Kakunodate & Lake Tazawa

The weeping cherries of Kakunodate's samurai district—the “Little Kyoto of Michinoku”—combine with Lake Tazawa, Japan's deepest lake, and the secluded hot springs of Nyuto Onsen to form a Tohoku classic.

Kakunodate & Lake Tazawa lie in Semboku City in eastern Akita Prefecture and make up Tohoku's quintessential “Little Kyoto + lake + hidden hot springs” combination. Kakunodate is a castle town founded in 1620: the Uchimachi district to the north, home to the samurai residences, keeps its black wooden fences and several hundred weeping cherry trees, while Tomachi to the south was the merchant quarter, lined with long-established miso makers and kabazaiku (cherry-bark craft) shops. About 20 km north lies Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan, and farther northeast into the mountains are Nyuto Onsen and Mount Akita-Komagatake. Best seasons: from late April to early May, the weeping cherries of the samurai district and the Somei-Yoshino cherries along the Hinokinai River bloom one after the other—the busiest time of year, when rooms must be booked months ahead; late October brings autumn colors to Dakigaeri Gorge and around the lake; in January–February the snowy open-air baths of Nyuto Onsen are most popular, though snow is deep and temperatures often drop below −5°C; from June to August you can climb Akita-Komagatake to see alpine flowers. Getting there: from Tokyo the Akita Shinkansen “Komachi” takes about 3 hours to Kakunodate and another 15 minutes to Tazawako Station; from Akita City it's about 45 minutes. Kakunodate's old town is easily explored on foot, while Lake Tazawa, Nyuto Onsen and Tamagawa Onsen rely on Ugo Kotsu buses, which run infrequently, so check the timetable; Dakigaeri Gorge essentially requires a car or taxi. Allow 2–3 days: one day in Kakunodate, one day circling Lake Tazawa, and one night at Nyuto Onsen. In winter mountain roads are snow-covered, so drivers need 4WD and snow tires.

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