<translate> Template:Location infobox
Morioh (杜王町, Moriō-chō) is a fictional town located within Japan's M Prefecture in the city of S, and the setting of the 4th arc of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Diamond is Unbreakable.
While the population of Morioh is small and relatively peaceful, living there before the introduction of the Bow and Arrow are several Stand users; among them Josuke Higashikata and the villainous Yoshikage Kira. After the Nijimura brothers take the Bow and Arrow, activity in the town takes a spike.
Morioh possesses several landmarks, the vast majority of them being connected to a Stand user.
Morioh is a small coastal town situated in Japan. Morioh is said to be near a certain "S-City", in "M-Prefecture", which is a reference to Araki's own real-life hometown of Sendai, Miyagi prefecture. The town is roughly centered around its train station, with downtown Morioh being situated near the station and the largest roads spreading in a circle from the station. To the West of the train station are most of the residential areas then the coast itself. To the East South-East of the station are the more rural areas and agricultural fields. Beyond that are mountainous areas. The Hirose river crosses the South of Morioh before linking with the sea.
Despite being a Japanese town, the local architecture is mostly Western-style. The residential neighbourhoods of Morioh actually resemble American suburbs with spacious tracts of lands and detached houses. Morioh's downtown is also occupied by Western style buildings, which are a couple of stories tall at most, leaving a cleared skyline.
The infrastructure of Morioh is well-developed, notably in the local means of public transportation. One train station links Morioh to S-City and is often used by commuters. There is also a bus network that connects Morioh to other cities, for instance to Sapporo.[1] There are at least three different bus lines, as Koichi Hirose tells Jotaro Kujo to take the "bus 3".[2]
S City of M Prefecture is a city adjacent to Morioh. It was undergoing many forays to new enterprises. People working there were seeking to take residence and came to Morioh, quickly expanding the town's population.[3]
S City was much more modern than Morioh: people often compared life there with the ones seen on TV dramas. Some people that didn't want a rural life or to take a modern job went there after graduating high school in search of a job, but the market was competitive.
As Morioh is situated in Northeastern Japan, it has particularly cold winters.[4] A flashback of Josuke's childhood points out that Morioh could be subject to blizzards.[5]
As a countryside japanese town, life in Morioh is relatively quiet and peaceful. Most of the population consists in ordinary human beings who live ordinary lives. Most of the population belongs to the middle to middle-high class, with some residences used as summer houses for rich people who aren't locals. There is a mild obvious criminal activity in young biker gangs who break the law and drive recklessly.[6] In the summer, the town sees an influx of tourists, and the local inhabitants are said to be relatively unwelcoming of the tourists.[7]
However, Morioh is unique because of the unusually high population of Stand Users who live here. This is explained by the presence of two Arrows in the hands of the Nijimura and Kira families, as well as the presence of a minor branch of the Joestar Family in the Higashikatas. Keicho Nijimura has shot many people with his Arrow in the months preceding the events of Diamond is Unbreakable, and Yoshihiro Kira also has shot a number of people with his Arrow, resulting in a high concentration of malevolent Stand Users. Josuke Higashikata also has acquired a Stand thanks to his blood connection with the Joestar Family. Finally, the town has known a natural influx of Stand Users who have come for unrelated reasons, such as Tonio Trussardi and Aya Tsuji. Josuke and his companions often clash with malevolent Stand Users, resulting in regular occurrences of mayhem across Morioh.
The "town's flower" is the Adonis, and the town's specialty is Miso-flavored Beef Tongue.[8]
The residents of Morioh have a superstitious tradition. Whenever they narrowly escape trouble, they say "It's because of my good daily routine". People over 30 will respond "Yes, and people believe in fish heads too".[7]
The anime adaptation adds a local radio show named "Morioh-cho Radio", hosted by a man named Kai Harada. The radio offers local news, and broadcasts songs.
