Day 3: The Art and History of Akita City

Day 3 of this Akita itinerary has you departing rural inland Akita for the small but hip and urban Akita City. Here you’ll tour museums, parks, historical buildings, and discover more local dishes.

Senshu Park

Access:
・Car: Approx. 1 hour and 44-minute drive from Nyuto Onsen.
・Public transport: Return to Tazawako Station and take the bullet train to Akita Station (approx. 57 mins). Then walk 15 minutes from Akita Station to Senshu Park.

Senshu Park spreads out across the center of Akita City, serving as a green space for locals to unwind. It also has a great historical legacy, being the former site of Kubota Castle, where the Satake clan, the lords of the Akita Domain, once resided. Parts of the castle ruins can still be seen today, along with faithful reconstructions like the Osumi-Yagura Turret, which offers an excellent lookout over Akita City.

The first lord of the Akita Domain, Satake Yoshinobu, built Kubota Castle in 1603. This flatland castle had no tower and almost no stone walls, and instead utilized moats and earthen walls for defense. After the Akita Domain came to an end in the Meiji Era (1868–1912), landscape gardener Nagaoka Yasuhei transformed the space into a beautiful Japanese garden park. Throughout the year, you can see cherry blossoms, lotus flowers, azaleas, irises, autumn leaves, and more.

Senshu Park also contains the Akita City Satake Historical Museum, which exhibits materials from the Akita Domain and Satake clan. Other highlights include the Guard House, which is the only remaining original structure from the castle era; along with the reconstructed wooden Front Gate and Yojiro Inari Shrine.

Lunch: Akita Kiritanpoya

Access: Approx. 5-minute walk from Senshu Park.

Akita Kiritanpoya specializes in “kiritanpo,” an Akita food that originates from the Edo Period. Decorated with hunting tools, traditional clothing, and more, entering the restaurant is like stepping into the home of a “matagi,” who were the old hunters of the Tohoku region.

Kiritanpo is made from mashed rice stuck on a stick and roasted. It is said to have been created by loggers in the mountains, who would preserve leftover rice by mashing and grilling it.

Along with eating it as is with a dab of miso, kiritanpo is also commonly added to a hotpot of chicken broth and vegetables. Akita Kiritanpoya serves kiritanpo hotpot made from Hinai chicken broth and flavored with soy sauce from Kakunodate and Akita sake. Along with kiritanpo, it is packed with mushrooms, green onions, Hinai chicken, and more.

Akita Kiritanpoya is only open for lunch on Sundays and public holidays. Don't worry if you can't make it, as there are many other restaurants in Akita City specializing in kiritanpo, or you can come back for dinner.

Akita Museum of Art

Access: Approx. 5-minute walk from Akita Kiritanpoya.

The Akita Museum of Art is centered on works from Tsuguharu Foujita, also known as Léonard Foujita, a Japanese painter active in 1920s Paris. His eclectic style fused both Western and Japanese art, earning him a reputation as one of Japan’s most celebrated modern painters. After returning to Japan, Foujita eventually moved to Akita, where he painted the 20-meter-long mural "The Events of Akita" in 1937. It depicts festivals and daily life in Akita, and can be viewed in full glory at the Akita Museum of Art.

Overlooking Senshu Park in the center of Akita City, the Akita Museum of Art itself is also a sight to behold. It has an ultra-modern concrete facade designed by famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando, and is filled with flourishes like a spiral staircase, an open lounge facing a water garden, and a large triangular atrium.

Akita City Akarenga Red Brick Folk Museum

Access: Approx. 15-minute walk from the Akita Museum of Art.

The Akita City Akarenga Red Brick Folk Museum is composed of three buildings: the Red Brick Hall, the New Hall, and the Storage Hall. The Red Brick Hall was built in 1912 as the former Akita Bank headquarters, and flaunts an extravagant Renaissance-style exterior and a Baroque-style interior. The plaster reliefs on the ceiling are particularly impressive, complemented by mortar and wood carvings and the lavish use of marble.

The facility also contains the Katsuhira Tokushi Memorial Hall, which exhibits works by local printmaker Katsuhira Tokushi; along with the Memorial Room for Shiro Sekiya, an Akita craftsman designated a Living National Treasure for his "jointing" techniques and other contributions to Japanese metalworking.

Akita Prefectural Goods Plaza

Access: Approx. 15-minute walk from the Akita City Akarenga Red Brick Folk Museum.

The Akita Prefectural Goods Plaza, located in the basement of the Atorion shopping center, stocks an enormous lineup of goods from all over Akita Prefecture. Favorites include kiritanpo, Inaniwa udon, traditional crafts, local sake, and plenty more. So, before moving on, stop by to pick up some Akita souvenirs!

Recommended Hotel in Akita City: Hotel Metropolitan Akita

Day 4: Nature and Namahage on the Oga Peninsula

The Oga Peninsula juts out into the Sea of Japan on the westernmost side of Akita Prefecture. It is home to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Namahage, and presents a plethora of dynamic natural landscapes. It’s also rich in seafood delicacies like sandfish, sea bream, and crab, as well as produce like Oga pears and Wakami melon.

