses coming from the Morioka Station direction that “pass the Bus Center and continue farther on (such as to Prefectural Central Hospital or Chabatake)” do not enter the building and instead stop at the outdoor street-side bus stop. These do not appear on the indoor monitors at all.

If you panic thinking “the bus I want is not on the display board” and wait inside the building, the bus may pass by at the outdoor street-side stop. It is important to confirm in advance whether the bus you want is an “inside-premises” type or a “stops at the outdoor bus stop” type.

(Departure/arrival platform inside the Bus Center premises)

(Bus stop in front of the Bus Center)

Location and Access for “Morioka Bus Center”

Location

Morioka Bus Center is located on “Nakanohashi-dori” in central Morioka City. From JR Morioka Station, take the “Morioka City Center Loop Bus ‘Dendenmushi'” from the East Exit Bus Terminal, or a bus bound for Chabatake/Suidobashi; the ride takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Get off at the “Morioka Bus Center” stop.

On foot, it takes about 20 to 25 minutes from Morioka Station via Odori Shopping Street or the Nakatsu River. The surrounding area is next to “monaka” and “Hotline Sakanacho,” making it truly a starting point for strolling around town. By car, using the attached dedicated parking lot or nearby coin parking is convenient.

Frequently Asked Questions about “Morioka Bus Center”

Summary: Morioka Bus Center

Morioka Bus Center, renewed in 2022, overturns the old image of a waiting area and has been reborn as a multifunctional spot packed with Morioka’s “food, culture, and healing.”

As a stroll base for the Nakanohashi and Sakanacho areas, or as a destination in its own right—use the renewed Morioka Bus Center wisely and enjoy deeper Morioka sightseeing!