Four days in Akita: move hotels or stay in one place?
For a city walk too, spend one night in Akita, then move to Kakunodate and give the houses and lake a day each. To keep one hotel, stay three nights in Kakunodate and split the houses, lake, and crafts across the days. You can skip the final-day craft museum visit if your train leaves too early.
Choose an itinerary for 4 days, 3 nights
Four days, three nights: a day each for the city, houses, and lake
To add lake views to the castle-site walk and samurai houses, spend one night in Akita and two in Kakunodate. Give the houses and Lake Tazawa separate days. The listed amount covers house admission and the lake bus only; JR fares for moving between cities and traveling to and from the lake are separate.
Four days, three nights: a day each for the city, houses, and lake →4 days, 3 nightsFour days, three nights: Kakunodate with lake views and crafts
Stay three nights in Kakunodate to see the houses, lake, and craft exhibits without moving hotels. On the final day, visit the craft museum before returning to the station. For a morning departure, skip that visit and go straight from your hotel to the station.
Four days, three nights: Kakunodate with lake views and crafts →Four days, three nights: a day each for the city, houses, and lake
To add lake views to the castle-site walk and samurai houses, spend one night in Akita and two in Kakunodate. Give the houses and Lake Tazawa separate days. The listed amount covers house admission and the lake bus only; JR fares for moving between cities and traveling to and from the lake are separate.
Day 1 · Senshu Park
Spend one night in Akita city before moving to Kakunodate. Walk through Senshu Park on arrival day and choose a dinner location convenient for returning to your Akita hotel.
- Akita Station and your hotel → Walk to Senshu Park
Walk from Akita Station toward Senshu Park. Pocket Park is about five minutes away and the Ninomaru site about 15; choose between a moat-side walk and continuing uphill.
- Senshu Park → Moat and Ninomaru walk
Walk around the moat in the afternoon, then see Ninomaru if slopes are manageable. Osumiyagura's interior requires a separate schedule check and is excluded from the basic cost. After your walk, return toward the station, have dinner, and rest at your booked hotel.
If you arrive late, take a short walk by the moat, then have dinner.
Day 2 · Move to Kakunodate and visit Aoyagi
Move from Akita to Kakunodate for Aoyagi Samurai House and the historic streets.
- Akita Station → Board the Akita Shinkansen toward Morioka
Take the Akita Shinkansen from Akita toward Morioka to Kakunodate. Reserve a seat on a train that stops there. This segment can be covered by the JR EAST PASS, or you can use regular tickets. Check that your travel falls within the pass's consecutive validity period, and calculate lake buses, Selion buses, and hotels separately.
Official JR timetablesOfficial JR pass informationJR EAST PASS passport requirements, use conditions, and seat reservations
- Train arriving at Kakunodate Station → Get off and leave the ticket gates
Get off at Kakunodate Station and leave through the ticket gates.
- Outside Kakunodate Station's ticket gates → Aoyagi Samurai House entrance
Walk from Kakunodate Station toward the samurai-house streets and look for Aoyagi's sign and entrance at 角館町表町下丁3. Use the official walking route to plan your path. Walking estimates from the station differ: about 15 minutes from the tourism association and about 20 from city hall. Allow additional time for navigation, breaks, and sightseeing.
Official walking routeTourism association facility guideCity hall
- Aoyagi Samurai House entrance → House exhibits and historical collections
Explore Aoyagi's exhibits and garden, allowing about 90 minutes. It closes at 5:00 p.m. in April–November; winter hours may be shorter. Save Kawarada for the final day.
- After visiting Aoyagi → Samurai-house street walk and meal
After leaving the house, walk through the historic streets, take a break, and eat at an open restaurant. Food costs are separate from house admission.
- After your street walk and meal → Return to your chosen Kakunodate hotel
Return to your Kakunodate hotel after walking and eating. For easy access to the station tomorrow, compare HOTEL B4T beside the station.
This is a hotel-move day. If you arrive in Kakunodate late, shorten the house visit and prioritize check-in and dinner.
Day 3 · Lake Tazawa loop
Circle Lake Tazawa with short walks at the Tatsuko statue and Gozanoishi Shrine. Reboard the same bus after the walking stops, return to the station, then go back to your Kakunodate hotel. Large suitcases cannot be brought on the lake bus, so leave them at your hotel where you are staying both nights.
- Kakunodate Station → Tazawako Station and station-front bus stop
Take the Akita Shinkansen toward Morioka from Kakunodate to Tazawako. At the station front, transfer to a Lake Tazawa loop bus with walking stops. Plan round-trip trains after checking when that bus returns to the station.
- Lake walking stops → Reboard the same bus
At Katajiri, see the Tatsuko statue and lake views; at Gozanoishi Shrine, visit the shrine. The walking stops last 20 and 10 minutes, respectively. Include the walks to the sights and back within those stops, and reboard the same loop bus.