Morioh is a commuter town and a suburb of S City, which means a large part of the working population commutes to the larger S-City to work. However, Morioh is not devoid of local business. It has a number of small businesses that operate in town, such as the Kameyu market hall, a bank, and other mundane businesses. Morioh also has an industrial port and has a local fishing industry (seen with the fishermen who witnessed the incident Yukako Yamagishi at Boing-boing Cape).[9] The town also has a small number of unusual businesses. Tonio Trussardi's "Trattoria" and Aya Tsuji's "Cinderella" Beauty Salon's activites are based on their owners' respective Stand powers, resulting in highly unusual services.[10][11] Tamami Kobayashi, a local resident, also operates as a loan shark and uses his The Lock to guilt trip people into giving him back his loans immediately.[12]
Every year on July 1, rivers and beaches open up to the public in Morioh. Because of this, the date range from July to August is the season for traveling and tourism. 70% to 80% of the total tourism revenue of Morioh is brought in during this time. The number of domestic and international visitors coming from the Tokyo area or S city nearly doubles the population.[13] Each year, the town attracts around 200,000 tourists. However, the residents generally do not mingle with the tourists and local vendors approach them with an unwelcoming attitude like "If you're going to buy something, I'll sell it to you". Despite how their nature can be off-putting, the people of Morioh are generally good people after getting to know them.[7]
Popular Activities include vacation resorts, golfing, camping, fishing, picnicking, yachting, windsurfing, tasting local seafood and traditional Japanese products, and visiting the mysterious underwater palace. All are main attractions that ensure a good time in Morioh over the summer.[13]
The area around Morioh has been inhabited for a long time. There are remains of villages dating back to the Jomon Period (c. 14,000–300 BCE). It was then inhabited by samurai with many martial arts training grounds and villas.[8] In the 1980s, the town quickly developed into a small yet significant commuter town with a middle-class population who commutes to S-City for work.
Not much earlier, Morioh had been just a rural town where one could find only rice and vegetable fields. The country town was run mostly by agriculture business, and as a result people in there had hard and cracked hands. They often needed to check on the water in the paddy fields in the middle of the night. There was at least one area in the Northeast famous for an old summer retreat.
Morioh eventually underwent a transformation in an age where places all over Japan were improving. M Prefecture's government officials decided to invest money into Morioh to develop it, as its population was quickly increasing with workers from the adjacent S City. The streets were repaired, shops and markets were built, and pretty houses were lined up on the land that used to be rice fields. Power lines and telephone poles that harmed the views disappeared or were abandoned (including one that would later be bound to the Stand Super Fly). With the development of town, many people came back to live in Morioh, with Akari Hirai among them.
On August 13 1983, the story of Morioh takes a turn for the worse.[14] A young Yoshikage Kira commits his first murder, killing Reimi Sugimoto and her family. Kira will kill 48 women over the years, remaining unsuspected all this time. As of 1999, Morioh has 81 missing persons, 45 of which are children, which is seven to eight times greater than the average for similarly sized cities in Japan.[8] At the start of the year, Keicho Nijimura and Okuyasu Nijimura arrive in town. They use the Bow and Arrow to create several Stand Users, leading to a spike in criminality.[14] Months earlier, Keicho has turned the criminal Anjuro Katagiri into a Stand User[15] and Anjuro moves to Morioh.
Warned about this criminal, Jotaro Kujo arrives in town and meets with Josuke Higashikata.[16] For a while, Josuke and Jotaro gather allies and proceed to protect the town from all the malevolent Stand Users created by Keicho. Keicho is killed, and the Arrow temporarily stolen by Akira Otoishi, who is eventually arrested. The heroes also retrieve his Arrow.[1]
However, on June 13, Koichi Hirose and Rohan Kishibe meet the Ghost of Reimi Sugimoto, who warns them about a serial-killer.[17] The search for Yoshikage Kira accelerates when he encounters Shigekiyo Yangu and leaves a clue about his identity when he is forced to fight the little boy. Although he is found out, Kira manages to steal someone's identity and face.[18] Yoshikage Kira's father, Yoshihiro Kira, uses his own Arrow to create another group of Stand Users, leading to a couple of fights. Meanwhile, Kira tries to live a normal life but the son of the Kawajiri Family, Hayato Kawajiri, manages to tip the heroes about Kira's identity. After a brutal fight, Kira is accidentally killed by an ambulance. His ghost is prevented from roaming free by Reimi and her dog Arnold, who make it so Kira's soul is taken away by the malicious spirits of Ghost Girl's Alley.[19]
With Morioh now rid of Kira and with a generation of benevolent Stand Users to protect it, Jotaro and Joseph Joestar leave Morioh, confident that it is in good hands.
