Wear memories in Morioka's summer

Project Overview

Capture the story of the Sansa Odori and its people in yukata.

We conducted a street snap project featuring people connected to the city of Morioka, wearing original yukata produced by Heralbony.

The people who serve soba, brew coffee, forge metal, run restaurants—.
The people living in this city, who support daily life in their respective places and have grown with the community, shared with us "individual memories" and "family stories" that surfaced as if invited by the sound of the Sansa Dance.

A daughter's smile, a grandmother's flower hat, a passing remark, a parade watched by a couple.
Tradition breathes in each of these daily lives.

Everyone's appearance, as they donned yukata and shared their thoughts, was dignified and beautiful.

This project gently captures the place of Morioka and the stories of the people who live there.

01

Rika Sato | Azumaya

Soba noodles, Sansa dancing, and mother-daughter time—all connected by smiles.

At Hontoya, a long-established wanko soba restaurant in Morioka, the sight of soba noodles being served as if dancing to the server's chant is one of the city's unique charms.

Rika Sato has worked at Hontoya for 40 years. She has been dedicated to this restaurant since she was a teenager, and now, as the manager, she greets customers every day with the same unchanging smile.

My daughter will be performing in one of Tohoku's most prominent festivals.

"I first learned about the Sansa Odori when I was a teenager. I knew it was a big festival, one of the 'Big Four Festivals of Tohoku.' Secretly, I hope it surpasses the Nebuta Festival," Sato says with a laugh.


Now, however, Sato has a special connection to the Sansa Odori.
"My daughter got hooked on the Sansa Odori, and now she dances in the parade. Actually, my daughter also works with me here at Azumaya. She works hard to serve customers in the shop, and in the summer, she expresses herself through dance outside. Seeing her like that truly makes me happy. Both sides of her are authentically her, and those moments are when I feel the happiest."

On festival days too, the scent of soba and smiles

During the Sansa Odori festival, the city comes alive, but the atmosphere at Azumaya is a little more relaxed.


“We get more tourists, but many of them go to see the festival, so the restaurant is actually quieter. Sometimes we even sneak out to watch it ourselves.”


It’s a typical Morioka summer day, where the excitement of the festival and the steam from the soba noodles subtly intertwine.


A family story interwoven with 40 years of time, the place called Azumaya, and the Sansa Odori festival.


In Sato-san's gentle smile, the accumulation of a lifetime was subtly evident.

Soba Restaurant Azumaya

02

Yukari Nagasawa | Nagasawa COFFEE

Coffee, a hanagasa, and memories of my grandmother.

Nagasawa COFFEE, a roaster cafe with locations in Morioka and Ueda, handles the entire process from sourcing green beans to roasting, brewing, and serving. HERALBONY ISAI PARK, Heralbony's flagship store, uses Heralbony's original blend roasted by Nagasawa COFFEE. We spoke with Yukari Nagasawa of Nagasawa COFFEE, who shared insights into her quiet daily life and memories of summer in Morioka.

My grandmother's back, wearing a hanagasa hat

"When I think of the Sansa Dance, I see my grandmother. I still remember her putting on her flower hat and quickly heading out the door. She passed away last year, but her flower hat is still on the family altar." For Yukari, who quietly shared this story, the Sansa Dance is tied to "memories of a dear person." Perhaps that's why the passion and unity of the dance feel even more vivid to her now, she says.

The Festival and Everyday Life.

「A single dance can create bonds between people, and between people and their communities. That's an amazing thing, isn't it?」 Despite saying that, Nagasawa COFFEE's business style remains unchanged even during the Sansa Dance festival. 「We're a shop that 'stays close to daily life,' so the Sansa festival doesn't really affect us much. I think it's good to have time for festivals and time for everyday life.」
Beyond the steam of the coffee lay a gaze towards the town. Within that usual cup, memories of the hanagasa and a quiet passion subtly resided.

Nagasawa COFFEE
Instagram

03

Kei and Ayumi Yokoyama | RHINO

The sound of the Sansa dance heralds summer. The city of Morioka and the everyday life of RHINO.

Kei and Ayumi Yokoyama, the couple who run "RHINO," a popular restaurant in Morioka. For them, who carefully consider food and daily life, what does the Sansa Odori, which symbolizes Morioka's summer, mean to them?

"The first time I saw it, it brought tears to my eyes."

Ayumi-san is from Niigata, and she says the first time she saw the Sansa Dance was after she moved to Morioka. "My husband took me to see it, and it was so amazing...it brought tears to my eyes. There aren aren't many festivals where so many people dance together, are there?" "Among them, I especially like the students' dancing. It's so energetic, and their earnestness really comes through. I think it's wonderful that the younger generation is determined to carry on this tradition."

Since elementary school, I've been involved in the local "Kurokawa Sansa" festival.

My hometown is the former Tono village, which has now been merged into Morioka City. When I was in elementary school, I danced the "Kurokawa Sansa," a traditional dance passed down in the region, for the first time. It's a traditional Sansa dance revived in 1968 by local volunteers," says Kei, laughing that he's now "on the watching side." "When I was a child, I used to dance myself, but now I enjoy watching. As the Sansa dance approaches, I hear the sounds of flutes and drums from all over the city, and I feel like, 'Ah, summer has arrived.'" In the city of Morioka, summer is a time when the sounds of the Sansa dance and RHINO's daily life intersect. The time for people who subtly choose beautiful things quietly expands from this store once again.

