Kakunodate, the castle town of Kakunodate Castle that flourished in the Edo period, is known as “Michinoku’s Little Kyoto” for its old and quiet atmosphere.
Within a compact area of about 2 km in radius, many old buildings such as samurai residences still exist, making it a popular sightseeing spot with its elegant townscape.
In the past, the inner town (samurai town) and outer town (merchant town) were clearly distinguished, and the inner town is a samurai town with old houses that were samurai residences of middle and lower class samurai.
The main street of samurai residences is designated as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and is protected as a cultural asset.
The 0.8-kilometer section from Higashikatsuraku-cho, Kakunodate-cho, Senboku City to Omote-cho Kamicho, Kakunodate-cho, has been selected as one of the 100 best roads in Japan.
Visitors can actually tour the samurai residences of the Ishiguro family, Kakunodate Historical Village, Aoyagi family, Iwahashi family, Matsumoto family, Kawarada family, and Odano family. Some of the mansions are still used as residences.
There are kimono rental stores in the area, so changing into an antique kimono and taking a walk is also recommended.
Walking around in kimono will make you feel like you are walking through a townscape with a Japanese atmosphere. You can also take a rickshaw ride from the “Kabazaiku Folklore Museum” to tour the streets.
The area is famous for its cherry blossoms, fresh greenery, autumn leaves, and snowy scenery in each of the four seasons, but it is especially famous for its weeping cherry blossoms in spring. The area has been selected as one of the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan, along with someiyoshino cherry trees along the Hinokinai River bank.
The best time to view the cherry blossoms is from late April to early May, when the area is crowded with many people. The color of weeping cherry blossoms against the black walls of samurai residences is a scenic sight to behold.
There are about 400 weeping cherry trees in Kakunodate Town, 162 of which are designated as national natural monuments.
The Kakunodate Ekimae Storehouse, a storehouse-style building in front of the JR Kakunodate Station, is a tourist information center. It is convenient to obtain maps and pamphlets before visiting.
20 minutes on foot from Kakunodate Station