For anyone out there who wants to be at the summit of a mountain the lazy way but doesn’t want to splurge on some fancy transportation mode (i.e., a gondola lift), check out Mt. Akita-Komagatake (秋田駒ヶ岳) in Akita Prefecture! Although you have to hike a bit longer than Mt. Iwaki in Aomori Prefecture, it only …
The Best Guide to Mt. Akita-Komagatake and the Moomin Valley Read More »
Just minutes from JR Akita Station, Senshū Park (千秋公園) isn’t just another park you can find in Japan. In the park, you will find a castle, a tea ceremony tea house, three shrines, a museum, an art gallery, and even a library! What is even more awesome is that the castle has been recognized as one …
Senshū Park – An Unusual Castle Park in Akita City Read More »
Akita Prefecture (秋田県) is one of the six prefectures in Northeastern Japan. It is a heaven for those who enjoy nature, with lush mountain landscapes and pristine beaches. The prefecture has abundant natural resources, including several national parks and a long coastline. But let’s talk about Akita City (秋田市) first. Whether you are only transiting …
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Tamagawa Onsen (玉川温泉) in Akita Prefecture is a special hot spring resort. It consists of two ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) nestled in the mountains of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Why is it special? Because it is ranked number one for both the acidity of the spring at pH1.2 and the amount of spring water gushing out …
Tamagawa Onsen – Japan’s Best Onsen Town for Recuperation Read More »
Anyone who has been to or even heard of Shibuya Station (渋谷駅) knows there is a Hachikō statue there. Hachikō wasn’t just another Akita around the corner. Due to his fierce loyalty to his first owner, he gained the deepest respect from the community that even a statue of him was made and then placed …
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Lake Tazawa (田沢湖) in Semboku City in Akita Prefecture, with a depth of 422.4 meters, is the deepest lake in Japan. The 6 kilometers wide caldera lake was formed due to a volcanic eruption. Because of its depth, the lake can absorb a lot of heat in summer that even in the snowy winter, its …
Farmer’s markets can be found everywhere in the world, with some of them being the size of a football stadium. The ones that you have been to may have a range of fresh products, but probably none of them offers cultural activities like Yōkina Kasan no Mise (陽気な母さんの店) in Ōdate city (大館市)!
When people visit Semboku City in Akita Prefecture for leisure, their preferred destinations will most likely either be Nyūtō Onsen (乳頭温泉郷), Lake Tazawa (田沢湖), or Tamagawa Onsen (玉川温泉). While those spots are definitely worthwhile places to visit, we would recommend that you also drop by the Dakigaeri Valley (抱返り渓谷) as well! The valley is close …
Dakigaeri Valley And Its Mystical Turquoise Mountain Stream Read More »
Just like its name, the houses where samurai used to reside are lining up on Bukeyashiki Street (武家屋敷通り) in Kakunodate! A couple of these 200-year-old traditional houses are open to the public. Finding the differences in the construction of the houses between the home of top-ranked samurai, middle-ranked samurai, and lower-ranked samurai can be really fun!
Kakunodate Town, or Kakunodatemachi (角館町), is a town in Akita Prefecture that is known as “Michinoku no ko Kyoto (みちのくの小京都)”, or “Northeastern’s Little Kyoto”. The town used to be the home of the samurai stationed at Kakunodate Castle back in the Edo period (1603 – 1868). Even now, traces of the presence of the samurai …
Kakunodate Town – The Little Kyoto of Northeastern Japan Read More »