Morioka

is a city in the Tōhoku region of Japan on the island of Honshu. It is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Morioka" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 661; "Tōhoku" at p. 970.

It has been recognized as a core city since 2008.Jacobs, A.J.  "Japan's Evolving Nested Municipal Hierarchy: The Race for Local Power in the 2000s," Urban Studies Research, Vol. 2011 (2011), p. 8 [PDF 8 of 14]; retrieved 2012-12-5.

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

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

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

During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, Morioka was hit by a 6.1 earthquake.MarketWatch.com, "New 6.1 magnitude quake hits near Morioka, Japan," March 11, 2011; retrieved 2012-8-31.

 Culture 
The Iwate Museum of Art (IMA) is in Morioka.  IMA's collection includes works works by notable local artists.Iwate Museum of Art (IMA), "Message from the Director" ; retrieved 2012-8-31.

 References 

 Other websites 

 Morioka City website

Category:Cities in Iwate Prefecture