Five days in Akita: add the harbour or take your time in Kakunodate?
For harbour views too, stay two Akita nights with separate park and Selion days before Kakunodate. Four Kakunodate nights give houses, crafts and lake separate days. Neither route travels far on the last day; the Kakunodate stay adds no final-day viewing.
Choose a 5 days, 4 nights itinerary
Five days: harbour and lake on separate days
Stay two Akita nights and then two Kakunodate nights for harbour views, samurai houses and lake scenery. Visit the park and Selion on separate days before changing accommodation, so you need not connect to a long-distance train on the harbour-return day.
Five days: harbour and lake on separate days →5 days, 4 nightsFive days based in Kakunodate: houses, crafts and lake at a slower pace
Stay four Kakunodate nights, visiting the two houses, crafts and lake on separate days. Unlike the three-night route with departure-day crafts, the final day adds no new sightseeing.
Five days based in Kakunodate: houses, crafts and lake at a slower pace →Five days: harbour and lake on separate days
Stay two Akita nights and then two Kakunodate nights for harbour views, samurai houses and lake scenery. Visit the park and Selion on separate days before changing accommodation, so you need not connect to a long-distance train on the harbour-return day.
Day 1 · Senshu Park
Spend two nights in Akita and two in Kakunodate. Start with a park walk on arrival day and visit the harbour and lake on separate days.
- Akita Station and accommodation → Walk to Senshu Park
Walk towards Senshu Park from Akita Station. Allow roughly five minutes to the pocket park or 15 to Ninomaru; choose between the moat area and uphill walk.
- Senshu Park → Moat and Ninomaru walk
Walk around the moat in the afternoon, continuing to Ninomaru if comfortable with slopes. Osumiyagura interior access needs separate operating checks and is excluded from the basic cost. Return towards the station for dinner and rest at your booked accommodation.
If arriving late, take a short walk around the moat before dinner.
Day 2 · Selion observation deck
Visit Selion while keeping the same Akita accommodation. Return to the city for dinner and rest, without an immediate long-distance train connection today.
- Akita Station west-side stop 4 → Selion bus stop
Board a Selion-bound bus at stop 4 in Akita Station’s west bus terminal and get off at Selion. The adult one-way fare is ¥550. Set your harbour visit length around the return bus to Akita Station.
- Arrive at Selion → Observation deck and lunch timing
Enter Port Tower’s front entrance for free fifth-floor harbour and sea views, open 09:00–21:00. If you’d like lunch at the harbour, check restaurant hours and time before your return bus.
Observation deck operationTourism federation Selion buildings and entrances
- Selion → Akita Station and accommodation
Take an Akita Station west-exit-bound bus from Selion. Eat near the station and rest at the same accommodation. With another Akita night, you need not connect immediately to a train for another city.
Choose your return bus first. If time is short for a harbour meal, eat back near Akita Station.
Day 3 · Move to Kakunodate and visit Aoyagi House
After your Akita stay, move to Kakunodate for Aoyagi House. Leave Kawarada for the final day.
- Akita Station → Board an Akita Shinkansen towards Morioka
Take an Akita Shinkansen from Akita to Kakunodate, reserving a seat on a service stopping there. This section is covered by the JR East Pass; ordinary tickets are another option. Check travel falls within consecutive pass validity. Lake buses, Selion buses and accommodation are separate.
Official JR timetableOfficial JR passJR East Pass passport/usage conditions and seat reservations
- Your train arriving at Kakunodate → Get off and leave the ticket gates
Get off at Kakunodate and leave the ticket gates.
- Outside Kakunodate Station’s ticket gates → Aoyagi House entrance
Walk towards the samurai-house district to Aoyagi’s signs and entrance at 角館町表町下丁3. Use the official walking route to plan your approach. Station estimates differ: roughly 15 minutes from the association and 20 from city hall; navigation, rests and viewing add time.
Official walking routeTourism association facility guideCity hall
- Aoyagi House entrance → House exhibits and interior displays
Visit Aoyagi’s exhibits and garden, allowing roughly 90 minutes. April–November closing is 17:00; winter hours may be shorter. Leave Kawarada for the final day.
- After visiting Aoyagi House → District walk and meal
Walk and rest in the samurai-house district afterwards, then eat at an open business. Meals are separate from house admission.
- After walking and eating → Go to your chosen Kakunodate accommodation
Return to your Kakunodate accommodation after walking and eating. Compare Hotel B4T beside the station if convenient next-day station access matters.
You change accommodation today. If reaching Kakunodate late, shorten the house visit and prioritize check-in and dinner.
Day 4 · Lake Tazawa circuit
Visit Lake Tazawa today. Choose a circular bus with walking stops together with your return train to Kakunodate. Large suitcases cannot be carried on the lake bus; leave them where you are staying another night.
