Akita Trip Overview
This value-packed trip with a nationally-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Akita!
Akita is a busy and compact industrial city which serves as a transport hub for travel along the west coast. It is also perfect as a base for trips to visit samurai houses in Kakunodate or the hot springs and the ski area of Lake Tazawa. The city itself boasts a fine public museum and park complex, as well as a worthy entertainment district.
Let us know what you would like to experience and we will customize a six-hour tour that’s best for you!
Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.
Note*2: The Nationally-licensed Tour Guide-Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Additional Info
Duration: 6 hours
Starts: Akita, Japan
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Akita Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Akita, Akita Prefecture, Japan
This value-packed trip with a nationally-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Akita!
Akita is a busy and compact industrial city which serves as a transport hub for travel along the west coast. It is also perfect as a base for trips to visit samurai houses in Kakunodate or the hot springs and the ski area of Lake Tazawa. The city itself boasts a fine public museum and park complex, as well as a worthy entertainment district.
Let us know what you would like to experience and we will customize a six-hour tour that’s best for you!
Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.
Note*2: The Nationally-licensed Tour Guide-Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Senshu Park, Senshukoen, Akita 010-0876 Akita Prefecture
Senshu Park is the main park of Akita City and one of the must-visit spots if you come here. It is located on a hill and has several levels that allow you to have a nice walk and explore it from different sides. You can also get a great view on the city from different angles, as well as on mountains. The park is full of trees and offers varieties of flowers, and has its own shrine, temple and castle, which makes you feel closer to nature and Japanese culture.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Akita Museum Of Art, 1-4-2 Nakadori, Akita 010-0001 Akita Prefecture
The Akita Museum of Art is the center of art in Akita Prefecture. The museum has 3 floors with the Public Gallery, Tsuguharu Foujita Gallery that contains exclusively Foujita’s project “Events of Akita” which is dedicated to Akita’s culture, and other galleries for various exhibitions.
The ticket price depends on which gallery you enter. The public gallery contains different artworks from various artists from all over the world, but the main artwork that is really worth seeing is a huge painting that represents major events of all four seasons in Akita Prefecture. If you want to learn more about Akita’s unique culture, you should definitely enter the Tsuguharu Foujita Gallery to see his special art exhibits. Finally, those who are deeply interested in the arts might also consider other exhibitions offered by the museum. For example, recently there was an exhibition of paintings a famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai whose masterpieces include “Great Wave Off Kanagawa”.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: きりたんぽ・郷土料理 萩 新町, 94 Shinmachi, Odate, Akita 017-0844, Japan
Kiritanpo is one of, if not the most, popular traditional dish of Akita Prefecture. Basically, it is a stick made of smashed rice, which is not surprising for Akita as it’s a home for high-quality and delicious rice. Originally, kiritanpo was used by hunters and woodcutters as a kind of snack. However, today it is usually served as a proper dish in a soup with chicken, mushrooms and other vegetables.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Port Tower Selion, 1-9-1 Tsuchizakiminato Nishi, Akita 011-0945 Akita Prefecture
At first sight, Akita’s architecture might seem to be not so attractive. But then I changed my mind when I got to visit the Selion Tower. This tower is 143m high and has such a cool and modern design. It will impress you even more with its illuminations if you get to see it during night time.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Tazawa Lake, Tazawakokata, Semboku 014-1203 Akita Prefecture
The Tazawa Lake is one of the must-visit treasures of Akita Prefecture. As the deepest lake in the Japan (423 meters) surrounded by stunning mountain ranges, it provides beautiful sceneries and attracts both local and foreign tourists.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Samurai District, Kakunodatemachi, Semboku 014-0325 Akita Prefecture
Kakunodate is a tiny yet a very special town located in the city of Semboku. So what is so special about it? Kakunodate is basically a castle town and a samurai district which once housed around 80 samurai families. Unfortunately, not even ruins are left from the castle, though you can still climb a hill where the castle was located and get a nice view. But another treasure — samurai houses — still remains there and some of the houses are open for the public to see. Kakunodate also has various museums where you can learn more about the history of this place.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kakunodate Samurai House Museum, 9 Kakunodatemachi Higashikatsurakucho, Semboku 014-0325 Akita Prefecture
Kakunodate is a tiny yet a very special town located in the city of Semboku. So what is so special about it? Kakunodate is basically a castle town and a samurai district which once housed around 80 samurai families. Unfortunately, not even ruins are left from the castle, though you can still climb a hill where the castle was located and get a nice view. But another treasure — samurai houses — still remains there and some of the houses are open for the public to see. Kakunodate also has various museums where you can learn more about the history of this place.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Akita Taiheizan Resort Park, 134 Nibetsu Small Mizusawa, Akita 010-0824 Akita Prefecture
Akita is known for its snowy winters, and having the advantage of being closely located to mountains gives opportunities to enjoy winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding. The closest ski resort to Akita City is Taihei Ski Resort. It might be not the very best ski resort out there, but it’s the easiest one to access by public transport (a bus number 351 departs from Akita station roughly every hour, takes 45 min and costs around 700 yen one way).
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Namahage Museum, Mizukuisawa Kitaurashinzan, Oga 010-0685 Akita Prefecture
Akita Prefecture is also famous for its Namahage legend. Namahage a demon-like being wearing ogre masks and capes decorated with straw, and according to the legend, he comes to houses and checks whether the kids behave well or not. It is believed that Namahage first came to Oga Peninsula, and this is where the Namahage Museum is located.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Iyataka Shrine, 1-16 Senshukoen, Akita 010-0876 Akita Prefecture
Japan is generally famous for its traditional shrines, and Akita is not an exception. Iyataka Shrine, which is probably the biggest shine in Akita City, was built in 1881 and is currently located inside the Senshu Park, and both the main and the inner shrines remain the property of Akita Prefecture. Interestingly, the original name of the shrine was “Hirata Shrine”, however, in 1909 it was renamed to “Iyataka Shrine”.
Duration: 1 hour