Five days in Akita: add the harbour or take it slowly in Kakunodate?
For harbour views, spend two nights in Akita and visit the park and Selion on separate days before moving to Kakunodate. Four Kakunodate nights give the samurai residences, craft exhibitions and lake separate days. Neither itinerary travels far on the final day; the itinerary based in Kakunodate leaves without an extra visit.
Choose a 4 nights, 5 days itinerary
Five days: harbour and lake on separate days
Stay two nights in Akita, then two in Kakunodate for harbour views, samurai residences and the lake. Visit the park and Selion on separate days before changing hotels, so the harbour-return day does not require an immediate long-distance train connection.
Five days: harbour and lake on separate days →4 nights, 5 daysFive days: leisurely residences, crafts and lake from Kakunodate
Stay four nights in Kakunodate, giving each of two residences, crafts and the lake a separate day. Unlike the three-night route with crafts on departure day, this route adds no new visit on the final day.
Five days: leisurely residences, crafts and lake from Kakunodate →Five days: harbour and lake on separate days
Stay two nights in Akita, then two in Kakunodate for harbour views, samurai residences and the lake. Visit the park and Selion on separate days before changing hotels, so the harbour-return day does not require an immediate long-distance train connection.
Day 1 · Senshu Park
Spend two nights in Akita and two in Kakunodate. Begin with a park walk on arrival day, then visit the harbour and lake on separate days.
- 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 · Selion observation deck
Visit Selion while keeping the same Akita hotel. Today, return to the city for dinner and rest without an immediate long-distance train connection.
- Akita Station west-side stop 4 → Selion bus stop
Take a Selion-bound bus from Akita Station west-side terminal stop 4 and get off at Selion. The adult one-way fare is JPY 550. Choose how long to stay at the harbour around the return bus time.
Operator: Selion line timetableStop-specific fare and timetable search
- Arrival at Selion → Observation deck and lunch options
Enter Port Tower through the front entrance for harbour and sea views from its free fifth-floor observation deck, open 09:00–21:00. If having lunch at the harbour, check restaurant hours and the time before your return bus.
Observation deck operationTourism federation: Selion buildings and entrances
- Selion → Akita Station and hotel
Take an Akita Station west-exit-bound bus from Selion, eat near the station and return to the same hotel. As you are spending another night in Akita, there is no need to connect immediately with a train to another city.
Choose the return bus first. If there is too little time to eat at the harbour, eat back at Akita Station.
Day 3 · Move to Kakunodate and visit Aoyagi
After your Akita stay, move to Kakunodate for Aoyagi. Save Kawarada for the final day.
- 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 4 · Lake Tazawa circuit
Explore Lake Tazawa today. Choose a circuit bus with walking stops together with your return train to Kakunodate. Large suitcases cannot be carried on the lake bus; leave them at your 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 5 · 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: Akita Station west exit–Selion buses at JPY 550 each way, or JPY 1,100 return; individual Aoyagi and Kawarada admission at JPY 500 each; and one JPY 1,160 lake circuit bus from Tazawako Station. Selion’s fifth-floor deck is free. At the lake, 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, four hotel nights, meals, luggage storage, cruises and extra facilities. For a later lake bus, check ticket conditions and additional fares separately. JR fares for the alternative walk from Tsuchizaki Station are also excluded.
For one adult. Read included items and additional costs together.
Tourism association: facility guidanceOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator: circuit-bus timetableStop-specific fare and timetable searchFacility directionsObservation deck operation
Five days: leisurely residences, crafts and lake from Kakunodate
Stay four nights in Kakunodate, giving each of two residences, crafts and the lake a separate day. Unlike the three-night route with crafts on departure day, this route adds no new visit on the final day.
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 · Craft museum
After the residences, explore local crafts and culture at the craft museum. Demonstrations depend on operation that day, so focus the plan on exhibitions.
- 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 and check operation on your date if hoping to see a demonstration. Afterwards, retrace your walk to your hotel near the station.
Check whether a craft demonstration is running that day if you want to see one. The museum closes 28 December–4 January.
Day 4 · Lake Tazawa circuit
Visit Lake Tazawa on day four of your Kakunodate stay. Return on the same circuit bus after the walking stops and spend the final night in Kakunodate. 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 5 · Departure from Kakunodate Station
Leave Kakunodate without adding a new attraction today. 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, checking your destination and reserved seats. Go to its platform at the station. Airport or Akita Station connections are separate. No new paid-facility visit is planned on departure day.
Check your booked train’s departure time and reserved seat. Arrange connecting transport separately if continuing to the airport.
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, four 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.
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
Can I walk by Lake Tazawa and take the next bus for the same JPY 1,160 circuit fare?
JPY 1,160 covers the lake circuit returning to the station on the same bus after its walking stops. Do not assume that alighting where you choose and changing to another bus is covered by that fare. For a longer stay, check the next service’s fare and return train separately.
Fare tableOperator: circuit-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 Akita Shinkansen section is covered. Check reserved seats on a train stopping at Kakunodate and that your date falls within pass validity. Hotels, Selion buses and lake buses are separate. Without a pass, ordinary tickets are available; compare other JR travel too before choosing.
Official JR passJR East Pass: passport, eligibility and reserved-seat bookings
Sources and dates checked
- Akita city: park guidance ·
- Observation deck operation ·
- Facility directions ·
- Operator: Selion line timetable ·
- Stop-specific fare and timetable search ·
- 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 ·
- Tourism federation: Selion buildings and entrances ·
- Ugo Kotsu conditions of carriage, Articles 16 and 21 ·