When to travel?
When you consider coming to Akita, you have to enjoy beautifully colored rice fields in autumn and white-snow world in winter. Winter is harsh with heavy snow.
Best season: May-Sep
Winter activity: Jan-Mar
Cherry blossoms: end of April-May
Foliage: Oct-Nov
Events/Festivals
Feb: Namahage Sedo (なまはげ紫灯まつり), Oga 男鹿
Feb: Kamakura（かまくら）, Yokote 横手
Apr-May: Kakunodate Cherry blossom （角館桜まつり）, Kakunodate 角館
Jul: Tsuchizaki Hikiyama（土崎港曳山祭）, Akita
Aug: Kanto Festival(竿燈まつり), Akita
Aug: Oyu Odaiko Festival(大湯大太鼓まつり), Kazuno 鹿角
Aug: Hanawa Bayashi（花輪ばやし）, Kazuno 鹿角
Aug: Kemanai Bon Odori (毛馬内盆踊り), Kazuno 鹿角
Aug: Omagari fireworks （大曲の花火）, Omagari 大曲
Touristic spots
Capital: Akita (秋田)
The city is relatively compact and not so many touristic spots available; however, seasonal events are so enjoyable that you have to visit during this period. The night sky lighted up with the lanterns imitating the rice stalk to wish for a good harvest.
Yokote (横手)
This city is located at the inner side of the prefecture, and this is the reason why there is so much snow during wintertime. The city has Important Preservation District called Masuda, (増田) and the festival is held during winter, which is called Kamakura snow house festival.
Kakunodate (角館)
Tohoku is relatively far from Kyoto, but there is a very famous city called Little Kyoto. It is Kakunodate (角館). Kakunodate still boasts of their luxurious Samurai mansions and you may enjoy a real Japanese experience. The city is also known as the best place to enjoy Cherry blossoms.
Tazawa Lake (田沢湖)
The lake forms a part of Towada Hachimantai National Park. The lake is as deep as 423m, which is the Japan’s deepest and the 19th of the world. The lake was created after the volcano eruption. There is a golden statue called Tatsuko (辰子像), a girl who appears in the legend of the village.
Nyuto (乳頭) Hot springs
There are some hot springs in the area. The hot spring water is cloudy, as if the milk was added into the water. This is how the hot spring has Nyu, which means milk, character in its name.
The hot spring is considered as a hidden hot spring by Japanese people and a lot of people are dreaming to come here. There are more than 10 hot spring sources, which could be very interesting to find your favorite one.
Yuze Hot spring (湯瀬温泉)
Not as famous as Nyuto hot spring, however, Yuze Hot spring is another good place to visit as a tourist.
The access to the hot spring is easy because it is located close to the city of Kazuno, where one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites exists. From Kazuno, you can go further to the National Park Towada Hachimantai, too.
