JAPAN

Akita

Snow, festivals, and serene northern villages.

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Daisen

Karamatsu Jinja

An unusual arrangement, with the hall set lower than the approach path.

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ゲルマニウム · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Odate

Hinai Jidori

One of the three great native chicken breeds of Japan. It makes the broth for kiritanpo hotpot.

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掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Akita

Akita Prefectural Museum

Keeps the illustrated travel records of Sugae Masumi, whose sketches founded Japanese folklore studies.

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DoWhile · Public domain ↗

Akita

Akita Senshu Museum of Art

Holds Akita Ranga, a short-lived school that tried Western perspective with Japanese brushes.

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掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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AkitaArt & Crafts, Shrines & Temples · 22 entries

Omagari, Kakunodate & Lake TazawaNature & Scenery, Stays · 21 entries

SembokuArt & Crafts, Shrines & Temples · 13 entries

OgaShrines & Temples, Museums · 9 entries

YokoteArt & Crafts, Festivals · 9 entries

NikahoShrines & Temples, Architecture · 6 entries

FEATUREAkita now (autumn)Dakigaeri and Oyasu gorges are enveloped in brilliant autumn foliage.See the feature Raita Futo · CC BY 2.0

Walk Samurai KakunodateWalk black-fenced streets and enter residences preserving samurai culture.

Explore Lake TazawaCircle Japan's deepest lake and admire its striking blue water.

Watch the Kanto FestivalWatch performers balance towering lantern poles amid a vibrant night festival.

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Q. What do people get wrong about IC cards (Suica, PASMO) in Japan?

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REGIONAL SPECIALTIES

Meet the Japan you don't know yet.

It is not only the big cities. The regions are full of charm, and special experiences you can only have in each place are waiting.

Roadside Station Oga Ogare

Akita Cedar Cooperage

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Regional culture, tradition, food, sightseeing, nature and people. A directory that delivers the appeal of each to the whole world.

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THINGS TO DO / 6

Things to do in this prefecture

Choose from what you can only do here.

01Walk Samurai KakunodateWalk black-fenced streets and enter residences preserving samurai culture.See related entries →ChiefHira · CC BY-SA 3.0

02Tour Nyuto Hot SpringsTravel between secluded mountain inns and sample their varied mineral waters.See related entries →掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

03Encounter Oga NamahageExperience the powerful visiting-deity ritual and the community beliefs behind it.See related entries →Douglaspperkins · Public domain

04Watch the Kanto FestivalWatch performers balance towering lantern poles amid a vibrant night festival.See related entries →掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

05Explore Lake TazawaCircle Japan's deepest lake and admire its striking blue water.See related entries →掬茶 · CC BY-SA 3.0

06Make Kiritanpo Hot PotShape pounded rice around skewers, grill it, and prepare Akita's signature hot pot.See related entries →ChiefHira · CC BY-SA 3.0

NEED TO KNOW

At a glance

AirportAkita Airport
ShinkansenAkita and Kakunodate stations
From TokyoAbout 3 hr 40 min by shinkansen
Best seasonApril–May, August, and October–November
Local specialtiesKiritanpo hot pot · Inaniwa udon · Hinai-jidori chicken
Typical temperatureSummer: around 25°C / Winter: around 0°C

See all 242 entries in this prefecture →

BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

What each season brings

らんで · CC BY-SA 4.0

Spring

MAR–MAY

Weeping cherry blossoms grace Kakunodate's historic samurai district.

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掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Summer

JUN–AUG

Kanto lantern poles sway at night while vast fireworks bloom over Omagari.

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Raita Futo · CC BY 2.0

Autumn

SEP–NOV

Dakigaeri and Oyasu gorges are enveloped in brilliant autumn foliage.

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掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Winter

DEC–FEB

Discover snowbound hot springs and the living tradition of Namahage.

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LOCAL FOOD / 12

Local food

What people have long eaten in this place. We collect the dishes themselves, not restaurants.

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Kiritanpo Nabe

Cooked rice is mashed, wrapped around a stick and grilled to make tanpo, which is cut up and simmered in chicken bone broth with chicken, burdock, long green onion and Japanese parsley.

Area：Odate, Kazuno

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Damako nabe

Firmly cooked rice is ground and rolled into balls, then simmered in a chicken bone broth hot pot with chicken, burdock, maitake mushrooms, green onion and Japanese parsley.

Area：Akita, Oga, Nanshu, Noshiro-Yamamoto district

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Shottsuru Nabe

Kombu dashi is seasoned with shottsuru, a fish sauce made by salting fish and aging it for more than a year, then sandfish, Chinese cabbage, green onion, tofu and mushrooms are simmered in it.

