Iwate Prefecture boasts the largest area in the Tohoku Region. Morioka City is the prefectural capital and is conveniently located near the Kitakami and Nakatsugawa Rivers, looking up at the famous peak of Mt. Iwate.
Morioka is famous for its picturesque natural landscape, as well as its popular local cuisine. Among Morioka's famous foods are the "Morioka sandaimen" - the Three Great Noodles of Morioka: Morioka Reimen, Morioka Jajamen, and Wanko Soba.
These three noodle dishes are Morioka specialties that have been loved by tourists and locals alike for a very long time.
Jan 2, 2021
Morioka Iwate Pref. – Noodles are a national favorite in Japan and nearly every area of the country boasts its own regional version. Morioka, however, has not one but three traditional noodle dishes, which coexist amicably in Iwate Prefecture’s capital city. Known collectively as the “Morioka
sandaimen” (“three great noodles of Morioka”), each dish features a noodle with distinct cultural roots:
wanko soba from Japan,
reimen from North Korea.
One reason behind Morioka’s particular affinity for noodles is the climate. “Rice did not grow well in cooler conditions, so in areas with cooler summers, other grains, such as wheat and buckwheat which were resistant to the cold were grown as staple foods instead,” says culinary researcher Keiko Nagasaka, who teaches in the department of life science at Morioka Junior College (affiliated with Iwate Prefectural University).