RHINO｜Instagram

04

Suzuki Morihiro | Suzuki Morihiro Studio 16th Generation

"Sansa" and "Chukin." The quiet traditions and unique character that thrive in the streets of Morioka.

Mr. Morihiro Suzuki was born in Morioka in 1972 and studied metal casting in the Craft Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2008, he fully entered the world of metal craft, his family's business, and in 2022, he assumed the name "Morihiro Suzuki, the 16th." While inheriting tradition, his approach of gently embracing new ideas perfectly embodies the "present" of this city. We interviewed Mr. Suzuki about the Sansa Odori, a summer tradition.

"You know, I really love watching the Sansa Festival."

"I myself have never participated in the parade. However, elementary school students in Morioka City learn the Sansa dance at school and perform it at their sports festivals," says Mr. Suzuki. Although the Sansa dance has been a familiar part of his life since childhood, he tends to be more of a "spectator" than a "participant." "When I was younger, I would go to the Sansa dance, but I was more excited about the food stalls. However, as I've gotten older, I've come to understand the different types of dances and the splendor of traditional Sansa. Now, I purely enjoy watching the dance." When asked about the atmosphere in his workshop and the shopping district during the Sansa dance period, he smiles and replies, "It doesn't particularly change." Perhaps that unchanging nature is what sustains daily life.

Heralbony yukata, and daily life in Morioka.

Suzuki's trademark beret stood out in his original Heral Bony yukata. "I love hats and used to wear fedoras and caps often, but recently I've exclusively worn berets, so they've become my trademark, (laughs)." Local passersby would often exclaim, "Oh, how lovely!" Suzuki has truly become a beloved figure in Morioka, known as "Morihisa-san."
The quietude of the workshop and the bustle of the shopping street. Witnessing "Morihisa-san" stand naturally in both settings, it felt as though I was being taught that tradition is the accumulation of "things that continue."

Suzuki Morihisa Studio

Credits

Creative Direction / Planning / Writing 　Rina Park (HERALBONY STAFF)
Project Management / Web Design 　 　 Mei Komori (HERALBONY STAFF)
Styling　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TOM
Styling Assistant　 　　　　　　　　　　 Haruka Maekawa (HERALBONY STAFF)
Photography 　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yui Sugawara

Yukata and tenugui

Collaboration items with "Kyoya Senmonten" from Iwate Prefecture｜Special yukata and tenugui where tradition and unique art merge are now available.

￥手染め浴衣（レディース）「marina - moji003」marina￥手染め浴衣（レディース）「marina - moji003」marina
残りわずか
marina-moji003

marina

Hand-dyed yukata (women's) "marina-moji003"

¥88,000
全商品を見る
05

2026 "Morioka Sansa Odori" Special Campaign

Original fans will be distributed in limited quantities during the "Morioka Sansa Odori Festival."

In conjunction with the Morioka Sansa Dance Festival, which will be held from Saturday, August 1 to Tuesday, August 4, 2026, we will be distributing original fans featuring art by contracted artist Shuu Toriyama starting Saturday, August 1.

＜Fan Distribution Details＞

Distribution Date and Time: Friday, August 1, 2025, from 5:00 PM (Limited quantity. Distribution ends once supplies run out.)

Distribution Locations: HERALBONY ISAI PARK and in front of the Iwate Bank Head Office

HERALBONY ISAI PARK

1-10-1 Saien, Morioka, Iwate 020-8655
Business Hours: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Closed: Follows the closing days of Park Avenue Kawatoku

*By scanning the QR code on the fan, you can download an original art wallpaper for your smartphone. Please enjoy the unique art on your device.

Participating Artists・Art

Shu Toriyama has created many works based on Iwate and Morioka. His Sansa Odori, which practically lets you hear the energetic sounds of drums and flutes from the festival, was specially created for the Iwate Isai-ka Project. Please enjoy the elaborately depicted festival scene.
Writer page here

Fukui Masahiro

Masahiro Fukui /
Art Space Colorful (Tottori Prefecture) Resident Artist

His artistic style involves painting with acrylics while observing his subject. For many years, he has painted flowers, and in recent years, he sometimes dedicates months to continuously painting the same flower, focusing on a single bloom. His ability to compose a picture by simplifying colors and shapes is also captivating. Works painted with a thick brush are endearing, drawing viewers into a gentle world.
On the other hand, works featuring his original "Fukui font," boldly expressed with a marker pen, exude a dignified atmosphere that enthralls the viewer's eyes.

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Marina

Marina /
Individual (Tokyo)

Currently attending a special needs school in Tokyo. Loves sushi, games (Mario Kart), cooking, and drawing. While she enjoys creating art using various methods such as stickers, stamps, and dripping, her absolute favorite is filling an entire notebook with what appears to be her unique typography—perhaps an ancient, cosmic, or futuristic language.

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