Kakunodate Samurai District
historic_site
角館武家屋敷通り
Beautifully preserved Edo-period samurai town with original mansions, weeping cherry trees, and craft workshops.
Kakunodate was founded as a castle town in 1620 and its samurai district survives in remarkable condition, with broad avenues lined by black-walled residences shaded by weeping cherry trees over 300 years old. The Aoyagi House opens multiple buildings displaying samurai armor, weapons, and folk art collections. The Ishiguro House is the oldest surviving residence, still owned by descendants of the original samurai family. The cherry trees bloom in late April to early May, arching over the lanes in pink. The town is also home to kabazaiku, a traditional craft of decorating objects with wild cherry bark, sold at several workshops and shops along the main streets.
Six original bukeyashiki (samurai family residences) remain standing on the main preserved street, the most complete grouping of its kind in Tohoku. The Aoyagi family estate includes four outbuildings with Meiji-era tools and cultural objects still on display. The weeping cherry trees lining the street were planted as memorial trees by the Satake clan. Kakunodate is 40 minutes south of Morioka on the Akita Shinkansen.
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