Morioka

is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 August 2023, the city had an estimated population of 283,981 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Morioka is located in the in central Iwate Prefecture, at the confluence of three rivers, the Kitakami, the Shizukuishi and the Nakatsu. The Kitakami River is the second largest river on the Pacific side of Japan (after the Tone River) and the longest in the Tōhoku region. It runs through the city from north to south and has a number of dams within the city boundaries, including the Shijūshida Dam and Gandō Dam. An active volcano, Mount Iwate, dominates the view to the northwest of the city. Mount Himekami is to the north and Mount Hayachine can sometimes be seen to the southeast. Surrounding municipalities Iwate Prefecture Hanamaki Hachimantai Takizawa Miyako Shizukuishi Kuzumaki Shiwa Yahaba Iwaizumi Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Morioka peaked at around the year 2000 and has slightly declined since.