Area：Throughout the prefecture, mainly the coast

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Iburigakko

Daikon is braided with rope and smoked over hardwood smoke for four or five days, then pickled for about fifty days in a bed of rice bran mixed with salt and sugar.

Area：Southern inland part of the prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Hatahata zushi

Salted sandfish is packed in layers in a tub with rice mixed with koji, carrot and funori seaweed, weighted down and fermented for about three weeks.

Area：Throughout the prefecture, mainly the coast

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Junsai Nabe

Free-range chicken, burdock, mushrooms, tofu, shredded konjac, green onion and Japanese parsley are simmered in chicken bone broth, and at the end the slippery young shoots of the water plant junsai are added.

Area：Northwestern part of the prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Natto jiru

Taro, fried tofu, wild mountain vegetables and mushrooms are simmered in dashi and seasoned with miso, then ground natto is stirred in.

Area：Inland part of the southern area of the prefecture, Nakahitane area in Yurihonjo

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Imonoko-jiru

Taro is simmered with chicken and chicken bones, shredded konjac and mushrooms are added, and it is seasoned with miso and garnished with Japanese parsley.

Area：Southern area of the prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Tofu Castella

Drained tofu is mixed with sugar, egg and potato starch and worked until smooth, poured into a mold and baked slowly over low heat.

Area：Daisen, Yokote

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Tara-Jiru

The head, trimmings, liver and milt of cod are simmered, seasoned with miso and finished with green onion. A winter soup.

Area：Nikaho

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Tomburi no Nagaimo-Ae

Tonburi, a granular ingredient processed from the seeds of a plant of the goosefoot family, is washed, combined with shredded Japanese yam and seasoned with soy sauce.

Area：Throughout the prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

Kamabuku

A dough of boiled and mashed potato mixed with glutinous rice flour, sugar and salt is layered with a dough containing red bean paste, rolled up, steamed for about an hour and a half and cut into pieces.

Area：Northern region of the prefecture

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

MICHI-NO-EKI / 34

Michi-no-Eki roadside stations

RestInformationLocal links

Rest facilities registered by Japan's national government. Each has parking and toilets open 24 hours, and by definition includes a facility that sells local products. This is where the making and the food of this prefecture can actually be bought.

TakanosuKitaakitaRegistered April 1993Official site
FutatsuiNoshiroRegistered April 1994Official site
KazunoKazunoRegistered April 1995Official site
NishimeYurihonjoRegistered April 1995Official site
HachimoriHappo, Yamamoto DistrictRegistered April 1995Official site
Yatate TogeOdateRegistered April 1995Official site
KamiokaDaisenRegistered April 1996Official site
KamikoaniKamikoani, Kitaakita DistrictRegistered April 1996Official site
KotookaMitane, Yamamoto DistrictRegistered April 1996Official site
HigashiyuriYurihonjoRegistered April 1996Official site
NakasenDaisenRegistered April 1997Official site
KisakataNikahoRegistered April 1997Official site

There are 34 stations in this prefecture in all (national registry).

Source: MLIT register of Michi-no-Eki

LOCAL ACCOUNTS / 2

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CITIES & TOWNS / 15

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Sorted by number of entries. Start from the name of a town.

Akita 22 Omagari, Kakunodate & Lake Tazawa 21 Semboku 13 Oga 9 Yokote 9 Nikaho 6 Yuzawa 5 Daisen 4 Kazuno 4 Odate 4 Yurihonjo 2 Noshiro 2 Kitaakita 2 Ogata 2 Nikaho and others 1

INTERESTS / 15

Find by interest

Only the interests found in this prefecture.

Chokaisan Omonoimi Jinja · ChiefHira · CC BY-SA 3.0

Shrines & Temples25 entries

Chokaisan Omonoimi Jinja ／ Shinzan Jinja

Akita

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Recommended information

Things worth knowing about Japan

Meet the Japan you don't know yet.

Japan's value, to the world.

Official and local Instagram photos

Things to do in this prefecture

At a glance

What each season brings

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Local food

Kiritanpo Nabe

Damako nabe

Shottsuru Nabe

Iburigakko

Hatahata zushi

Junsai Nabe

Natto jiru

Imonoko-jiru

Tofu Castella

Tara-Jiru

Tomburi no Nagaimo-Ae

Kamabuku

Michi-no-Eki roadside stations

People posting this area

Find by city or town

Find by interest

Shrines & Temples25 entries

Nature & Scenery32 entries

Hot Springs3 entries

Historic Districts2 entries

Castles & History2 entries

Architecture8 entries

Museums16 entries

Art & Crafts26 entries

Contemporary Art5 entries

Craft Experiences20 entries

Culture & History9 entries

Festivals5 entries

Food & Markets25 entries

Experiences14 entries

Stays25 entries

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