Four days in Akita: change hotels or keep one base?
To include city walks, spend one night in Akita, then move to Kakunodate and give the residences and lake a day each. For one base, stay three nights in Kakunodate and visit the residences, lake and craft exhibitions separately. If visiting the craft museum on departure day, omit it if needed to catch your train.
Choose a 3 nights, 4 days itinerary
Four days: a day each for the city, residences and lake
For castle-park walks, samurai residences and lake views, stay one night in Akita then two in Kakunodate. Give the residences and lake trip separate days. Listed costs include only residence admission and the lake bus; JR journeys between cities and to/from the lake are extra.
Four days: a day each for the city, residences and lake →3 nights, 4 daysFour days: Kakunodate base for the lake and crafts
Stay three nights in Kakunodate for residences, the lake and craft exhibitions without changing hotels. Visit the craft museum on the final day before returning to the station. For a morning departure, skip that visit and go from the hotel to the station.
Four days: Kakunodate base for the lake and crafts →Four days: a day each for the city, residences and lake
For castle-park walks, samurai residences and lake views, stay one night in Akita then two in Kakunodate. Give the residences and lake trip separate days. Listed costs include only residence admission and the lake bus; JR journeys between cities and to/from the lake are extra.
Day 1 · Senshu Park
Spend a night in Akita before moving to Kakunodate. Walk through Senshu Park on arrival day and choose dinner somewhere convenient for returning to your Akita hotel.
- Akita Station and hotel → Walk to Senshu Park
Walk from Akita Station towards Senshu Park. The pocket park is about five minutes away; Ninomaru is about 15. Choose a moat-only walk or a climb to the hilltop.
- Senshu Park → Moat and Ninomaru walk
Walk around the moat in the afternoon and climb to Ninomaru if slopes suit your group. Osumiyagura’s interior requires a separate operation check and is excluded from basic costs. Afterwards, return towards the station, have dinner and rest at your booked hotel.
If arriving late, take a short moat walk and have dinner.
Day 2 · Travel to Kakunodate and visit Aoyagi
Move from Akita to Kakunodate for Aoyagi and the samurai district today.
- Akita Station → Board a Morioka-bound Akita Shinkansen
Take a Morioka-bound Akita Shinkansen from Akita to Kakunodate, reserving a seat on a service stopping there. This is a covered JR East Pass section; ordinary tickets are also available. Check that the journey falls within the pass’s consecutive validity. Lake buses, Selion buses and hotels are separate.
Official JR timetableOfficial JR passJR East Pass: passport, eligibility and reserved-seat bookings
- Your train arriving at Kakunodate → Alight and leave the ticket gates
Get off at Kakunodate Station and leave the ticket gates.
- Outside Kakunodate Station’s ticket gates → Aoyagi residence entrance
Walk towards the samurai district from Kakunodate Station and find Aoyagi’s sign and entrance at 角館町表町下丁3. Use the official walking route to plan your actual path. Station-based estimates differ: about 15 minutes from the tourism association and 20 from city hall. Navigation, breaks and visiting time are extra.
Official walking routeTourism association: facility guidanceCity hall
- Aoyagi residence entrance → Residence exhibitions and historical materials
Explore Aoyagi’s exhibitions and garden, allowing about 90 minutes. April–November closing is 17:00; winter hours may be shorter. Save Kawarada for the final day.
- After visiting Aoyagi → Samurai-district walk and meal
After the residence, walk through the samurai district, take a break and eat at an open restaurant. Meals are separate from residence admission.
- After the walk and meal → Return to your chosen Kakunodate hotel
After walking and eating, return to your Kakunodate hotel. Compare station-adjacent Hotel B4T if you want easy access to the station tomorrow.
You are changing hotels today. If arriving late in Kakunodate, shorten the residence visit and prioritise check-in and dinner.
Day 3 · Lake Tazawa circuit
Circle Lake Tazawa with short walks at the Tatsuko Statue and Gozanoishi Shrine. Return to the station on the same circuit bus after its walking stops, then to your Kakunodate hotel. Large suitcases cannot be carried on the lake bus; leave them at the hotel 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 Station, then change to a Lake Tazawa circuit bus with walking stops. Choose return trains after checking the bus’s return arrival at the station.
- Lakeside walking stops → Reboard the same bus
At Katajiri, see the Tatsuko Statue and lake views; at Gozanoishi Shrine stop, explore the shrine. These walking stops last 20 and ten minutes respectively. Fit walking to the sights and back within that time, then reboard the circuit bus you arrived on.
