Lake Tazawa, Japan's deepest, shimmers in the mountains. Kakunodate's samurai district preserves centuries of warrior culture. In winter, the Yokote Kamakura festival builds snow igloos lit from within. Akita is rural Japan at its most atmospheric.
What Akita is known for
Top-rated in Akita
Mt. Akita-Komagatake
4.8nature
Mt. Akita-Komagatake is Akita Prefecture's tallest mountain, with several peaks including Mt. Onamedake at 1,637 meters, and sits within Towada-Hachimantai National Park.
Mt. Fujisato-Komagatake Summit
4.8nature
At 1,158 meters, this summit looks out over one of the largest old-growth beech forests remaining in Japan.
Mototaki Waterfall
4.6nature
Mototaki Fukuryusui Underflow features the beautiful contrast between green moss and flowing water.
Mount Chokai
4.6nature
Tohoku's highest peak with a symmetrical cone and crystal-clear spring waters at its base.
Inaniwa Udon Sato Yosuke Honten
4.4restaurant
Factory-restaurant where eight generations hand-stretch Japan's most delicate udon since 1860.
Yokote Masuda Manga Museum
4.5museum
Japan's first manga museum houses 450,000 original artworks and manuscripts from legendary artists in a sake warehouse.
Unsho-ji Temple
4.4temple
Countryside temple blanketed in deep blue hydrangeas cultivated by hand for 15 years.
Shinzan Shrine
4.4shrine
Shinzan Shrine on the Oga Peninsula has been a sacred mountain worship site since ancient times.