- Kakunodate Station → Tazawako Station and station-front bus stop
Take a Morioka-bound Akita Shinkansen from Kakunodate to Tazawako. Transfer outside the station to a Lake Tazawa circular bus with walking stops. Choose both train journeys after checking the bus’s station arrival time.
- Lakeside walking stops → Reboard the same bus
See the Tatsuko Statue and lake at Katajiri, then visit the shrine at Gozanoishi Shrine stop. Walking stops last 20 and 10 minutes respectively. Fit the walk to each sight and back within those times and reboard your original circular bus.
Operator circular-route timetableOfficial Tatsuko Statue accessOfficial city access
- Tazawako Station → Return to Kakunodate Station and your accommodation
On returning to the Tazawako station-front stop, enter the station and take an Akita-bound Shinkansen to Kakunodate. The operator notes that not every circular bus connects with the Shinkansen; reserve a train with enough time after bus arrival. Eat lunch after returning to the station rather than during short walking stops. Rest at your accommodation and have dinner; no hot spring or sightseeing boat is added today.
Official JR timetableOperator circular-route timetableService status
If letting the bus leave to stay longer, recheck the next service’s fare and your return train.
Day 5 · Kawarada House and departure from Kakunodate Station
Visit Kawarada on your final morning, then leave Kakunodate. A morning departure leaves little viewing time; adjust the earlier visiting order accordingly.
- Your booked Kakunodate accommodation → Kawarada House entrance
Walk from your booked accommodation to Kawarada at 角館町東勝楽丁9. The city’s roughly 15-minute estimate starts at Kakunodate Station, not your accommodation.
- Kawarada → House and garden visit
Kawarada opens April–November 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30, with individual adult admission ¥500. Allow roughly 60 minutes for a morning house and garden visit. It closes 28 December–4 January; check that it opens on your date first.
- Kakunodate Station → Your booked departure
Go to Kakunodate Station after viewing. Check a dated JR train stopping at your destination and your reserved seat before boarding. Look up onward connections to Akita Station or the airport separately.
Check Kawarada’s year-end closures and leave time to walk back to the station after viewing.
Included: One adult: Akita Station west exit–Selion bus ¥550 each way, ¥1,100 return; Aoyagi and Kawarada admission ¥500 each; one Lake Tazawa circular bus from Tazawako at ¥1,160. Selion’s fifth-floor deck is free; return on the same lake bus after walking stops.
Separate costs: Akita–Kakunodate JR, Kakunodate–Tazawako JR return, travel before/after the trip, four nights’ accommodation, meals, luggage storage, sightseeing boats and extra facilities excluded. For longer lakeside stays on a later bus, check ticket conditions and extra fares. JR travel for the Tsuchizaki walking alternative is excluded.
For one adult. Check both included items and separate costs.
Tourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator circular-route timetableStop-by-stop fares and timesFacility accessObservation deck operation
Five days based in Kakunodate: houses, crafts and lake at a slower pace
Stay four Kakunodate nights, visiting the two houses, crafts and lake on separate days. Unlike the three-night route with departure-day crafts, the final day adds no new sightseeing.
Day 1 · Aoyagi House
Visit Aoyagi’s garden and exhibits of swords and weapons first. Choose an arrival leaving afternoon viewing time. Train fares vary by 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 lists roughly 15 minutes from the station and the city roughly 20; plan your walking route with extra time.
- Aoyagi House → Visit and return to your hotel
Visit Aoyagi after an afternoon arrival only if you can finish before its 17:00 closing. April–November hours are 09:00–17:00; individual adult admission ¥500. Return to your station-area hotel and check in at your booked time. If arriving late, omit today’s house visit and move it to the next day.
For a late arrival, shorten the visit or move it to the next day. Winter closing may be earlier; check facility guidance.
Day 2 · Kawarada House
Visit Kawarada’s house and garden, then eat and rest in town. If you missed Aoyagi yesterday, check whether you can visit both within their opening hours.
- Accommodation beside Kakunodate Station → Walk to Kawarada House
Walk from your booked accommodation to Kawarada at 角館町東勝楽丁9 in the samurai-house district. Do not apply the city’s roughly 15-minute station walk to your hotel starting point.
- Kawarada House → Visit and return to the same accommodation
Kawarada opens April–November 09:00–17:00, last reception 16:30, with individual adult admission ¥500. Visit the house and garden in the morning, eat lunch and return to the same accommodation. Closed 28 December–4 January. If you missed Aoyagi yesterday, visit in the afternoon. Admission to each house once totals ¥1,000.
Official Kawarada informationTourism association facility guide
Kawarada’s April–November last entry is 16:30. Check winter hours and year-end closures.
