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 in front of the station where he used to wait for his deceased owner’s return.
Ōdate City (大館市) in Akita Prefecture is where Hachikō came from. Although most of his life was spent in Tokyo, you can find Hachikō’s statues all over the city! Ōdate City isn’t just about Hachikō and Akita dogs, of course! Read on, and find out where to go and what to do in Hachikō’s hometown (^_-)-☆.
Here is a list of attractions for your reference when you visit Ōdate City. The following attractions are listed by their distance from JR Ōdate Station (大館駅).
- Hachikō’s Statue
- Where to Meet the Akitas in Ōdate
- Keijō Park (桂城公園)
- Ishida Rose Garden (石田ローズガーデン)
- Iwagami Fureai No Mori Park (岩神ふれあいの森)
- Torigata Estate (鳥潟会館)
- Nagabashiri Wind Caves (長走風穴)
- Nagaki River (長木渓流)
- The Faithful Dog Hachikō Birthplace (忠犬ハチ公生家)
- Kitaka Harristos Orthodox Church (北鹿ハリストス正教会聖堂)
- Cheerful Mother Shop Farmer’s Market (陽気な母さんの店)
- Hikage Onsen (日景温泉)
- Other Festivals At Ōdate City
Click HERE to skip to how to get to Ōdate City.
Tip: Hotel Route-Inn Odate Eki Minami is a nice hotel close to the station to spend a night if you want to stay at Ōdate City.
Hachikō’s Statue (忠犬ハチ公像(大館駅前))
At Hachikō’s hometown, as soon as you step out of JR Ōdate Station, Hachikō will be there to welcome your arrival (just like how he waited for his owner)!
This statue is what Hachikō looked like when he was younger. It is good to see a healthy Hachikōo (because the statue in front of Shibuya Station is the Hachikō with an injured ear…).
Where to Meet the Akitas in Ōdate
If meeting an Akita is one of the reasons you visit Ōdate City, there are a few attractions you can stop by. While you might come across a couple of Akitas when walking on the street, you wouldn’t want to rely on your luck to run into a local who is walking an Akita.
Thus, refer to our article on Where to Meet the Akitas in Ōdate City to plan your visit so you can certainly meet at least one!
Click HERE to return to a list of attractions of Ōdate City!
Keijō Park (桂城公園)
Keijō Park is where the Ōdate Castle (built in 1582) used to be. The castle was burnt down during the Boshin War (戊辰戦争) in 1868, so all they have been left with is the moat at the park’s south.
Also, you will find around 200 cherry blossom trees. From mid-April to early May, the park will be wrapped in light pink spring color, attracting many locals who may want to go on a picnic under the trees (*´ω｀).
The park is also where the Ōdate Cherry Blossom Festival (大館桜まつり) takes place from mid to late April. So, if you happen to drop by Ōdate City in early spring, come and enjoy the gorgeous flowers, great food sold at the stalls, and the romantic atmosphere at night with the trees lit up available until 9 pm!
How to Get to Keijō Park
- The museum is around a 15-minute walk away from JR Higashi-Ōdate Station (東大館駅), where you can easily catch a train from JR Akita Station to get to
- You can also catch any Shuhoku Bus’s (秋北バス) bus services that stop at Ōdate City Hall (大館市役所前) from JR Ōdate Station (roughly around 10 minutes). The park is just a 1-minute away from the bus stop.
- You can use one of Japan’s Transport Apps to plan your visit.
- The park is open 24/7 with free entry.
Ishida Rose Garden (石田ローズガーデン)
Around 500 roses (different varieties) are planted in a garden of about 2,300 square meters. This spacious garden was a private property of Hirohide Ishida (石田博英). It remained private property until his bereaved family gifted the garden to Ōdate City.
Apart from strolling around the garden, the best way to enjoy the garden is probably enjoying a cup of coffee in their cafe newly opened in 2022!
Since July 1995, the garden has become a place for people who wants to look at the beautiful flowers from May to October. It is also the venue for the Ōdate Rose Festival (大館バラまつり), held from the end of May to mid-June and in mid-October (dates change every year).
