Morioka Nakanohashi & Sakanacho Area Guide: Red Brick Hall, Nakatsu River & Hot Line Sakanacho

The area extending from Nakanohashi to Sakanacho in Morioka has a compact concentration of spots that are just right for strolling around town. It is a place perfect for taking a walk at your own pace, whether lazily walking along the river, gazing at the large red-brick building, or wandering straight through the arcade street as you please.

Featuring “Iwate Bank Red Brick Hall,” a National Important Cultural Property, the scenery of the Nakatsu River flowing through the center of town leading to Iwate Park, and “hot line Sakanacho,” an all-weather arcade shopping street, it is a place where you can feel the local atmosphere and tranquility of Morioka.

In this article, based on photos actually taken while walking by the author, we introduce the surroundings of Nakanohashi and Sakanacho.

Nakanohashi & Sakanacho Area Guide / Charms

Iwate Park and Nakatsu River — a Park of Water and Greenery, Pleasant Riverside Strolling

The area surrounding the Morioka Castle Site (Iwate Park) and the Nakatsu River flowing beside it is an area rich in water and greenery. Splendid stone walls remain inside the park, allowing you to enjoy strolling while walking among the trees.

A pedestrian path is developed along the Nakatsu River flowing right next to it, allowing you to pass under bridges or go down to the water’s edge while listening to the murmuring of the river. Despite being in the central area, it has a sense of openness, making it a place just right for strolling leisurely while gazing at the river’s flow.

Recently, entry to the pedestrian path along the riverbed has been prohibited.

Historical Building, Beautiful and Cool Iwate Bank Red Brick Hall

What particularly catches the eye at the Nakanohashi intersection is the “Iwate Bank Red Brick Hall,” built in 1911. Its exterior, featuring red bricks with white granite lines, lets you feel the modern atmosphere of the Meiji and Taisho eras.

This building was designed by Kingo Tatsuno, who also worked on Tokyo Station, and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property. Simply gazing at it from the outside conveys the detail and dignity of its construction, but parts of the interior can also be toured for free. Its historical appearance, blending into the city as a matter of course, can be called a symbolic presence when walking through Morioka.

Nakanohashi & Sakanacho Area New Spot / Shopping Mall “monaka”

Opened in 2024, “monaka” is a complex facility serving as a new landmark on Nakanohashi-dori. Built on the site of the former “Nakasan Department Store,” it houses a direct-from-farm market lined with fresh local ingredients, eateries, household goods shops, and more.

Despite being a state-of-the-art building, it features a calm design that blends into the surrounding streetscape. From the 1st floor to the upper floors, rest spaces as well as shopping are well-stocked, making it convenient for dropping by casually after walking by the Nakatsu River or Red Brick Hall. It is a gourmet and shopping spot recommended for strolling in the Nakanohashi and Sakanacho areas where you can feel a new breeze of Morioka.

Rare “Ebisu-ya’s Round Taiyaki” Can Be Eaten

In the 1st-floor eatery area, rare “round taiyaki (260 JPY per piece)” can be eaten. Featuring the nostalgic taste of traditional taiyaki while having a modern round shape, it is a taiyaki that seems to express the style and chicness of Morioka locals.

Nostalgia-Evoking Traditional Arcade Shopping Street “hot line Sakanacho”

“hot line Sakanacho” is an all-weather arcade shopping street with a total length of about 365 meters, exuding a somewhat nostalgic atmosphere. Long-established tea shops, clothing stores, and other businesses continuing from old times line the street, making it a place filled with everyday life where locals visit for daily shopping.

Due to the flow of recent times, unfortunately it does not have the liveliness of past days, but even so, parents with children or elderly couples walking leisurely, or sometimes elementary school students running through—it remains a shopping street that makes you happy for preserving the merits of a locally-rooted arcade shopping street.

Because the wide pedestrian-only pathway has a roof, you can walk on rainy or snowy days without worrying about the weather. Different from modern shopping malls, it is suited for wandering around gazing at shopfronts while feeling the atmosphere of a shopping street where slow time flows.

Multifunctional Facility Convenient for Tourist Information and Rest “Plaza Odette”

Standing right near Nakanohashi, “Plaza Odette” is a complex facility perfect for gathering tourist information and resting. Inside the building, there is a tourist information center where you can obtain town-strolling pamphlets, and a shop lined with Morioka specialties is also attached.

On the 2nd floor, there is the “Morioka Tegamikan” (Morioka Letter Museum) displaying letters of predecessors, where you can quietly touch upon history. A large plaza extends in front of the building, and utilizing it as a starting point when strolling through Nakatsu River or Red Brick Hall, or as a drop-in spot when tired from walking, is recommended.

Location and Access of Nakanohashi & Sakanacho

Location

The Nakanohashi & Sakanacho area is located about 1.5 kilometers east of Morioka Station, across the Nakatsu River. From JR Morioka Station, it is convenient to take buses leaving from each departure point at the bus terminal (Nos. 5, 6, 12, 13, etc.), such as the “Morioka City Center Loop Bus ‘Dendenmushi'” or buses bound for “Chabatake,” and get off at “Morioka Bus Center” or “Nakanohashi-dori 1-chome.”

Bus ride time is about 10 to 15 minutes. From Morioka Bus Center, it is a distance right nearby on foot, and the Red Brick Hall, hot line Sakanacho, and Iwate Park (Morioka Castle Site Park) are all gathered within a few minutes’ walk. In the case of coming by car, using nearby paid parking lots or the parking lot at Morioka Bus Center to stroll is smooth.

History of Nakanohashi & Sakanacho

Item / Period	History of Nakanohashi & Sakanacho Area
Feudal Era	Developed as a castle town for Morioka Castle, Sakanacho flourished as a merchant town where fish merchants gathered.
1911 (Meiji 44)	Morioka Bank Head Office (now Iwate Bank Red Brick Hall) completed. Around Nakanohashi became a center of finance and economy.
1981 (Showa 56)	All-weather arcade “hot line Sakanacho” completed in the Sakanacho Shopping Street.
2011 (Heisei 23)	Department store “Nakasan Morioka Store,” one of the area’s symbols, closed.
2012 (Heisei 24)	After operations at Iwate Bank Nakanohashi Branch ended in 2012, it underwent preservation repairs and opened to the public in 2016 as “Iwate Bank Red Brick Hall.”
2024 (Reiwa 6)	New complex facility “monaka” opened in the redevelopment area including the former Nakasan site.

Summary: Nakanohashi & Sakanacho Area Guide

The area extending from Nakanohashi to Sakanacho in Morioka is a place just right for strolling, where historic buildings, nature, and local everyday life are compactly gathered. Walking while listening to the murmuring of the Nakatsu River, gazing at the dignified Red Brick Hall, and touching upon the present-day air of Morioka at the shopping street—you can spend such a relaxed time.

Rushing around famous tourist spots is fine, but why not wander around Nakanohashi at your own pace sometimes? Within the river’s flow and the shopping street’s atmosphere, comfort unique to Morioka will surely be found.

“Daiji Shimizu” and “Morioka Hachimangu,” which can be walked to from Sakanacho or Nakanohashi and are just right for a stroll to feel good old Morioka, are also recommended routes for strolling around Morioka.