Two days in Akita: choose park and harbour or samurai houses
For one night, choose one base: Akita city and harbour or Kakunodate houses. See park and harbour on separate days or split two house visits across your stay. Shorten or skip day-two sightseeing for a morning departure.
Choose an itinerary for 2 days / 1 night
Two days from Akita Station: park and harbour
Stay one night near Akita Station, with separate park and harbour-view days. First check the margin between your Selion return bus and departure train on day two.
Two days from Akita Station: park and harbour →2 days / 1 nightTwo days in Kakunodate: samurai residences on separate days
Stay one night in Kakunodate for unhurried visits to samurai homes and gardens. Visit Aoyagi on day one and Kawarada on day two. Leave visiting time after your arrival and before your departure if you want to see both.
Two days in Kakunodate: samurai residences on separate days →Two days from Akita Station: park and harbour
Stay one night near Akita Station, with separate park and harbour-view days. First check the margin between your Selion return bus and departure train on day two.
Day 1 · Senshu Park
Walk through Senshu Park on arrival day. Start around the moat, then continue uphill to the Ninomaru site if the slopes are manageable.
- Akita Station or nearby accommodation → Senshu Park walk
From Akita Station, allow about five minutes to Senshu Park’s Pocket Park or 15 minutes to the Ninomaru site. Walk around the moat, then continue uphill if the slopes are manageable. Allow a suggested 60–90 minutes for an afternoon walk. For late arrival or rain that leaves too little daylight, shorten it to the moat area. The park is open all day, but this itinerary does not recommend walking after dark. To visit Kubota Castle’s Osumiyagura interior, check its operation on your date and adjust your walking time.
- Senshu Park → Hotel check-in and dinner
Return to your hotel after the walk and check in at the time arranged with your accommodation. Have dinner near the station, then rest at the same property.
For a late arrival, take a short moat-side walk before dinner.
Day 2 · Selion observation deck and departure from Akita Station
Visit Selion’s observation deck, then return to Akita Station. Decide whether there is time for harbour lunch after checking your return bus.
- Akita Station West Exit stop 4 → Selion bus stop
Take a Selion-bound bus from stop 4 at Akita Station’s west-side bus terminal and alight at Selion. The adult fare is JPY 550 each way. Plan time at the harbour around your bus back to Akita Station.
Operator’s Selion Line timetableStop-specific fares and timetable search
- Selion bus stop → Port Tower entrance and observation deck on Level 5
Enter through Port Tower’s front entrance and see Akita Port and the sea from the free observation deck on Level 5. Hours are 09:00–21:00. Selion Rista and Plaza are separate buildings from the tower with the observation deck.
Observation-deck operationTourism federation: Selion buildings and entrances
- Selion observation deck → Rest and return bus stop
After the harbour views, take a rest and return to the bus stop. Services are infrequent, so choose your return bus before setting a meal time. Have lunch back near the station if there is too little time at the harbour.
- Selion return bus stop → Akita Station West Exit
Take the bus from Selion to Akita Station’s West Exit. The JPY 550 one-way fare makes the return bus cost JPY 1,100.
Operator’s Selion Line timetableStop-specific fares and timetable search
- Akita Station → Depart for your next destination
Return to Akita Station for onward travel. For Tokyo or Morioka, check stopping stations and reserved seats in the Akita Shinkansen timetable for your date. Search airport buses separately if flying, leaving time for a meal and boarding between the Selion return bus and your departure.
Official JR timetableOperator’s Selion Line timetableFAQOfficial access
Choose your return bus first. If there is too little time for harbour lunch, eat back near Akita Station.
Included: The subtotal includes return Selion bus fares of JPY 550 each way for one adult. The Selion observation deck is free. Paid indoor facilities in Senshu Park are excluded.
Extra costs: Accommodation, meals, travel into and out of Akita, airport journeys and additional facilities are excluded.
Costs are for one adult. Read the included items and extra costs together.