For more information, please refer to the official website HERE.
Tip: The rose’s season is from mid-June to October.
Ishida Rose Garden’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- The park is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm except for Tuesdays.
- The park opens daily during the rose festival eperiod.
- The garden is just a block away from the Akita Dog Museum and is really closed to Keijō Park. Please refer to the access information of the two spots
- If you happen to rent a bicycle from the Akita Dog Visitor Centre, it takes around 15 minutes by bike to get to the garden
- And if you want to be really healthy, it is a 30-minute walk away from JR Ōdate Station (大館駅).
Click HERE to return to a list of attractions of Ōdate City!
Iwagami Fureai no Mori Park (岩神ふれあいの森)
Iwagami Fureai no Mori Park is a forest park centered on the Iwagami Reservoir at the foot of Mount Akiha (秋葉山).
With about 3,000 cherry blossom trees of 22 species, the park is known as one of the most beautiful spots in Northeastern Japan. If you are super keen, come visit from late April to mid-May, and you will be truly amazed by its beauty (^^)/.
There are a few well-maintained promenades around the reservoir. Follow this map HERE and take a relaxing stroll around the reservoir, known for its most stunning park views!
The map is Japanese, but if you are coming via bus from JR Ōdate Station, you will be coming from where the car park sign is.
In autumn, we recommend you follow the tracks marked in orange for some beautiful autumn foliage (^_-)-☆.
Iwagami Fureai no Mori Park’s Access Information and Opening Hours
- To get to this park, take Shuhoku Bus’s (秋北バス) Hachikō Line (ハチ公号) from JR Ōdate Station (大館駅前) and get off at Naganeyama Sports Park (長根山運動公園前). The bus trip takes around 20 minutes.
- You can check out the timetable HERE for departure and arrival times to plan. Please reference the Japanese stop name to read.
- Note there are 2 bus routes for Hachikō Line and, therefore 2 timetables in the link above.
- From the bus stop, the forest park is around a 10-minute away. You will walk past the Naganeyama Sports Park first before you reach the forest park.
- The park is open 24/7 and free of entry.
Click HERE to return to a list of attractions of Ōdate City!
Torigata Estate (鳥潟会館)
The Torigate family seems to have its way of discovering their family member’s talent before flourishing it. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Torigata raised at least a successful surgent, an inventor of the radiotelephone, and a well-known acrobat.
As they are so well-recognized in their fields, the amount of wealth that they generated is enormous without saying!
Over the five years since 1936, more than 1000 carpenters and gardeners from Kyoto were involved in renovating this family estate.
You will find many high-quality building materials and items in this Kyoto-style estate. As amateurs in architecture, we couldn’t really tell how much value the estate is worth. But, it certainly looks much more refined than other old residences that are open to the public in northeastern Japan!
The colorful Azalea in spring, the harmonious chirping and clicking noises by the cicadas in summer, the autumn leaves that are burning red, and the pure white world in winter are what the Torigata family used to enjoy back in the day.
So, if you visit Ōdate City, don’t miss out on this estate. It is absolutely free to explore!
You can refer to the official website HERE for more details.
Torigata Estate’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- The estate is open from
- 9 am to 5 pm between April and October
- The last admission is at 4:30 pm.
- 9 am to 4 pm between November to March
- The last admission is at 5:30 pm.
- 9 am to 5 pm between April and October
- The estate is closed on Mondays and from the 29th of December to the 3rd of January. If Monday falls on a public holiday, the estate will close on the next business day.
- From JR Ōdate Station (大館駅前), take Shuhoku Bus (秋北バス) that is bound for Hokuyo Junior High Schol (北陽中学校) and get off at Torigata Kaikan-mae (鳥潟会館前).
- The trip should take you roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
- There aren’t many bus services running on this line, so check out the timetable HERE to plan.
- The timetable expands when you click on the 1st and 3rd block.
- You can also use one of Japan’s Transport Apps to plan your visit.
Click HERE to return to a list of attractions of Ōdate City!
Nagabashiri Wind Caves (長走風穴)
Ever wondered how people retained their food cold and fresh before the refrigerator was invented?