Day 3 · Craft museum
Visit local craft and culture exhibits after the house days. Production demonstrations vary by date, so plan around exhibits.
- Around Kakunodate Station → Walk to the craft museum
Go to Kakunodate Kabazaiku Denshokan at 角館町表町下丁10番地1. Semboku lists roughly 15 minutes’ walk from JR Kakunodate Station. Visit exhibits of mountain-cherry bark crafts and local culture.
Semboku craft museum prices, hours and walking accessTourism association craft museum English name
- Craft museum → Exhibits and return
April–November hours: 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:30; individual adult admission ¥500. Closed 28 December–4 January. Allow roughly 90 minutes for exhibits. Check whether production demonstrations run on your date if interested. Afterwards, retrace your walk to your station-area accommodation.
Check whether production demonstrations run that day if interested. The museum closes 28 December–4 January.
Day 4 · Lake Tazawa circuit
Visit Lake Tazawa on your fourth Kakunodate day. Return on the same circular bus after walking stops, then spend your last night in Kakunodate. Large suitcases cannot be carried on the lake bus; leave them where you are staying another night.
- Kakunodate Station → Tazawako Station and station-front bus stop
Take a Morioka-bound Akita Shinkansen from Kakunodate to Tazawako. Transfer outside the station to a Lake Tazawa circular bus with walking stops. Choose both train journeys after checking the bus’s station arrival time.
- Lakeside walking stops → Reboard the same bus
See the Tatsuko Statue and lake at Katajiri, then visit the shrine at Gozanoishi Shrine stop. Walking stops last 20 and 10 minutes respectively. Fit the walk to each sight and back within those times and reboard your original circular bus.
Operator circular-route timetableOfficial Tatsuko Statue accessOfficial city access
- Tazawako Station → Return to Kakunodate Station and your accommodation
On returning to the Tazawako station-front stop, enter the station and take an Akita-bound Shinkansen to Kakunodate. The operator notes that not every circular bus connects with the Shinkansen; reserve a train with enough time after bus arrival. Eat lunch after returning to the station rather than during short walking stops. Rest at your accommodation and have dinner; no hot spring or sightseeing boat is added today.
Official JR timetableOperator circular-route timetableService status
If letting the bus leave to stay longer, recheck the next service’s fare and your return train.
Day 5 · Departure from Kakunodate Station
Leave Kakunodate without adding new sights on the final day. Have breakfast, check out and go to your booked train.
- Kakunodate Station → Board your booked departure
Choose a train stopping at Kakunodate in the official JR timetable and check your destination/reserved seat. Go to its platform. Onward airport/Akita connections are separate. No new paid-facility visit is included today.
Check your booked departure time and reserved seat. Choose connecting transport separately if continuing to the airport.
Included: One adult: Aoyagi, Kawarada and craft museum individual admission ¥500 each, plus one Lake Tazawa circular bus from Tazawako at ¥1,160. Visit each facility once and return on the same bus after walking stops.
Separate costs: Kakunodate–Tazawako JR return, travel before/after the trip, four nights’ accommodation, meals, luggage storage, sightseeing boats and extra facilities excluded. For longer lakeside stays on a later bus, check ticket conditions and extra fares separately.
For one adult. Check both included items and separate costs.
Tourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator circular-route timetableSemboku craft museum prices, hours and walking access
Frequently asked questions
After a lakeside walk, does the next bus still cost the ¥1,160 circuit fare?
¥1,160 covers returning to the station on the same circular bus after walking stops. Do not assume that fare covers getting off anywhere and boarding a later bus. Longer stays require separate checks of later fares and return trains.
Fare tableOperator circular-route timetableUgo Kotsu transport conditions, articles 16 and 21
Can I use the JR East Pass when moving from Akita to Kakunodate?
Yes, the Akita–Kakunodate Akita Shinkansen section is covered. Check reserved seats on a train stopping at Kakunodate and travel within pass validity. Accommodation, Selion and lake buses are separate. Ordinary tickets work without a pass; compare other JR travel.
Official JR passJR East Pass passport/usage conditions and seat reservations
Sources and check dates
- Akita city park guide ·
- Observation deck operation ·
- Facility access ·
- Operator Selion Line timetable ·
- Stop-by-stop fares and times ·
- Tourism association facility guide ·
- City hall ·
- Official Tatsuko Statue access ·
- Fare table ·
- Current facility guide ·
- Official city access ·
- Operator circular-route timetable ·
- Service status ·
- Official JR timetable ·
- Official walking route ·
- Official Kawarada information ·
- Official JR pass ·
- Semboku craft museum prices, hours and walking access ·
- Tourism association craft museum English name ·
- JR East Pass passport/usage conditions and seat reservations ·
- Tourism federation Selion buildings and entrances ·
- Ugo Kotsu transport conditions, articles 16 and 21 ·