Kakunodate, Tazawako Travel Guides

The Kakunodate and Lake Tazawa area offers tourist attractions such as Yasaka Shrine, Shiraito Falls, and Lake Tazawa; tourist events such as the Lake Tazawa Marathon, Kakunodate Festival, and National Fireworks Competition; and local delicacies such as Inaniwa udon, Kiritanpo, and Iburi Gako.

Lake Tazawa is located in Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, and is the deepest lake in Japan. The entire area is designated as Lake Tazawa Prefectural Natural Park and is a scenic spot for sightseeing, having been selected as one of the 100 most scenic spots in Japan.

Lake Tazawa is also known as Japan's Lake Baikal because the sunlight shining into the deep lake does not freeze the surface of the lake even in the middle of winter, and the lake water is colored from bright jade green to dark indigo depending on the depth of the water.

Among the tourist attractions in and around Lake Tazawa is the Gozaishi Shrine, dedicated to the legendary Princess Tatsuko. Its precincts include a main shrine with a statue of Tatsuko in the form of a dragon, and a vermilion torii gate stands across the road circling the lakeside. The shrine is said to be blessed with the blessing of longevity.

The symbol of Lake Tazawa shining by the lakeside is the statue of Tatsuko. The statue, created by Yasutake Funakoshi, creates a mysterious atmosphere with the lapis lazuli surface of the lake, and the view of Lake Tazawa from here is truly a superb sight to behold.

Kakunodate is the name of a place in Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, and is also the name of a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. The area is known as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Tohoku region, visited by many tourists every year, and is also called Michinoku's Little Kyoto for its atmosphere.

The Ishiguro samurai residence is the oldest samurai residence in Kakunodate, and you can see a building tag on the gate dated to the 6th year of Bunka era (Bunka 6). The main house is the only one where visitors can go up to the tatami room, where they can experience firsthand the features of the rooms and the lifestyle of the time. The garden with a 300-year-old fir tree is also a beautiful sight.

Six samurai residences remain along the Buke Yashiki Street. The area from the center of the town where these samurai residences are clustered to National Route 46 is called Buke Yashiki Dori, and it still retains the atmosphere of the feudal era.

Omagari City merged with surrounding towns and villages to become Daisen City in 2005, and the tourist attraction in Daisen City is Yokozawa Park. This park is a vast greenbelt located in the center of Ota Sports Park. In spring, visitors can enjoy the blooming of a whopping 26,000 narcissus plants of 65 different species from around the world around a large pond.

The Higashiyama Fureai-no Mori is a large recreational area where visitors can enjoy the bounty of the forest by making the most of the great outdoors, observing, experiencing, and strolling through nature.