Five days in Akita: harbour views or more time in Kakunodate?
To include harbour views, stay two nights in Akita for separate park and Selion days before moving to Kakunodate. With four nights in Kakunodate, you can visit the samurai houses, craft exhibits and lake on separate days. Neither plan includes a long sightseeing journey on the final day; the Kakunodate-only stay adds no sightseeing before departure.
Choose an itinerary for 5 days / 4 nights
Five days: harbour and lake on separate days
For harbour views, samurai residences and lake scenery, stay two nights in Akita followed by two in Kakunodate. See the park and Selion on separate days before changing accommodation, avoiding an immediate long-distance train connection after the harbour visit.
Five days: harbour and lake on separate days →5 days / 4 nightsFive days in Kakunodate: houses, crafts and lake at a slower pace
Stay four nights in Kakunodate, with separate days for two houses, crafts and the lake. Unlike the three-night plan’s departure-day craft visit, the last day has no new sightseeing.
Five days in Kakunodate: houses, crafts and lake at a slower pace →Five days: harbour and lake on separate days
For harbour views, samurai residences and lake scenery, stay two nights in Akita followed by two in Kakunodate. See the park and Selion on separate days before changing accommodation, avoiding an immediate long-distance train connection after the harbour visit.
Day 1 · Senshu Park
Spend two nights in Akita and two in Kakunodate. Start with a park walk on arrival day, visiting harbour and lake on different days.
- Akita Station or accommodation → Walk to Senshu Park
Walk from Akita Station towards Senshu Park. It is about five minutes to Pocket Park or 15 to the Ninomaru site; choose a moat-side walk or continue uphill.
- Senshu Park → Moat and Ninomaru walk
Walk around the moat in the afternoon and continue to Ninomaru if the slopes are manageable. Osumiyagura interior visits need a separate operating check and are excluded from basic costs. Afterwards, return towards the station for dinner and rest at your booked accommodation.
For a late arrival, take a short moat-side walk before dinner.
Day 2 · Selion observation deck
Visit Selion while keeping the same Akita accommodation. Return to the city for dinner and a rest instead of connecting straight to a long-distance train.
- 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
- Arrive at Selion → Observation deck and lunch timing
Enter Port Tower’s front entrance and see the harbour and sea from the free observation deck on Level 5. Hours are 09:00–21:00. For lunch at the harbour, check restaurant hours and time before your return bus.
Observation-deck operationTourism federation: Selion buildings and entrances
- Selion → Akita Station or accommodation
Take the bus from Selion to Akita Station’s West Exit. Eat near the station and rest at the same accommodation. You are staying another night in Akita, so there is no immediate onward train to another city.
Choose your return bus first. If there is too little time for harbour lunch, eat back near Akita Station.
Day 3 · Move to Kakunodate and visit Aoyagi House
Finish your Akita stay, move to Kakunodate and visit Aoyagi House. Leave Kawarada for the final day.
- Akita Station → Board the Akita Shinkansen towards Morioka
Take the Akita Shinkansen from Akita towards Morioka to Kakunodate. Reserve seats on a train stopping there. The section is covered by the JR EAST PASS; ordinary tickets can also be used. Check your journey falls within the pass’s consecutive validity period. Lake buses, Selion buses and accommodation are extra.
Official JR timetableOfficial JR passJR EAST PASS passport/use conditions and reserved-seat booking
- Train arriving at Kakunodate → Alight and leave the ticket gates
Alight at Kakunodate Station and go outside the ticket gates.
- Outside Kakunodate Station’s ticket gates → Aoyagi House entrance
Walk from Kakunodate Station towards the samurai district and find Aoyagi House’s sign and entrance at 角館町表町下丁3. Use the official walking route to plan your actual path. Estimates from the station differ: about 15 minutes from the tourism association and 20 from the city. Navigation, rests and sightseeing take extra time.
Official walking routeTourism association facility guideCity government
- Aoyagi House entrance → House exhibits and historical material
Explore Aoyagi House’s exhibits and gardens, allowing a suggested 90 minutes. April–November closing time is 17:00; winter hours may be shorter. Leave Kawarada House for the final day.
- After visiting Aoyagi House → Samurai-district walk and meal
After leaving the house, walk through the samurai district, rest and eat at an open restaurant. Meals are separate from house admission.
- After the street walk and meal → Return to your chosen Kakunodate accommodation
Return to your Kakunodate accommodation after walking and eating. For convenient access to the station tomorrow, compare Hotel B4T beside the station.
This is an accommodation-change day. If reaching Kakunodate late, shorten the house visit and prioritise check-in and dinner.
Day 4 · Lake Tazawa loop
Explore Lake Tazawa today. Choose a loop bus with sightseeing stops and a return train to Kakunodate together. Large suitcases cannot be carried on the lake bus; leave them at your accommodation where you are staying another night.