Operator's lake-loop timetableOfficial directions to the Tatsuko statueCity's official directions
- Tazawako Station → Return to Kakunodate Station and your hotel
When the bus returns to the station front, enter Tazawako Station and take an Akita-bound Shinkansen to Kakunodate. The operator says not every loop bus connects with a Shinkansen, so reserve a train that leaves enough time after the bus arrives. Have lunch after returning to the station, rather than during a short walking stop. Rest at your hotel and have dinner; do not add a hot spring or sightseeing boat to this day.
Official JR timetablesOperator's lake-loop timetableService status
If you let the bus leave to stay longer, recheck the next bus's fare and your return train.
Day 4 · Kawarada and departure from Kakunodate Station
Visit Kawarada on your last morning, then depart from Kakunodate. A morning train leaves little time for viewing, so adjust the earlier visit order if necessary.
- Your booked Kakunodate hotel → Kawarada Samurai House entrance
Walk from your booked hotel's address to Kawarada at 角館町東勝楽丁9. The city's roughly 15-minute walking estimate starts at Kakunodate Station, not your hotel.
- Kawarada → House and garden visit
Kawarada is open 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. in April–November, with last admission at 4:30 p.m.; individual adult admission is ¥500. Allow about an hour to explore the house and garden in the morning. It closes December 28–January 4, so check that it is open on your date first.
- Kakunodate Station → Your reserved departure
After the visit, head to Kakunodate Station. Check your date's JR timetable for a train that stops at your destination, reserve seats, then board. Look up connecting transportation to Akita Station or the airport separately.
Check Kawarada's year-end closure dates and allow time to walk to the station after your visit.
Included: Individual adult admission to Aoyagi and Kawarada houses, ¥500 each, plus one Lake Tazawa loop-bus trip from Tazawako Station at ¥1,160. This itinerary returns on the same bus after the walking stops.
Additional costs: JR travel from Akita to Kakunodate, round-trip JR travel between Kakunodate and Tazawako, transportation before and after the trip, three hotel nights, meals, luggage storage, sightseeing boats, and extra facilities are excluded. If you stay longer beside the lake and take a later bus, check ticket conditions and additional fares separately.
These amounts are for one adult. Check both the included items and additional costs.
Tourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator's lake-loop timetable
Four days, three nights: Kakunodate with lake views and crafts
Stay three nights in Kakunodate to see the houses, lake, and craft exhibits without moving hotels. On the final day, visit the craft museum before returning to the station. For a morning departure, skip that visit and go straight from your hotel to the station.
Day 1 · Aoyagi Samurai House
On your first day, explore Aoyagi's garden and sword and weapon exhibits. Choose an arrival that leaves enough afternoon viewing time. Train fares vary by date and booking product.
- Kakunodate Station → Aoyagi Samurai House entrance
Walk to Aoyagi at 角館町表町下丁3. The tourism association estimates about 15 minutes from the station and the city about 20, so allow extra time for your route.
- Aoyagi Samurai House → Visit and return to your hotel
Visit Aoyagi if your afternoon arrival leaves enough time to finish before its 5:00 p.m. closing. April–November hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with individual adult admission of ¥500. Afterward, return to your station-area hotel and check in at the time specified in your booking. If you arrive late, skip today's house visit and move it to tomorrow.
Tourism association facility guideCurrent facility information
If you arrive late, shorten the visit or move it to the next day. Winter closing times may be earlier; check the facility information.
Day 2 · Kawarada Samurai House
Explore Kawarada's house and garden, then eat and relax in town. If you missed Aoyagi yesterday, check whether both houses fit within their opening hours today.
- Hotel beside Kakunodate Station → Walk to Kawarada Samurai House
Walk from your booked hotel's address to Kawarada in the samurai-house streets at 角館町東勝楽丁9. Do not use the city's roughly 15-minute estimate from the station as the walking time from your hotel.
- Kawarada Samurai House → Visit and return to the same hotel
Kawarada is open 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. in April–November, with last reception at 4:30 p.m. and individual adult admission of ¥500. See the house and garden in the morning, have lunch, and return to the same hotel. It closes December 28–January 4. If you missed Aoyagi yesterday, visit it in the afternoon. One visit to each house costs ¥1,000 total.
Official Kawarada informationTourism association facility guide
Kawarada's April–November last admission is 4:30 p.m. Check winter hours and year-end closure dates as well.
Day 3 · Lake Tazawa loop
Take a Lake Tazawa day trip during your Kakunodate stay. If your date is a public holiday, do not choose a weekday-only service. Large suitcases cannot be brought on the lake bus, so leave them at your hotel where you are staying multiple nights.