A famous landmark, it was created when enraged Josuke pummeled both a rock and Anjuro Katagiri at the same time, integrating them together during the healing process. Despite its scary and grim looking appearance, it is surprisingly familiar with the townspeople and has gained popularity as a meeting point for lovers. To reach it, take the bus in Morioh and go towards the direction of Jōzenji road. Get off at the third stop and walk for one minute.[20] It's shown saying Agi (アギ) when Koichi interacts with it.[21]
A fisherman started the rumor when he saw Yukako falling from the cliff and Koichi using Echoes ACT2 to place a "bounce" sound on a spiked rock at the bottom. It was assumed to be a girl who was trying to commit suicide by jumping off the cliff and miraculously bounced back up. The local fishermen all pray for good luck to this particular rock, calling it a "sacred spot." Many also believe that there is a god of the sea at work. If one asks any local fisherman where it is, they'll gladly point it out.[22]
Morioh Landmark #3: Trussardi's Trattoria (イタリア料理「トラサルディー」, Itaria Ryōri 'Torasarudī').
It is a recently established Italian restaurant owned and managed by Tonio Trussardi. It is next to Kunimitōge Graveyard where Keicho is buried. As he is the only employee there, the restaurant only features two tables, each having around 2-3 chairs. Trussardi's is unique in that customers do not choose their meals. Instead of a menu, Tonio will simply look the customer down and determine their meal based on certain problems pertaining to the customer's health. From this, he is able to create certain foods, using his Stand, Pearl Jam, to appeal to each of the customer's problems. (EX: A simple dish of tomatoes and mozzarella cured Okuyasu of a stiff shoulder). The restaurant uses only the finest Italian ingredients in its meals.
To see what is being served here, see : Tonio Trussardi's Dishes.
The trattoria in Poaching Seashore
Morioh Landmark #4: Morioh Grand Hotel (杜王消防署, Moriō Gurando Hoteru).
It is high-class hotel in which Jotaro Kujo and his grandfather Joseph Joestar reside during their time in Morioh. Jotaro stays in Room 324 while Joseph stays in Room 326.[23]
Jotaro's room
Private beach
Morioh Landmark #5: Rohan Kishibe's House.
The residence of famous manga artist, Rohan Kishibe, has a total area of 3.4 acres (340 m2). The house features a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, an attic, and seven other rooms. It was rebuilt due to a fire, with repair costs exceeding 700 million yen.[24] If someone tries to visit, Rohan will pretend to be out.[5]
Rohan's office
Rohan's desk
Morioh Landmark #6: Ghost Girl's Alley (少女の幽霊に会える小道, Shoujo no Yuurei ni Aeru Komichi, literally "The Alley Where You Can Meet a Ghost Girl").
It is a hidden road located between the Owson grocery and Kisara Drugs. The alley acts as a purgatory for Reimi Sugimoto and Arnold, being a gateway to the afterlife, and it is invisible to most ordinary people. Should a person ever wander down the alley and look behind them in the area between the mailbox and the entrance path, ghostly hands will emerge and drag the person immediately to the afterlife.[25]
Morioh Landmark #7: St. Gentlemen (サンジェルマン, Sanjeruman).
It is a classy bakery that is popular with the residents of Morioh. The bakery is most well-known for its fried katsu sandwiches, which are prepared with prime katsu, exquisite ingredients, and freshly-baked bread every day at 11 A.M. Due to their high popularity, the sandwiches are typically sold out within two hours.
