Visiting Akita, Japan: Great Festivals and Activities All Year-Round

Located in northern Honshu, Akita is a region often overlooked by visitors to Japan. These people are missing out on many of Akita, Japan's great year-round activities. Akita is relatively close to Tokyo, only requiring a short hour-long flight. The Komachi bullet train can get you from Tokyo to Akita in less than four hours. Akita hosts over 80 local festivals each year, from the Tsuzureko Drum Festival to the All Japan Fireworks Competition. Many know of Akita as the last city in Japan to be bombed in World War II, being struck only hours before Japan surrendered and signed a peace treaty.

Visiting Akita, Japan: Winter activities

No matter what the season, there is something to enjoy in Akita, Japan. In the winter months, the plentiful snowfall makes the region an excellent skiing and snowboarding destination. The winter sports season in Akita runs from November through March, when you can often see icicles hanging off of buildings and residences. Winter is also the time of many festivals in Akita, including the kamakura celebration. This festival celebrates the construction of Japanese snow shrines (the "kamakura"). During the festivities, fruit and sake are plentiful and ancient traditional music may be played.

Visiting Akita, Japan: Warm-weather activities

In the spring, as the weather warms up, you will be treated to the beautiful sight of Akita, Japan's cherry blossoms. For outdoor enthusiasts, the many rivers and lakes of the Akita region provide opportunities for sailing, swimming, rafting, fishing, and more. Along the border of Akita and Aomori sits the largest primeval beech forest surviving in the world today. In the summertime, the Lake Tazawa area offers several resorts located near the region's hot springs.

Visiting Akita, Japan: Historical sites

To see some of Japan's history, visit the samurai houses of Kakunodate in the Akita prefecture. Some of these ancient renovated homes are still owned by descendants of the original samurai. Several of these owners offer guided tours or lectures in English detailing their family's history. Be sure to ask the homeowner if photography is permitted. While most of these samurai descendants will allow tourists to take pictures of their home, a few prefer to maintain their privacy. Even older than the samurai houses are the stone circles believed to date back over 4,000 years. Akita's ancient history is quite different than that of the rest of Japan. It was isolated from Japan until being conquered by Abe no Hirafu in 685.