- Kakunodate Station → Tazawako Station and bus stop outside
Take the Akita Shinkansen from Kakunodate towards Morioka and alight at Tazawako. Outside the station, change to a Lake Tazawa loop bus with sightseeing stops. Choose return trains after checking the bus’s arrival back at the station.
- Lake sightseeing stop → Reboard the same bus
At Katajiri, see the Tatsuko statue and lake views; at Gozanoishi Shrine, visit the shrine. Walking breaks are 20 and ten minutes respectively. Fit your walk to the sight and back within each break and reboard the same loop bus.
Operator’s loop-bus timetableOfficial Tatsuko statue access guideOfficial city access guide
- Tazawako Station → Return to Kakunodate Station and accommodation
Back at Tazawako Station, enter the station and take an Akita-bound Shinkansen to Kakunodate. The operator advises that not every loop bus connects with the Shinkansen; reserve a train with enough time after the bus arrives. Have lunch after returning to the station rather than during a short sightseeing stop. Rest at your accommodation and have dinner; do not add hot springs or a sightseeing cruise today.
Official JR timetableOperator’s loop-bus timetableService status
If you let your bus leave to stay longer, check the next service’s fare and your return train again.
Day 5 · Kawarada House and departure from Kakunodate
Visit Kawarada House on your final morning, then leave Kakunodate. A morning departure leaves too little visiting time; adjust the previous days’ order first.
- Booked Kakunodate accommodation → Kawarada House entrance
Walk from your accommodation’s actual address to Kawarada House at 角館町東勝楽丁9. The city’s approximately 15-minute walking estimate starts at Kakunodate Station, not your accommodation.
- Kawarada → House and garden visit
April–November Kawarada hours are 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:30; individual adult admission is JPY 500. Allow a suggested hour for a morning house and garden visit. The facility is closed from 28 December to 4 January, so check it opens on your date first.
- Kakunodate Station → Booked departure service
Head to Kakunodate Station after sightseeing. Check a train stopping at your destination and reserve seats using the JR timetable for your date. Search onward transport to Akita Station or the airport separately.
Check Kawarada’s New Year closures and allow time to walk to the station after sightseeing.
Included: For one adult, the subtotal includes the Akita Station West Exit–Selion return bus at JPY 550 each way or JPY 1,100 return, individual admission to Aoyagi and Kawarada at JPY 500 each, and one JPY 1,160 lake loop from Tazawako Station. Selion’s observation deck on Level 5 is free; reboard the same lake bus after sightseeing stops.
Extra costs: JR travel between Akita and Kakunodate, return JR travel between Kakunodate and Tazawako, travel before and after the trip, four nights’ accommodation, meals, luggage storage, cruises and additional facilities are excluded. For a longer lakeside stay followed by a later bus, check ticket conditions and extra fares separately. JR costs for the alternative walk from Tsuchizaki Station are also excluded.
Costs are for one adult. Read the included items and extra costs together.
Tourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator’s loop-bus timetableStop-specific fares and timetable searchFacility directionsObservation-deck operation
Five days in Kakunodate: houses, crafts and lake at a slower pace
Stay four nights in Kakunodate, with separate days for two houses, crafts and the lake. Unlike the three-night plan’s departure-day craft visit, the last day has no new sightseeing.
Day 1 · Aoyagi House
Explore Aoyagi House’s gardens and exhibits of swords and other weapons on day one. Choose an arrival that leaves afternoon visiting time. Train fares vary by travel date and booking product.
- Kakunodate Station → Aoyagi House entrance
Walk to Aoyagi House at 角館町表町下丁3. The tourism association gives about 15 minutes from the station, while the city gives 20. Allow for your walking route and a margin.
- Aoyagi House → Visit and return to hotel
Visit Aoyagi only if your afternoon arrival leaves time before the 17:00 closing. April–November hours are 09:00–17:00; individual adult admission is JPY 500. Afterwards, return towards your hotel near the station and check in at the arranged time. For late arrival, leave the house until tomorrow.
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
See Kawarada House and its gardens, then eat and rest in town. If you missed Aoyagi yesterday, check whether you can fit both houses within their opening hours.
- Accommodation beside Kakunodate Station → Walk to Kawarada House
Walk from your accommodation’s actual address to Kawarada House at 角館町東勝楽丁9 in the samurai district. Do not treat the city’s approximately 15-minute walk from the station as a walk from your accommodation.
- Kawarada House → Visit and return to the same accommodation
April–November Kawarada hours are 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:30; individual adult admission is JPY 500. Visit the house and garden in the morning, have lunch and return to the same accommodation. The facility is closed from 28 December to 4 January. If you missed Aoyagi yesterday, visit it in the afternoon. Admission to each house once totals JPY 1,000.
Official Kawarada informationTourism association facility guide
Kawarada’s April–November last admission is 16:30. Check winter hours and New Year closures.
Day 3 · Craft museum
After the house visits, explore local crafts and cultural displays at the craft museum. Focus on the exhibits, as demonstrations depend on operation that day.