The bakery was a favorite of serial killer Yoshikage Kira, who bought katsu sandwiches on a regular basis to enjoy with his "girlfriends."
Interior
Morioh Landmark #8: Futatsumori Tunnel (二ッ杜トンネル, Futatsu Mori-Tonneru, lit. Twin Forests Tunnel).
Completed in Kaei 5 (1852), the tunnel is used for vehicular road traffic coming from the north into South Morioh. On the front of the tunnel, the Morioh Logo is visible. It is located on the outskirts of Morioh, next to Trussardi's and the cemetery. One must pass the tunnel if they were traveling from Morioh High School to downtown Morioh. Josuke Higashikata passes through this tunnel when taking the bus going home from school.
It was renovated in Showa 58 (1983) and has an approximate length of 450 meters. The tunnel's curvature has resulted in a lack of proper lighting and a plethora of accidents.[26] At some point in time, the tunnel had a secret side room only visible to Stand users. The room was created by a hospitalized Yuya Fungami's Stand, Highway Star, and was used to lure other Stand users so that he could drain them of their nutrients.
Room in the tunnel
Toyohiro Kanedaichi lives in an electric pylon. He claims to have bought the metal tower 3 years ago for $100,000 and has not left it since (although it is explained by the power of Super Fly imprisoning him inside. He also claims to not having touched the ground for a month when he meets Josuke Higashikata. He lives a life of complete self-sufficiency, but he is missing things such as salt and sweets. If given food and spices, he'll let people take pictures with him.[27]
Indicated on the map on the cover page of Chapter 303, Budogaoka High School (ぶどうヶ丘高校, Budōgaoka Kōkō) is the name of a high school (and middle school) that Josuke, Koichi, Okuyasu, their delegate (high school class 1-B), Toshikazu (high school class 3-C), Junko (high school class 3-E), Yukako, Shigechi (middle school second year), Mikitaka and Yuya, Hayato, and Kimura all attend.
The anime also states that while alive, Reimi attended the high school.
According to Okuyasu, the quality of the food served here is poor. He complains about the slices of meat being only 1 mm thick and about unidentifiable ingredients in the miso soup.[28]
Front courtyard
Overview
School pool
A classroom
Tomoko, Josuke, and the late Ryohei Higashikata live at 1-6. Okuyasu Nijimura and his father live at 4-1280.[23] Yoshikage Kira's villa is at 1-28, in the north-east part of Morioh. It takes 15 minutes to walk there from the train station.
Okuyasu's house
Josuke's house
Koichi's house
Kira's house (anime)
Kira's house (manga)
Josuke's living room
Morioh Station (杜王駅, Moriō-eki)
Interior
Arcade around Morioh Station
Map of Morioh Station's surroundings
Passageway
Morioh Station in A Rainy Monday
Family Club (FAMILY CLUB) is shop specializing in household goods such as diapers for the elderly and various baby equipment.
Interior
Agricultural Area (農業用水路, Nōgyō Yōsuiro) is where Akira Otoishi used the Bow and Arrow on two rats there.
Farmhouse
The Cinderella (シンデレラ, Shinderera) stores motto is "Using Make-Up For Finding Love." The manager and chief beautician is Aya Tsuji, a Stand User who has the ability to switch out certain parts of one's physical appearance. Unlike other salons, the establishment is different in that it uses a technique called physiognomy, where, depending on the exact shape of one's face, their fortune changes accordingly; basically, by changing the customer's face, the fate of the customer is changed as well. To determine the finished product, the salon uses high-tech computer generated images.
The salon is located two minutes from Morioh Station by walking. It is closed on Thursdays. It is unknown what happened to the salon after Aya's death.
Interior
Kira worked in the Market Regional Management of Morioh's district, beginning in 1993.
The Budogaoka Bank (ぶどうヶ丘銀行, Budōgaoka Ginkō) is where Josuke, Okuyasu, and Shigechi went to in order to redeem the money from the winning Great Lottery ticket.