Located in the northern part of Ōdate City at the foot of Mt. Kunimi (国見山), even on the hottest day in summer, there is still cold air of zero to five degrees blowing out of the cave Σ(ﾟДﾟ).
The Nagabashiri Wind Caves Eco-Museum (長走風穴館) doesn’t require an air conditioner in the summer. All they need to do is connect the museum to the cave!
For more details about this mysterious spot and its phenomena, check out Ōdate City’s website HERE.
Nagabashiri Wind Caves’ Opening Hours and Access Information
- The cave is open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm daily between June and August.
- From September to November and April to May, the cave is closed on Mondays.
- If Monday is a public holiday, then the cave is closed the next business day.
- The caves are closed from December to March.
- From JR Ōdate Station (大館駅前), take Shuhoku Bus (秋北バス) that is bound for Jinba/Yadate-Haitsu (陣場・矢立ハイツ) and get off at Nagabashiri Wind Caves (長走風穴前).
- The trip should take you around 20 to 30 minutes.
- The number of bus services running on this line is limited. So please use the timetable HERE to plan.
- The timetable expands when you click on the block.
- Please match the Japanese name of the bus stops on the timetable.
Nagaki River (長木渓流)
Nagaki River is a long river that flows through Ōdate City. There is a promenade starting from the front of the onsen hotel Seifuso (清風荘) at the river’s upstream. Follow the promenade to explore the most scenic part of the river, especially in autumn, from mid-October to mid-November!
Ōdate–Kosaka Railway Railbike (大館・小坂鉄道レールバイク)
We also recommend you visit the Ōdate–Kosaka Railway Railbike. Utilizing an abandoned railway, the 2 km refreshing forest course that runs along the Nagaki River is one of the best activities that you can do in Ōdate! This activity takes roughly 30 minutes.
If you are looking for some thrill, you can ride through an iron bridge. The bridge is quite safe but can be quite scary at the same time (to us at least! (≧▽≦)).
For more information regarding this railbike, including reservations and types of bike for hire, please refer to their official website HERE.
Ōdate–Kosaka Railway Railbike’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- The upstream of the river can be accessed anytime during the year, free of charge.
- The railbike rental service is available from the mid-April to the late November daily except Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- If Wednesday or Thursday falls on a public holiday, the service will be available.
- In August, the services are available throughout the month.
- From JR Ōdate Station (大館駅前), take Shuhoku Bus (秋北バス) that is bound for Kosaka (小坂) and get off at Seifuso Mae (清風荘前).
- The trip should take you around 20 – 30 minutes.
- The number of bus services is limited, so refer to the timetable on the official website HERE to plan.
- The timetable expands when you click on the block.
- Please match the Japanese name of the bus stops on the timetable.
Click HERE to return to a list of attractions of Ōdate City!
The Faithful Dog Hachikō Birthplace (忠犬ハチ公生家)
If Hachikō’s story touches you and you want to have a pilgrimage trip to his birthplace, this is the spot you want to be at! Hachikō was born in 1923 in the Saitō family. A stone monument and a statue of Hachikō are placed in front of where the Saitō family’s residence used to be.
Opposite the monument, the public toilet, shaped into an Akita, is really cute (refer to the last photo in the left IG post). It is probably the only time we would purposely visit a public toilet (´▽｀*).
The Faithful Dog Hachikō Birthplace’s Access Information
To get to Hachiko’s hometown, you can take Shuhoku Bus’s (秋北バス) Manaka Line (真中地区コミュニティバス『さわやかみなみ号』真中線) from JR Ōdate Station (大館駅) and get off at Oshinai (大子内) stop.
- The bus trip takes around 40 minutes.
- You can refer to the departing time from JR Odata Station HERE.
Or you can get a taxi from JR Ōdate Station or Higashi-Ōdate Station (東大館駅). The cost from JR Ōdate Station is around 3,500 yen.
Click HERE to return to a list of attractions of Ōdate City!
Kitaka Harristos Orthodox Church (北鹿ハリストス正教会聖堂)
That little wooden church behind the super cute Shiba dog was built in 1892. The Byzantine church is made of high-quality Akita cedar, and the icon painting is a city-designated tangible cultural property.
