Morioka Castle stone wall

The Morioka City Archaeological Museum will hold a special exhibition entitled "Morioka Castle's Stone Walls" to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its opening.

An exhibition and commentary on the characteristics and appeal of the stone walls remaining from the Edo period at Morioka Castle Ruins, a national historic site that can be said to be the symbol of Morioka.

The Morioka Castle Ruins, a national historic site, is loved by many locals as a historic site that conveys the appearance of the past to the present, and as a city park, and is a place of relaxation. In recent years, the site has seen an increase in tourists from outside the prefecture and the country, and the presence of Morioka Castle Ruins (Morioka Castle Ruins Park) has become even more prominent.
Some people who have visited the historic site express regret that buildings such as the castle tower and gates no longer exist, but the essential value of Morioka Castle ruins lies in its stone walls.

The historic site designation register from 1937 states that "the moats, stone walls and earthen ramparts are still well preserved and show their original scale," and states that the moats, stone walls and earthen ramparts remain well preserved, giving us a glimpse of what they were like at the time.

Additionally, the Morioka Castle ruins are a rare Azuchi-Momoyama period castle in the northern Tohoku region, and a notable feature is that the main enclosures are entirely made of stone.
This exhibition will focus on the results of the restoration work on the north facade of the northwest part of Sannomaru, which has been ongoing since 2021, and will also display and explain the stone walls of Morioka Castle, including past restoration work, the stacking methods and characteristics of the castle's stone walls.

<Major exhibits>

1 Overview of Morioka Castle Ruins: Overview of Morioka Castle Ruins
2 Basic knowledge about stone walls: The names of each part of a stone wall and the basics of how to stack them
3. Morioka Castle's Stone Walls: Classification and Distribution of Morioka Castle's Stone Wall Stacking Methods
4. Stone and quarry: Stone used in Morioka Castle's stone walls and stone production areas
5 Mason's Tools: Tools used by masons and how to use them
6. Past stone wall restoration work: Overview of stone wall restoration work on the Koshikuwa and Honmaru
7. Sannomaru Stone Wall Restoration Work: Overview of the Sannomaru Northwest Stone Wall Restoration Work and Findings
8. Roof tiles at Morioka Castle ruins: Round and flat roof tiles unearthed during excavation and their chronology
9 Video section: The demolition work on the Sannomaru stone wall, and the on-site briefing session