Nitobe Inazo

Takashi Hara

Born in Morioka City. A politician who created the basis of party politics. He entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the care of Kaoru Inoue, became Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs at the age of 40, and became Minister to Korea at the age of 42. He later founded the Rikken Seiyukai with Hirobumi Ito and others, and became the president of the Seiyukai in 1919. In 1919, he became the 19th Prime Minister. He was Japan's first prime minister without a title, and as a result, the clan government since the Meiji era was transformed into party politics, and Hara was called ``commoner prime minister.'' On November 4, 1920, he was killed by a young man's knife at Tokyo Station.

Shibumin Park (No. 1 Takuboku Poetry Monument)

Shibumin Park stretches along the banks of the Kitakami River across National Route 4 in front of the Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum. Here is the first Takuboku poem monument, erected on April 13, 1922 (Taisho 11), with the inscription, ``As if I were to cry when I saw Kitakami Kishibeme looking at Yanagi.'' It is rare. At Takuboku Station in the park, there is a coffee shop and also sells handmade cakes made by local housewives, Takuboku goods, and farm-fresh vegetables.

Morioka Jajamen Akio