Five days in Akita: add the port or stay in Kakunodate?
For port views too, stay two nights in Akita and visit the park and Selion on separate days before moving to Kakunodate. Four nights in Kakunodate gives the samurai houses, craft exhibits, and lake separate days. Neither trip travels far on the final day; the four-night Kakunodate stay departs without extra sightseeing.
Choose an itinerary for 5 days, 4 nights
Five days, four nights: port and lake visits on separate days
For port views, samurai houses, and the lake, spend two nights in Akita followed by two in Kakunodate. Visit the park and Selion on separate days before moving hotels, so you do not need to connect to a long-distance train immediately after returning from the port.
Five days, four nights: port and lake visits on separate days →5 days, 4 nightsFive days, four nights: Kakunodate's houses, crafts, and lake at a slower pace
Stay four nights in Kakunodate and give the two houses, crafts, and lake separate days. Unlike the three-night trip with a departure-day craft visit, this option leaves the final day free of new sightseeing.
Five days, four nights: Kakunodate's houses, crafts, and lake at a slower pace →Five days, four nights: port and lake visits on separate days
For port views, samurai houses, and the lake, spend two nights in Akita followed by two in Kakunodate. Visit the park and Selion on separate days before moving hotels, so you do not need to connect to a long-distance train immediately after returning from the port.
Day 1 · Senshu Park
Spend two nights in Akita and two in Kakunodate. Start with a park walk on arrival day, and visit the port and lake on different days.
- 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 · Selion observation room
Visit Selion while keeping the same Akita hotel. Return to the city for dinner and rest, without connecting directly to a long-distance train today.
- Akita Station west-side bus stop 4 → Selion bus stop
Board a Selion-bound bus at stop 4 in Akita Station's west-side bus terminal and get off at Selion. The adult one-way fare is ¥550. Set your time at the port around the bus back to Akita Station.
Operator's Selion route timetableStop-by-stop fare and timetable search
- Arrival at Selion → Observation room and lunch timing
Enter through the Port Tower's front entrance and visit the free fifth-floor observation room for port and sea views. It is open 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. If you also want lunch at the port, check restaurant hours and whether there is enough time before your return bus.
Observation room informationTourism federation's Selion building and entrance guide
- Selion → Akita Station and your hotel
Take the bus from Selion to Akita Station's west exit. Have dinner near the station and rest at the same hotel. You are spending another night in Akita, so you do not need to connect immediately to a train for another city.
Choose the return bus first. If there is too little time for a meal at the port, eat after returning to Akita Station.
Day 3 · Move to Kakunodate and visit Aoyagi
After your Akita stay, move to Kakunodate for Aoyagi Samurai House. Save Kawarada for the final day.
- 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 4 · Lake Tazawa loop
Visit Lake Tazawa today. Choose a loop bus with walking stops and your train back to Kakunodate together. 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 5 · 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: One adult's round-trip buses between Akita Station's west exit and Selion at ¥550 each way (¥1,100 total), individual admission to Aoyagi and Kawarada houses at ¥500 each, and one Lake Tazawa loop-bus trip from Tazawako Station at ¥1,160. Selion's fifth-floor observation room is free; the lake itinerary returns on the same bus after walking stops.
Additional costs: JR travel from Akita to Kakunodate, round-trip JR travel between Kakunodate and Tazawako, transportation before and after the trip, four 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. JR fares for the walking alternative from Tsuchizaki Station are also excluded.
These amounts are for one adult. Check both the included items and additional costs.
Tourism association facility guideOfficial Kawarada informationFare tableOperator's lake-loop timetableStop-by-stop fare and timetable searchFacility directionsObservation room information
Five days, four nights: Kakunodate's houses, crafts, and lake at a slower pace
Stay four nights in Kakunodate and give the two houses, crafts, and lake separate days. Unlike the three-night trip with a departure-day craft visit, this option leaves the final day free of new sightseeing.
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 · Craft museum
After the house visits, explore the craft museum's local craft and culture exhibits. Demonstrations depend on the day's program, so build your visit around the exhibits.
- 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 to your station-area hotel.
Semboku city's craft museum admission, hours, and walking directions
Check whether a craft demonstration is running that day if you want to see one. The museum closes December 28–January 4.
Day 4 · Lake Tazawa loop
Visit Lake Tazawa on your fourth day in Kakunodate. Return on the same loop bus after the walking stops and spend your final night in Kakunodate too. 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 5 · Depart from Kakunodate Station
Leave Kakunodate without adding a new sight on the final day. Have breakfast, check out, and board your reserved train.
- Kakunodate Station → Board your reserved train
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. This departure day includes no new paid-facility visit.
Check your reserved train's departure time and seat. For an airport connection, arrange the connecting transportation separately.
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, four 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 timetableSemboku city's craft museum admission, hours, and walking directions
Frequently asked questions
If I get off to walk at Lake Tazawa and take the next bus, is it still ¥1,160?
The ¥1,160 loop fare is for returning to the station on the same bus after its walking stops. Do not assume you can get off wherever you want and continue on the next bus for that price. If staying longer, check the later bus's fare and your return train separately.
Fare tableOperator's lake-loop timetableUgo Kotsu conditions of carriage, Articles 16 and 21
Can I use the JR EAST PASS when moving hotels from Akita to Kakunodate?
Yes. The Akita Shinkansen segment from Akita to Kakunodate can be covered. Reserve a seat on a train that stops at Kakunodate and check that your actual travel date falls within the pass's validity period. Hotels and Selion and lake buses are separate. Regular tickets work without a pass; compare all your other JR trips as well.
Official JR pass informationJR EAST PASS passport requirements, use conditions, and seat reservations
Sources and check dates
- Akita city park guide ·
- Observation room information ·
- Facility directions ·
- Operator's Selion route timetable ·
- Stop-by-stop fare and timetable search ·
- 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 ·
- Tourism federation's Selion building and entrance guide ·
- Ugo Kotsu conditions of carriage, Articles 16 and 21 ·