Interior
Mukade Shoe Store (靴のムカデ屋, Kutsu no Mukade-ya) is a shoe shop in the center of Morioh. The owner also does small tailor works. Kira is a frequent customer, but eventually kills the owner to protect his identity.
Interior
The ghost of a mansion that is featured in Deadman's Questions. Its full address is 25-4 Katahira, Morioh District, S-City and was supposedly the home of a now deceased soldier. It became a ghost after its destruction by a bomber during World War II 50 years ago. The ghost mansion is hidden between two buildings and appears to be flattened. It is equipped with ghost furnitures and other domestic objects that make it nearly perfect as a home for a Ghost. However, it is also the nest of Spirit Cleansers that prey on ghosts. There were supposedly 56 cases of suicides and mysterious death happening near it. The ghost of Yoshikage Kira is sent there to investigate those deaths and he narrowly escapes the house.
The house flattened between two buildings
The place is haunted by Mutsukabezaka, a type of yokai.[29]
A reef inhabited by abalones and owned by the Higashikatas situated North of Boyoyoing Cape. Its place in the continuity is ambiguous.[30]
Map of the reef
The town library, featured in The Book.
It is described as a western-style building situated just pas the shopping district, in front of the trains station. Its walls made of red brick and covered in thorny rose vines, hence its nickname the "Thorn Building". It has a front gate made of black bars reminiscent of an ancient foreign castle, also wrapped in thorny vines. The first floor of the library has the collection collection; the second floor of the library houses the science, technology and philosophy books; the third floor is where rare books and gifts to the library are kept. There are iron grating on all of the windows, except for one loose grating on a third floor window. It has been remodeled during the Meiji Era. There is the persistent rumor of a book that calls to help being kept somewhere in the library.
Chiho Futaba often meets with Takuma Hasumi in the library as they are both interested in literature. The Thorn Building becomes a battlefield for the fight between Takuma Hasumi and Okuyasu Nijimura, then Josuke Higashikata.
A map of Morioh as presented on the cover page of Chapter 303.
Detailed map of the center of Morioh, cover page of Chapter 354
Map of Morioh in Chapter 292
Trajectory of Joseph's boat to the port
Agricultural fields on the map of Morioh
Josuke's route in the Highway Star story arc
Kira's House on the map of Morioh
Yoshikage Kira's residence (Kira Estate) and the street that serves as the location of the final battle (Morioh Town) are the two stages representing Part 4 in All Star Battle.
The location of the last battle reappears as a stage in Eyes of Heaven, with Café Deux Magots, grocery store Owson, and the Ghost Girl's Alley in the nearby area. A new stage, Boing-Boing Cape, is also available.
Downtown Morioh appears as the default stage of the game.
First view of Morioh
Overview plus description of Morioh
Empty field
Pond where Shizuka falls
Sun Mart
Koichi's bedroom
Market district
Bridge over a small river
Kawajiri house
Hayato's room
Bookstore
Ice Cream Rainbow
Akira Otoishi's room
Minako's condominium
Pepsi sign
Anjuro's prison
Ryo's house
Bridge over troubled water
Higashikata House
Budogaoka High School
Morioh in the movie
Streets of Morioh at night
Ryohei's room
Morioh restaurant
Morioh's police station
Nijimura House attic
Nijimura House mural
Nijimura House hall
Nijimura House entrance
Josuke's House's living room
Morioh Grand Hotel interior
Morioh Grand Hotel
Coast of Morioh
Map of Morioh
Rural districts area
Train station area
Budogaoka Bank
Cafe Rentagei
Train Station
Trussardi area
Trattoria Trussardi
Angelo Rock area
Angelo Rock
Josuke's House
Okuyasu's House
Sun Mart
Kameyu Area
Cafe Deux Magots
Cinderella Beauty Salon
Kameyu Market
Owson Area
Koichi's House
Owson
Rohan's House
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