Akita Travel Guide: Kakunodate and Nyuto-onsen

Akita is a prefecture located north of the main island of Japan. The city's economy is based on agriculture and it is not as industrialized as many southern Japanese cities. In today's article we are going to see 2 interesting spots in Akita Prefecture.

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Kakunodate

Kakunodate is a village located in the north of Akita Prefecture known as Little Kyoto, much appreciated for its well-preserved samurai houses.

The samurai district in Kakunodate, once home to around 80 families, is one of the finest examples of samurai architecture and housing in the country. Its wide streets and large courtyards are shaded by dozens of weeping sakura (枝垂れ桜 – shidarezakura) that bloom in early May. During that time, the wide streets are filled with tourists busy with hanami. Kakunodate is one of the best spots to enjoy Japan's Sakura blossoms. 

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The samurai houses that remain intact are open to the public and offer visitors the opportunity to see how rich families and samurai lived. Of the 6 open houses 2 are very notable, Aoyagi and Ishiguro.

Aoyagi House is the former residence of Odano Naotake, the man who illustrated the first modern textbook of human anatomy — today the house is a museum and gallery of medical illustrations and traditional artifacts.

Nyuto Onsen

Nyuto Onsen is a collection of hot spring and inn or guesthouse in the eastern mountains of Akita Prefecture. The area is known for the hot spring baths found in its 8 ryokan, some of which are quite traditional and rustic. With a history of over 300 years, Tsurunoyu is Nyuto Onsen's oldest and most famous inn.

Ryokan

Next to Nyuto Onsen we find the Nyuto Mountain and nearby Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan. Some other hot spring towns and hiking trails are also found around Tazawako and Nyuto Onsen.

Footage

There are numerous tourist spots spread across Akita and all over Japan, which can be found in other articles. To appreciate these 2 sights, we end with a video below:

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