Stop-specific fares and timetable searchFacility directionsObservation-deck operation
Two days in Kakunodate: samurai residences on separate days
Stay one night in Kakunodate for unhurried visits to samurai homes and gardens. Visit Aoyagi on day one and Kawarada on day two. Leave visiting time after your arrival and before your departure if you want to see both.
Day 1 · Aoyagi House
Visit Aoyagi House on your first day in Kakunodate. Choose an arrival service that leaves time for afternoon sightseeing; shorten the visit if arriving late.
- Around Kakunodate Station → Walk to Aoyagi’s entrance
Follow the street from the station to the T-junction by Kakunodate Post Office, then turn right into the samurai district. Follow the tourism association’s walking-route signs to Aoyagi House’s sign and entrance at 角館町表町下丁3. Station-to-Aoyagi walking estimates differ: about 15 minutes from the association and 20 from the city. Allow a margin for navigation, photos and your actual accommodation starting point.
Official walking routeTourism association facility guideCity government
- Aoyagi House → Exhibits and gardens · JPY 500
Explore Aoyagi House’s exhibits and gardens in the afternoon, allowing a suggested 90 minutes. Ordinary April–November hours are 09:00–17:00; individual adult admission is JPY 500. Separate tours and paid activities are excluded from this cost.
- Aoyagi House → Hotel check-in and dinner
After visiting, return through the samurai district and past the post office towards the station, then check in. Eat at a restaurant you have confirmed is open before returning to your accommodation. If late arrival prevents today’s visit, check tomorrow’s departure and both houses’ hours before choosing what to see.
For late arrival, shorten today’s visit or move it to tomorrow. Winter closing times may be earlier; check the facility’s guidance.
Day 2 · Kawarada House and departure from Kakunodate
If you visited Aoyagi yesterday, see Kawarada House before leaving today.
- Station street and samurai district → Visit Kawarada House
Follow the same station street and post-office T-junction to Kawarada House in the samurai district. The address is 角館町東勝楽丁9, about 15 minutes’ walk from the station. Explore the house and garden in the morning. April–November hours are 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:30; individual adult admission is JPY 500. Guided viewing is listed from 10:00 for about 10–15 minutes. Check at the entrance whether it is running and accepting visitors that day.
Official walking routeOfficial Kawarada informationCity government
- After visiting Kawarada → Depart from Kakunodate Station
Return past the post office to Kakunodate Station after your visit. Choose an afternoon departure if you want lunch first. Check trains stopping at your destination and reserved seats in the JR timetable for your date.
For a morning departure, move today’s house visit to the previous day. Allow time to walk back to Kakunodate Station after sightseeing.
Included: The subtotal includes adult admission to Aoyagi and Kawarada houses at JPY 500 each.
Extra costs: Accommodation, meals, JR travel on arrival and departure, taxis, additional tours and activities are extra.
Costs are for one adult. Read the included items and extra costs together.
Tourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationCurrent facility guide
Frequently asked questions
What does visiting two Kakunodate houses cost?
Individual adult admission to Aoyagi and Kawarada is JPY 500 each, or JPY 1,000 for one visit to both. Accommodation, meals, rail and separate tours are excluded. Check each facility’s winter operation. Aoyagi closing times differ between the tourism association’s 16:30 and city’s 16:00; confirm your date with the house. Kawarada’s December–March last admission is 16:00, and it closes at 16:30. It is closed from 28 December to 4 January.
City governmentTourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada information
Sources and dates checked
- Akita City park guide ·
- Observation-deck operation ·
- Facility directions ·
- Operator’s Selion Line timetable ·
- Stop-specific fares and timetable search ·
- Tourism association facility guide ·
- City government ·
- Official access ·
- FAQ ·
- Current facility guide ·
- Official JR timetable ·
- Official walking route ·
- Official Kawarada information ·
- Tourism federation: Selion buildings and entrances ·