If you ever get a chance to explore the church’s interior, don’t forget to look up! The octagonal dome might not astound you, but it is architecturally hard to create this arc with Akita cedar.
To explore this church, unless you happen to drop by on the day it opens for a service, you will need to contact the church in advance by calling +81-19-663-1218.
The church currently holds a service once a month. You can refer to their official website HERE for the date. As the website is only available in Japanese, if you need assistance regarding the date it is open to the public, you can contact us HERE, and we will get back to you.
How to Get to Kitaka Harristos Orthodox Church
From JR Ōdate Station (大館駅前), take Shuhoku Bus (秋北バス) that is bound for Hanawa (花輪) and get off at Magata (曲田).
heerful Mother Shop Farmer’s Market (陽気な母さんの店)
While you wait for the returning bus back to JR Ōdate Station, how about crossing the main road to check out what a typical Japanese farmer’s market is like?
This farmer’s market is run by local mums. You can source some freshly harvested local fruits/vegetables, tasty bento boxes, grilled rice balls, and side dishes there.
If you want to dine in, they also have deliciously made udon or soba noodles from their restaurant corner (^_-)-☆.
The most special thing about this farmer’s market is the range of cultural activities available upon request.
For more information about what this farmer’s market offers, please refer to our Yōkina Kasan no Mise Farmer’s Market article!
Hikage Onsen (日景温泉)
Hikakge Onsen is an onsen ryokan/hotel with 140 years of history. Many of its guests became regulars due to the onsen’s impeccable customer service and, of course, their onsen.
At Hikage Onsen, there are two types of onsen water: sulfur-based hot springs and carbonated hot springs. Both of them have a public bath area and private baths for you to choose from (a total of four baths).
If you don’t have time to stay overnight, you can still come for a day trip to enjoy the onsen.
If your accommodation plan includes dinner and/or breakfast, you will be experiencing one of the most delicious Japanese cuisines ever! And what is great is that they are all made from organic ingredients!
Important: Please enquire with Hikage Onsen before you book for the ingredients they an exclude from your meal.
Hikage Onsen’s Access Information
The two closest stations to the hotel are Jimba Station (陣場駅) and Ikarigaseki Station (碇ヶ関駅). They offer free pick-up and drop-off services if you stay overnight at the hotel. Reservation is required by filling in the remark column when you book or giving them a call at +81-186-51-2011 by the day before your arrival.
Click HERE to return to a list of attractions of Ōdate City!
Other Festivals at Ōdate City
Ōdate Daimonji Festival (大館大文字まつり)
The Ōdate Daimonji Festival is the biggest event in the summer for Ōdate City. The one-day festival is divided into two parts: a day event and a night event, taking place in different parts of the city.
During the day, parades and various folk performances arts will take place at Omachi Hachiko Street (おおまちちハチ公通り). At night on Mt. Houou (鳳凰山), the character “big (大)” is drawn with fire while the firework display takes place at the Nagaki River (長木川).
For more information, please refer to the city’s official website HERE. Please note that the event does not occur on the 16th of August each year. For the correct date of the festival, please refer to the Japanese website HERE. On the Japanese website, you can also find the Google Maps of the two events venue.
Ōdate Shinmeisha Festival (大館神明社祭典)
Another festival that takes place at Ōmachi Hachikō Street (おおまちちハチ公通り) and is the most representative of Ōdate is the Ōdate Shinmeisha Festival.
The one-and-a-half-day event that takes place on the 10th and the 11th of September each year is the Ōdate Shinmeisha Shrine’s main festival. On the 10th of September, the festival commences at Ōdate Shinmeisha Shrine at around 11 am. From then on, it bounces back and forth between Ōmachi Hachikō Street and the Shrine.
At the festival, you will see all 14 large floats and 8 portable shrines pulled and paraded on the street. There are also other folk performance arts performed throughout the event.
The part of the festival that is the most enjoyable is the Purification Ceremony (清めの儀) which takes place at 6:30 pm on Oomachi Hachiko Street. You may get wet! (≧▽≦)!
