Morioka No.2 destination on New York Times global travel list

The northern Japanese city of Morioka has been ranked second by the The New York Times on its list of 52 places around the world to go in 2023. 

Morioka, in Iwate Prefecture, and the city of Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu in western Japan, were the only two Japanese destinations to feature on the paper’s influential annual travel list published on Thursday.  

London topped the list of the places to go in 2023 with Morioka, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park (US), Kilmartin Glen (Scotland), and Auckland (New Zealand) completing the top five destinations. Fukuoka featured at number 19. 

(Image: The Site of Morioka Castle Park, yisris flickr license)

Around two hours from Tokyo by shinkansen bullet train, the city of Morioka is “a walkable gem without the crowds,” the paper said. Morioka is also praised for its Taisho-era (1912 - 1926) buildings, old ryokan, and an ancient-castle-site-turned-park, among other features. 

The city’s “fantastic” coffee and all-you-can-eat wanko soba noodles are also highlighted by the paper - the latter being a speciality of the Iwate region, particularly in Morioka, where diners binge on the buckwheat noodles, slurping down small portions that are immediately replaced until they can’t take any more.

Sandwiched between The Alaska Railroad and the island of Flores in Indonesia, at number 19 on The New York Times list subtropical Fukuoka is highlighted for its rows of yatai which the paper describes as “open-air street-food stalls resembling boxes of neon light” 

Many of these yatai - something of an endangered dining experience in Japan - serve-up outdoor staples such as ramen, yakitori and oden, while a little more diversity, including wine and coffee, can be found along the riverfront on the island of Nakasu, according to the paper.

What are your go to destinations in Japan in 2023?  Let us know in the comments.

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