The New York Times named Morioka as one of the 52 places to visit in 2023, just after London. This is the town where I lived until I was twenty, surrounded by mountains, where the clouds come down low. My good friend Matsumoto grows apples in Otobe and every time I go back I'm impressed by the view of the Ou mountain range and Mount Iwate from the café in the middle of the hill. Although the climate is not the same as that in which the Impressionists were born, the landscape is a clear example of the world of ink painting. The fields of apple trees that stretch across the hillside are reminiscent of Normandy.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/travel/52-places-travel-2023.html