For more information about the Shrine and the Festival, please refer to their website HERE.
To get to the Ōdate Shinmeisha Shrine, please take a train to JR Higashi-Ōdate Station (東大館駅). The Shrine is just a 4-minute walk away. You can also walk from Ōdate Station (大館駅), which takes around 30 – 40 minutes.
Ōdate Amekko Fair (大館アメッコ市)
Ōdate Amekko Fair is the event where residents and visitors gather together for lollies on the 2nd weekend of February each year since 1588. It is said that if you eat candy on this day, you will not catch a cold (‘ω’)ノ.
One of the fair’s highlights is ‘Shirahige Ookami Junko (Shirahige God Parade), where the god in the legend who comes to buy sweets from the highest mountain in Ōdate City, Tashirodake, is replicated.
On the event day, you will find a lot of stalls selling crafted candy and branch candy, which are basically lollies tied on branches. Around 100 thousand visitors across the country would gather around Ōdate City on the day, hoping for a healthy coming year!
For more information about this event, please refer to Ōdate City’s website HERE. The timetable of bus services departing from JR Ōdate Station’s (大館駅前) bus stop no. 1 that will stop by the nearest bus stop of the venue is Suehiromachi (末広町) can be found in the link HERE.
Ōdate Kiritanpo Festival (本場大館きりたんぽまつり)
In autumn, when the rice is freshly harvested from the field, Ōdate Kiritanpo Festival – the biggest food event in Ōdate city, is held in mid-October each year.
The three-day event allows you to fully enjoy Akita’s local cuisine – “Kiritanpo”. Whether it is Kiritanpo Hot Pot (usually not vegetarian), grilled Kiritanpo with sweet miso paste, or other Kiritanpo dishes, you will surely be full by the time you step out of the event venue!
For more information about Kiritanpo, check out Ōdate City’s website HERE.
- The event is held at Nipro Hachiko Dome, also known as Ōdate Jukai Dome (ニプロハチ公ドーム(大館樹海ドーム) ). The venue can be easily accessed by catching a bus from JR Ōdate Station (大館駅前).
- Two services are running by Shuhoku Bus (秋北バス) that you can catch. One is bound for Shishigamori via Jukai Dome (獅子ヶ森環状（樹海ドーム経由), which you need to get off at Ōdate Jukai Dome (大館樹海ドーム前), then walk for 4 minutes. You can refer to the timetable HERE.
- The other one is bound for Kosaka (小坂線), where you need to get off at Ōdate Jukai Dome Entrance (大館樹海ドーム入口) and then walk for 7 minutes. The timetable for this route can be found HERE.
- Note there are only Japanese timetables available at the moment, so match the Japanese name of the bus stops on the timetable.
- You can also use one of Japan’s Transport Apps to plan your visit.
Click HERE to return to a list of attractions of Ōdate City!
How to Get to Ōdate City
By Airplane
The closest airport to Ōdate City is the Ōdate-Noshiro Airport (大館能代空港). After you get to the airport, you can then get a connecting bus to Ōdate City. The bus trip takes around an hour and costs 940 yen one-way (there are currently two services per day corresponding to ANA’s flight schedule). Other access methods from the airport can be found HERE on the airport’s official website.
By Train
- From JR Hirosaki Station, take the trains running on the Ōu Line (奥羽本線), and it will take you directly to JR Ōdate Station.
- For information on how to get to JR Hirosaki Station, please refer to the access in our Hirosaki City article.
Explore Other Cities Nearby
Ōdate City offers a great countryside vibe to its visitors. But if you are like us, who love shopping and exploring museums/historical buildings, then make sure to put Akita City on your itinerary as well!
It can be accessed by a direct train, albeit the travel time is around two hours (´▽｀*).
If we were you, we would plan our trip like this: Hirosaki City → Ōdate City → Akita City → other parts of Japan that you want to visit. The reason is that Ōdate City is just between Hirosaki and Akita. Also, if you are traveling to the top part of Japan’s main island, Hirosaki City is really a place that you won’t want to miss out on! Why? Find out the answer in our Hirosaki City!