Due to its size and remoteness, we recommend touring the Oga Peninsula by car or bicycle. You can rent bicycles near Oga Station. Most of the Oga attractions below can be reached by bus, but you may have to make your own itinerary based on the schedule and timeframe.

Lunch: Oga Seafood Market

Access:
・Car: Approx. 50-minute drive from Akita City.
・Public transport: From Akita Station, take the JR Oga Line bound for Oga and get off at Oga Station (approx. 53 mins). Then walk for 15 minutes to the Oga Seafood Market.

The Oga Seafood Market sells fresh seafood hauled in straight from the Sea of Japan, along with local dried foods and produce. It also has a restaurant with dishes made from market-fresh seafood, including seafood bowls and set meals. Most popular is the Kaiho-don, which is loaded with seafood of all kinds on rice; and the Seafood Set Meal, where an entire fish is sliced up into sashimi.

Unosaki Beach Park

Access:
・Car: Approx. 10-minute drive from the Oga Seafood Market.
・Public transport: Return to Oga Station and take a bus on the Oga South (Minami) Line (outbound) and get off at the Unosaki bus stop (approx. 20 mins).

Unosaki Beach is a 1.5-kilometer stretch of coastline on the southern part of the Oga Peninsula. Listed among Japan's 100 Best Beaches, the expansive rocky terrain typifies the dynamic formations of the Oga Peninsula. During low tide, a shallow sandbar extends out about 200 meters, attracting swimmers in summer.

Under calm weather, the water surface reflects the sky like a mirror, earning it the nickname “Akita's Uyuni Salt Flat” after the famous salt flat in Bolivia. In recent years, this scene has become a hit on social media, particularly when photographed at dusk.

Godzilla Rock

Access:
・Car: Approx. 10-minute drive from Unosaki Beach Park.
・Public transport: Reboard the Oga South (Minami) Line (outbound) bus from the Unosaki bus stop, and get off at the Hokake-jima bus stop (approx. 13 mins).

On the southwestern edge of the Oga Peninsula stands a rock named for its uncanny resemblance to Godzilla. It’s composed of volcanic tuff rock formed by an eruption approximately 30 million years ago, and is part of the Shiosezaki Geosite within the Oga Peninsula-Ogata Geopark, which also contains other bizarre rocks connected to the franchise like Godzilla's Tail Rock and Gamera Rock.

The best time to appreciate Godzilla Rock is in the evening, when photographers gather to capture the “fire-breathing Godzilla” as the sunset lines up at the mouth of the silhouette. This phenomenon occurs most frequently around April and October.

Namahage Statue

Access:
・Car: Approx. 1-minute drive from Godzilla Rock.
・Public transport: Approx. 13-minute walk from Godzilla Rock.

Across Oga are three gigantic statues of the region’s terrifying Namahage ogres. One of these is just a brief walk from Godzilla Rock. It stands an impressive 9.99 meters tall, symbolizing the 999 steps of Akagami Shrine’s Goshado stone staircase, which is right nearby. 

Namahage is an Oga legend where ogre-like deities appear at the New Year to warn against laziness and to bring health, bountiful harvests, and plentiful food. On New Year's Eve, young men from each village dress up as Namahage, wearing a red or blue mask, and go around households to scold children and idlers before praying for a fortunate year. In 2018, Namahage, along with 9 other similar traditions across Japan, was registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

To learn more about Namahage, you can also visit the Namahage Museum, although it’s a little out of the way for this itinerary. It displays a collection of Namahage masks and costumes from 60 areas of Oga, as well as information on the local custom. Visitors can even dress up in Namahage costumes to experience the tradition firsthand!

Kankane Cave

Access:
・Car: Approx. 16-minute drive from the Namahage Statue (Monzen Area).
・Public transport: Difficult to reach via public transport. Please cycle here or skip this part of the itinerary.

The Kankane Cave was formed by erosion from the rough Sea of Japan to become one of the largest sea caves on the Oga Peninsula. The interior is approximately 165 m², with a height of about 21 meters. The cave has two openings facing the ocean and one at the top. From these openings, visitors can view the sea while enjoying the hushed sounds of waves. The sunlight filtering through the top also transforms the seawater into magnificent colors.

For those with extra time, there are plenty of other attractions on the Oga Peninsula to visit. This includes the aforementioned Namahage Museum, along with the scenic Nyudozaki Lighthouse, the ancient Akagami Shrine Goshado Hall, and the jaw-dropping panoramas from the Mt. Kampu Revolving Lookout.

Experience the Best of Akita in 4 Days!

From Kakunodate's samurai heritage to Oga's intricate coastline, Akita’s culture, landscapes, hot springs, and local cuisine capture the best of Japan. If you want to beat the crowds in Japan’s more popular destinations without forfeiting any of its charm, we recommend dedicating a few days of your itinerary to Akita Prefecture!

Top picture: PIXTA