Operator: circuit-bus timetableOfficial Tatsuko Statue accessCity: official access
- Tazawako Station → Return to Kakunodate Station and your hotel
On return to Tazawako Station, take an Akita-bound Shinkansen to Kakunodate. The operator states that not every circuit bus connects with Shinkansen services; choose reserved seats with enough time after the bus arrives. Have lunch after returning to the station, rather than during the short walking stops. Rest at your hotel and have dinner; do not add hot springs or a cruise today.
Official JR timetableOperator: circuit-bus timetableOperating status
If staying after your bus leaves, recheck the next service’s fare and your return train.
Day 4 · Kawarada residence and departure from Kakunodate Station
Visit Kawarada on the final morning, then leave Kakunodate. A morning departure leaves little time for the visit; adjust earlier days’ order first.
- Your booked Kakunodate hotel → Kawarada residence entrance
Walk from your booked hotel’s address to Kawarada at 角館町東勝楽丁9. The city’s approximately 15-minute walking estimate starts at Kakunodate Station, not your hotel.
- Kawarada → House and garden visit
Kawarada opens from 09:00 to 17:00 in April–November, with last entry at 16:30. Individual adult admission costs JPY 500. Allow about 60 minutes for the house and garden in the morning. It closes on 28 December–4 January, so check that it is open on your date first.
- Kakunodate Station → Your booked departure
Walk to Kakunodate Station after the visit. Check JR trains stopping at your destination and reserved seats for your date before boarding. Look up onward travel to Akita Station or the airport separately.
Check Kawarada’s New Year closures and leave time to walk to the station afterwards.
Includes: For one adult: individual admission to Aoyagi and Kawarada at JPY 500 each, plus one JPY 1,160 lake circuit bus from Tazawako Station. Return on the same bus after the walking stops.
Additional costs: The subtotal excludes JR travel between Akita and Kakunodate, return JR travel between Kakunodate and Tazawako, transport before and after the trip, three hotel nights, meals, luggage storage, cruises and extra facilities. If staying longer and taking another lake bus, check ticket conditions and additional fares separately.
For one adult. Read included items and additional costs together.
Tourism association: facility guidanceOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator: circuit-bus timetable
Four days: Kakunodate base for the lake and crafts
Stay three nights in Kakunodate for residences, the lake and craft exhibitions without changing hotels. Visit the craft museum on the final day before returning to the station. For a morning departure, skip that visit and go from the hotel to the station.
Day 1 · Aoyagi residence
Explore Aoyagi’s garden and exhibitions of swords and weapons on day one. Choose an arrival with enough time for an afternoon visit. Train fares vary by date and booking product.
- Kakunodate Station → Aoyagi residence entrance
Walk to Aoyagi at 角館町表町下丁3. The tourism association gives about 15 minutes from the station; the city gives about 20. Plan your walking route and extra time separately.
- Aoyagi residence → Visit and return to your hotel
Visit Aoyagi after afternoon arrival only if you can finish before 17:00 closing. April–November hours are 09:00–17:00; individual adult admission is JPY 500. Return to your station-area hotel and check in at its stated time. If arriving late, omit today’s residence visit and move it to tomorrow.
Tourism association: facility guidanceCurrent facility guidance
If arriving late, shorten the visit or move it to tomorrow. Winter closing may be earlier; check facility guidance.
Day 2 · Kawarada residence
See Kawarada’s house and garden, then eat and rest in town. If you missed Aoyagi yesterday, check whether both residences can fit within today’s opening hours.
- Your hotel beside Kakunodate Station → Walk to Kawarada
Walk from your booked hotel to Kawarada at 角館町東勝楽丁9 in the samurai district. The city’s approximately 15-minute estimate starts at the station and should not be applied to your hotel.
- Kawarada residence → Visit and return to the same hotel
Kawarada opens from 09:00 to 17:00 in April–November, with last admission at 16:30. Individual adult admission costs JPY 500. Visit the house and garden in the morning, have lunch and return to the same hotel. It closes on 28 December–4 January. If you missed Aoyagi yesterday, visit in the afternoon. Admission to each residence once totals JPY 1,000.
Official Kawarada informationTourism association: facility guidance
Kawarada’s April–November last admission is at 16:30. Check winter hours and New Year closures before visiting.
Day 3 · Lake Tazawa circuit
Visit Lake Tazawa while keeping your Kakunodate hotel. If your date is a public holiday, do not choose a weekday-only service. Large suitcases cannot be carried on the lake bus; leave them at your hotel.
