When the Japanese talk about the samurai house in Akita Prefecture, they will never fail to mention the Aoyagi Samurai House (角館歴史村・青柳家). The spacious estate of a size of almost 10,000 square meters features a Main Housean Armory, a Gallery, a Folk Museum, a Samurai Tool Museum, an Antique Tea Room, and shops and restaurants/cafes.
Table of Contents
- What to See at Aoyagi Samurai House
- Other Interesting Historical Exhibits at Aoyagi Samurai House
- Aoyagi Samurai House’s Opening Hours, Admission Fee, and Access Information
Refer to HERE for Aoyagi Samurai House’s map.
What to See at Aoyagi Samurai House
If you have visited other samurai houses in Kakunodate, you will realize the the gate looks more magnificent. The style is referred to as the Yakui-mon Gate (薬医門).
The family received permission from the lord of Kakunodate Domain to built the gate in the special style in 1860. The permission was a reward for the family’s contribution to the domain. It symbolized the social status of the family.
Pass through the front gate, you will time slip into ancient Japan. With more than 9,000 square meters of land, the residence has been renovated into a small village that aims to reproduce the atmosphere of the time when samurais ruled Japan.
Of course, it would be a bit boring if all you could see were old buildings. But this won’t be the case at Aoyagi Samurai House. As a rare and sought-after privilege, you can hold an authentic samurai sword and shear here (the 3rd and the 4th photo in the IG post). It is free to do so apart from the small fee you pay at the entrance!
Believe me, the sword is heavy. I had to use both of our hands to raise it. This made me wonder how the samurais a few centuries ago managed to carry the sword on their waist. Don’t even mention the weight of the spear next to it!
If touching the sword isn’t exciting enough, you can also put on a samurai helmet. There is also a palanquin in the hut for you to try to carry it. Again, it is heavy. Adding the weight of an adult, the life of those who carry large wooden structure was definitely hard.
And if you really want to transform yourself into a samurai, remember to bring 4,950 yen, and you can tick off that item on your bucket list. You will have 40 minutes to take photos around the residence while wearing the armor.
Other Interesting Historical Exhibits at Aoyagi Samurai House
If you are a Japanese history buff, the photos on the second floor of the Akita Folk Museum (秋田郷土館) will interest you. They together tell the history from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period. There is even a photo of the Eiffel Tower in 1889 under construction!
Other facilities include restaurants, museums, galleries, and a tea room overlooking the well-maintained garden.
For more information about what to do and what exhibits are on, refer to the official English website HERE.
For the residence’s map, refer to HERE.
Aoyagi Samurai House’s Opening Hours, Admission Fee, and Access Information
- The house is open from
- 9 am to 5 pm from April to October
- 9 am to 4 pm from November to March
- The admission fee is
- 500 yen for adults
- 300 yen for high school students
- 200 yen for younger children
- The house is located a 15 to 20-minute walk away from Kakunodate Station.
Other Attractions in Kakunodate
Bukeyashiki Street is only just one part of Kakunodate. To find out what other awesome attractions you can visit in the historic town, check out our article on Kakunodate!
The article also includes a couple of cherry blossom spots in the town!