- Kakunodate Station → Tazawako Station and station-front bus stop
Take the Akita Shinkansen toward Morioka from Kakunodate to Tazawako. At the station front, transfer to a Lake Tazawa loop bus with walking stops. Plan round-trip trains after checking when that bus returns to the station.
- Lake walking stops → Reboard the same bus
At Katajiri, see the Tatsuko statue and lake views; at Gozanoishi Shrine, visit the shrine. The walking stops last 20 and 10 minutes, respectively. Include the walks to the sights and back within those stops, and reboard the same loop bus.
Operator's lake-loop timetableOfficial directions to the Tatsuko statueCity's official directions
- Tazawako Station → Return to Kakunodate Station and your hotel
When the bus returns to the station front, enter Tazawako Station and take an Akita-bound Shinkansen to Kakunodate. The operator says not every loop bus connects with a Shinkansen, so reserve a train that leaves enough time after the bus arrives. Have lunch after returning to the station, rather than during a short walking stop. Rest at your hotel and have dinner; do not add a hot spring or sightseeing boat to this day.
Official JR timetablesOperator's lake-loop timetableService status
If you let the bus leave to stay longer, recheck the next bus's fare and your return train.
Day 4 · Craft museum and departure from Kakunodate Station
To visit the craft museum on your final day, allow time after its 9:00 a.m. opening for viewing, returning via your hotel, and reaching the station. Skip it if your train leaves early.
- Kakunodate Station area → Walk to the craft museum
Go to the Kakunodate Kabazaiku Densyokan at 角館町表町下丁10番地1. Semboku city lists it as about a 15-minute walk from JR Kakunodate Station. This visit focuses on crafts made with wild cherry bark and exhibits about local culture.
Semboku city's craft museum admission, hours, and walking directionsTourism association's English craft museum name
- Craft museum → Exhibits and return
April–November hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with last admission at 4:30 p.m.; individual adult admission is ¥500. It closes December 28–January 4. Allow about 90 minutes for the exhibits. If you want to see a craft demonstration, check whether one is running on your date. Afterward, retrace your route via your hotel to Kakunodate Station.
Semboku city's craft museum admission, hours, and walking directions
- Kakunodate Station → Your reserved departure
Use the official JR timetable to choose a train that stops at Kakunodate, and check your destination and reserved seat. At the station, go to your reserved train's platform. Onward connections to the airport or Akita Station are separate.
Allow time to return to the station after sightseeing on departure day. If your train leaves early, shorten or skip the visit.
Included: Individual adult admission to Aoyagi, Kawarada, and the craft museum, ¥500 each, plus one Lake Tazawa loop-bus trip from Tazawako Station at ¥1,160. Visit each facility once and return on the same bus after the walking stops.
Additional costs: Round-trip JR travel between Kakunodate and Tazawako, transportation before and after the trip, three hotel nights, meals, luggage storage, sightseeing boats, and extra facilities are excluded. If you stay longer beside the lake and take a later bus, check ticket conditions and additional fares separately. If you skip the craft museum on checkout day, subtract its ¥500 admission as well.
These amounts are for one adult. Check both the included items and additional costs.
Tourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator's lake-loop timetableSemboku city's craft museum admission, hours, and walking directions
Frequently asked questions
Does the cost change if I cannot visit the craft museum on departure day?
The three-night Kakunodate trip's ¥2,660 consists of admission to two houses at ¥500 each, ¥500 for the craft museum, and ¥1,160 for the lake-loop bus. If you skip the museum, admission and bus costs total ¥2,160; JR trains, hotels, and meals remain separate. For a morning departure, skip the museum and go via your hotel to the station.
Semboku city's craft museum admission, hours, and walking directionsTourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationFare table
Can I use the JR EAST PASS from Kakunodate to Tazawako?
Yes. It can cover the Akita Shinkansen segment between Kakunodate and Tazawako. Reserve seats for both journeys on your lake-visit day and check that the date falls within the pass's consecutive validity period. Ugo Kotsu buses from the station to the lake, admission, meals, and hotels are separate. Regular train tickets also work. Compare your other JR travel costs before choosing a pass.
Official JR pass informationJR EAST PASS passport requirements, use conditions, and seat reservations
Sources and check dates
- Akita city park guide ·
- Tourism association facility guide ·
- City hall ·
- Official directions to the Tatsuko statue ·
- Fare table ·
- Current facility information ·
- City's official directions ·
- Operator's lake-loop timetable ·
- Service status ·
- Official JR timetables ·
- Official walking route ·
- Official Kawarada information ·
- Official JR pass information ·
- Semboku city's craft museum admission, hours, and walking directions ·
- Tourism association's English craft museum name ·
- JR EAST PASS passport requirements, use conditions, and seat reservations ·
- Ugo Kotsu conditions of carriage, Articles 16 and 21 ·