- Kakunodate Station → Tazawako Station and station-front bus stop
Take a Morioka-bound Akita Shinkansen from Kakunodate to Tazawako Station, then change to a Lake Tazawa circuit bus with walking stops. Choose return trains after checking the bus’s return arrival at the station.
- Lakeside walking stops → Reboard the same bus
At Katajiri, see the Tatsuko Statue and lake views; at Gozanoishi Shrine stop, explore the shrine. These walking stops last 20 and ten minutes respectively. Fit walking to the sights and back within that time, then reboard the circuit bus you arrived on.
Operator: circuit-bus timetableOfficial Tatsuko Statue accessCity: official access
- Tazawako Station → Return to Kakunodate Station and your hotel
On return to Tazawako Station, take an Akita-bound Shinkansen to Kakunodate. The operator states that not every circuit bus connects with Shinkansen services; choose reserved seats with enough time after the bus arrives. Have lunch after returning to the station, rather than during the short walking stops. Rest at your hotel and have dinner; do not add hot springs or a cruise today.
Official JR timetableOperator: circuit-bus timetableOperating status
If staying after your bus leaves, recheck the next service’s fare and your return train.
Day 4 · Craft museum and departure from Kakunodate Station
For a final-day craft museum visit, leave enough time after 09:00 opening to explore, return via your hotel and reach the station. Skip the visit if departing early.
- Kakunodate Station area → Walk to the craft museum
Go to Kakunodate Kabazaiku Denshokan at 角館町表町下丁10番地1. Semboku city gives about 15 minutes’ walk from JR Kakunodate Station. Explore crafts using wild cherry bark and exhibitions on local culture today.
Semboku city: craft museum fees, hours and walking accessTourism association: craft museum English name
- Craft museum → Exhibitions and return walk
The museum opens from 09:00 to 17:00 in April–November, with last entry at 16:30. Individual adult admission costs JPY 500. It closes on 28 December–4 January. Allow about 90 minutes for the exhibitions. If hoping to see a craft demonstration, check whether one is running on your date. Afterwards, retrace your walk via the hotel to Kakunodate Station.
- Kakunodate Station → Your booked departure
Choose a train stopping at Kakunodate in the official JR timetable, checking your destination and reserved seats. At the station, go to your booked train’s platform. Onward connections to the airport or Akita Station are separate.
Leave time to return to the station after the final-day visit. Shorten or skip it if your departure is early.
Includes: For one adult: individual admission to Aoyagi, Kawarada and the craft museum at JPY 500 each, plus one JPY 1,160 lake circuit bus from Tazawako Station. Visit each facility once and return on the same bus after its walking stops.
Additional costs: The subtotal excludes return JR travel between Kakunodate and Tazawako, transport before and after the trip, three hotel nights, meals, luggage storage, cruises and extra facilities. For a later lake bus after a longer stay, check ticket conditions and additional fares separately. If omitting the craft museum on check-out day, subtract its JPY 500 admission.
For one adult. Read included items and additional costs together.
Tourism association: facility guidanceOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator: circuit-bus timetableSemboku city: craft museum fees, hours and walking access
Frequently asked questions
Do costs change if I skip the craft museum on departure day?
The three-night Kakunodate route’s JPY 2,660 covers two residences at JPY 500 each, craft museum admission JPY 500 and the lake circuit bus JPY 1,160. Without the museum, admission and transport total JPY 2,160; JR, hotels and meals remain extra. For a morning departure, skip the museum and go via your hotel to the station.
Semboku city: craft museum fees, hours and walking accessTourism association: facility guidanceOfficial Kawarada informationFare table
Can I use the JR East Pass from Kakunodate to Tazawako?
Yes, on the Akita Shinkansen section between the two stations. Reserve both journeys for the lake day and check that it falls within consecutive pass validity. Ugo Kotsu buses from the station to the lake, admission, meals and hotels are separate. Ordinary tickets are another option; compare other JR journey costs when choosing the pass.
Official JR passJR East Pass: passport, eligibility and reserved-seat bookings
Sources and dates checked
- Akita city: park guidance ·
- Tourism association: facility guidance ·
- City hall ·
- Official Tatsuko Statue access ·
- Fare table ·
- Current facility guidance ·
- City: official access ·
- Operator: circuit-bus timetable ·
- Operating status ·
- Official JR timetable ·
- Official walking route ·
- Official Kawarada information ·
- Official JR pass ·
- Semboku city: craft museum fees, hours and walking access ·
- Tourism association: craft museum English name ·
- JR East Pass: passport, eligibility and reserved-seat bookings ·
- Ugo Kotsu conditions of carriage, Articles 16 and 21 ·