- Around Kakunodate Station → Walk to the craft museum
Visit Kakunodate Kabazaiku Denshokan at 角館町表町下丁10番地1. Semboku City lists about 15 minutes’ walk from JR Kakunodate Station. Explore crafts using wild cherry bark and displays of local culture.
Semboku City craft museum admission, hours and walking accessTourism association craft museum English name
- Craft museum → Exhibits and return journey
April–November hours are 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:30; individual adult admission is JPY 500. The facility is closed from 28 December to 4 January. Allow a suggested 90 minutes for exhibits. Check whether craft demonstrations are running on your date if you want to see them. Afterwards, retrace your walk to accommodation near the station.
Semboku City craft museum admission, hours and walking access
Check whether demonstrations are running that day if you want to see them. The craft museum is closed 28 December–4 January.
Day 4 · Lake Tazawa loop
Visit Lake Tazawa on your fourth Kakunodate day. Return on the same loop bus after sightseeing stops and spend your final night in Kakunodate. Large suitcases cannot be carried on the lake bus; leave them at your accommodation where you are staying another night.
- Kakunodate Station → Tazawako Station and bus stop outside
Take the Akita Shinkansen from Kakunodate towards Morioka and alight at Tazawako. Outside the station, change to a Lake Tazawa loop bus with sightseeing stops. Choose return trains after checking the bus’s arrival back at the station.
- Lake sightseeing stop → Reboard the same bus
At Katajiri, see the Tatsuko statue and lake views; at Gozanoishi Shrine, visit the shrine. Walking breaks are 20 and ten minutes respectively. Fit your walk to the sight and back within each break and reboard the same loop bus.
Operator’s loop-bus timetableOfficial Tatsuko statue access guideOfficial city access guide
- Tazawako Station → Return to Kakunodate Station and accommodation
Back at Tazawako Station, enter the station and take an Akita-bound Shinkansen to Kakunodate. The operator advises that not every loop bus connects with the Shinkansen; reserve a train with enough time after the bus arrives. Have lunch after returning to the station rather than during a short sightseeing stop. Rest at your accommodation and have dinner; do not add hot springs or a sightseeing cruise today.
Official JR timetableOperator’s loop-bus timetableService status
If you let your bus leave to stay longer, check the next service’s fare and your return train again.
Day 5 · Depart from Kakunodate Station
Leave Kakunodate without adding new sightseeing on the final day. Have breakfast, check out and take your booked train.
- Kakunodate Station → Board your booked departure service
Choose a train stopping at Kakunodate in the official JR timetable and check your destination and reserved seat. At the station, go to your booked train’s platform. Onward connections to the airport or Akita Station are separate. No new paid facility visit is included on departure day.
Check your booked train’s departure time and reserved seat. Arrange connecting transport separately if continuing to the airport.
Included: For one adult, the subtotal includes individual admission to Aoyagi, Kawarada and the craft museum at JPY 500 each, plus one JPY 1,160 lake loop from Tazawako Station. Visit each facility once and return on the same bus after sightseeing stops.
Extra costs: Return JR travel between Kakunodate and Tazawako, travel before and after the trip, four nights’ accommodation, meals, luggage storage, cruises and additional facilities are excluded. For a longer lakeside stay followed by a later bus, check ticket conditions and extra fares separately.
Costs are for one adult. Read the included items and extra costs together.
Tourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator’s loop-bus timetableSemboku City craft museum admission, hours and walking access
Frequently asked questions
If I walk by the lake and take a later bus, is the loop fare still JPY 1,160?
JPY 1,160 covers the lake loop returning to the station on the same bus after sightseeing breaks. Do not assume it lets you alight anywhere and continue on a later service. For a longer stop, check the next bus’s fare and your return train separately.
Fare tableOperator’s loop-bus timetableUgo Kotsu conditions of carriage, articles 16 and 21
Can I use the JR EAST PASS when moving from Akita to Kakunodate?
Yes, the Akita–Kakunodate Shinkansen section is covered. Check reserved seats on a train stopping at Kakunodate and that your date falls within pass validity. Accommodation, Selion buses and lake buses are extra. Ordinary tickets can also be used; compare other JR journeys before choosing.
Official JR passJR EAST PASS passport/use conditions and reserved-seat booking
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 Tatsuko statue access guide ·
- Fare table ·
- Current facility guide ·
- Official city access guide ·
- Operator’s loop-bus timetable ·
- Service status ·
- Official JR timetable ·
- Official walking route ·
- Official Kawarada information ·
- Official JR pass ·
- Semboku City craft museum admission, hours and walking access ·
- Tourism association craft museum English name ·
- JR EAST PASS passport/use conditions and reserved-seat booking ·
- Tourism federation: Selion buildings and entrances ·
- Ugo Kotsu conditions of carriage, articles 16 and 21 ·