Private multi-day tour · Multi-day from Tokyo
From Tokyo: 2-Day Morioka Ironware Customizable Tour
Make your own Nanbu ironware piece at Morioka Handmade Village, visit an ironware maker and take on the famous wanko soba noodle challenge.
Private · your group only◆2 days◆Up to 6 guests◆Pickup included
Road-day snapshot
This is your private tour, so the route is flexible: tell us if you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby.
The experience
A private journey, thoughtfully paced
Morioka in Iwate has made Nanbu ironware for about 400 years. The heavy cast-iron kettles are known all over the world. On this 2-day trip you do more than look at them. You make a small iron item with your own hands, and then you eat noodles the Morioka way.
Your driver-guide picks you up at your hotel in central Tokyo. The drive north on the Tohoku Expressway takes most of the first day, with rest stops on the way. In the afternoon you reach Morioka Handmade Village, a group of craft studios at the edge of the city. Here you join a hands-on Nanbu ironware workshop with a local craftsperson. You can also watch other makers at work on pottery, dyeing and local sweets.
In the evening you sit down to wanko soba. Small bowls of soba noodles land in your bowl one after another, and you keep eating until you put the lid on. Many guests count their bowls for fun. If you prefer a smaller meal, you can stop any time.
On day 2 you visit a Nanbu ironware foundry or shop in Morioka, where you see kettles and pans finished by hand and can shop for a piece to take home. Before the drive south you try jajamen, Morioka's thick noodles with a rich miso meat sauce. You are back at your Tokyo hotel in the evening.
This is a private tour. Only your group. One van, 1 to 6 guests, never shared with strangers. Your driver-guide speaks English, and also Hindi and Urdu. If the workshop is closed on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead book a different Morioka craft workshop at Handmade Village.
DAY 1 Pickup in Tokyo, drive to Morioka, Nanbu ironware workshop at Morioka Handmade Village, wanko soba dinner
DAY 2 Ironware foundry or shop visit, jajamen lunch, drive back to your Tokyo hotel
Choose with confidence
Is this the right journey for your group?
Excellent fit if
- Make your own small Nanbu ironware item with a local craftsperson
- Take the wanko soba challenge and count your bowls
- See cast-iron kettles finished by hand at a Morioka maker
- Try jajamen, Morioka's miso meat sauce noodles
- Browse pottery, dyeing and sweets studios at Handmade Village
Said plainly
Morioka is about 500 km from Tokyo. Expect around 6 hours of driving each way, with rest stops Wanko soba uses a fish-based soup. Dietary needs can be added in the booking form. Halal food cannot be guaranteed on this tour If the ironware workshop is closed or cancelled on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead book a different Morioka craft workshop at Handmade Village The iron is hot during some steps. Follow the craftsperson's safety instructions
Your day
Suggested itinerary
Times are approximate. Your driver-guide adjusts the order for traffic, weather, opening hours and the best light.
Make your own small Nanbu ironware item with a local craftsperson
Take the wanko soba challenge and count your bowls
See cast-iron kettles finished by hand at a Morioka maker
Try jajamen, Morioka's miso meat sauce noodles
Browse pottery, dyeing and sweets studios at Handmade Village
What is covered
What you see is what you pay
Ours — included
- Private van and English-speaking driver-guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Tokyo
- All parking, fuel and road tolls
- Nanbu ironware workshop fee at Morioka Handmade Village
- Wanko soba dinner on day 1
- Jajamen lunch on day 2
- Entry fees for all listed stops
Yours — paid on the day
- Hotel accommodation (you book your own hotel in Morioka)
- Meals and drinks unless listed as included
- Gratuities, which are never expected in Japan
- Optional ironware and souvenir purchases
Good to know
Before you book
Languages
English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Pickup
Pickup and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel or accommodation (23 wards).
Group and vehicle
Private for up to 6 guests. Enter adults, children, infants and child seats separately at booking.
Dietary and mobility needs
Halal, vegetarian, allergy, walking or other practical requests go in your booking notes and are planned before the day.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can we change the route on the day?
Yes. It is a private tour in our own van, so your driver-guide can skip, extend or add stops where time allows.
Is the price per person?
No. The price is for your whole private group of up to 6 people, including the van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for an automatic full refund to the original payment method. Within 24 hours, contact us directly so we can help. If a typhoon or official weather warning stops the trip, we offer a new date or a full refund. For a GetYourGuide booking, the terms shown on that booking apply.
Somewhere else in mind?
Any destination in Japan
If this route is not exactly what you need, tell us the destination, dates and group. We confirm the plan and the exact price before any payment is taken.
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From¥216,000
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