Kakunodate is known as the town of Samurais. It is a former Samurai stronghold and there are many houses on display here so you can take a look back in time on what life was like for them. It is also an amazing spot for autumn foliage (end Oct - early Nov) and Cherry Blossoms in spring.
How to get to Kakunodate
You can take the Akita Shinkansen and reach Kakunodate in under an hour from both Akita Station and Morioka Station. I did a half-day trip from Morioka before heading up to Aomori.
After getting to Kakunodate, there are coin lockers to the immediate left of the station or a t the tourist information center. From there it's a short walk to the Samurai district. Once you get there you can also choose to rent a Jinrikisha for a tour around town.
Aoyagi Samurai House
While there are many spots you can visit, I highly recommend going inside Aoyagi Samurai House. It is a series of 10 buildings, and on display various different samurai armor (in the armory), antiques, diplomatic relations photos and paperwork, living quarters, music room, and even a small shrine. Here you will get a full picture of what life for a samurai is like.
Nekonomise Namekawa
If you love cats and you're looking for a souvenir, this is the perfect spot! There are so many traditional crafts with cats printed on them or in shape of cats, it's such an adorable shop! Funny story, while I was there, 2 Japanese women walked in and said "Wow this shop is excellent, especially for foreign tourists who like cats". I felt as if they knew me already!
This spot is a bit difficult to find, but if you search in google maps for HHX6+9W you will find the exact location.
Stay here: Akita-Inu stay
If you are an animal lover, you'll want to stay at this guest house. It's a traditional Japanese house owned by a lady who has 2 very friendly Akita Inus. They have a total of 4 rooms on the 2nd floor for guests to stay at. You will have to share the shower and bath with other guests, but the visitors are very respectful and quiet. The dogs are also wandering around freely throughout the house so they might come into your room to say hi. They don't provide dinner so you'll have to dine nearby, but they do provide a very healthy breakfast.
To book, please e-mail them at enishi.kakunodate@gmail.com or DM them on instagram @akitainu_kakunodate
