Tohoku.Akita City

Akita Prefecture is situated in the northeastern part of the Japanese main island. The western side faces the Sea of Japan and has abundant flowing rivers, flatlands, and expanses of grain growing on fertile farmlands. High mountains surround the northern, southern and eastern sides. The inland areas are blanketed with heavy snowfalls in the winter.

Akita’s attraction is its many varied facets of nature’s beauty. These include, Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan, Lake Towada, known for its mystic beauty, the Oga Peninsula with its beautiful coast line and colorful sunsets, the scenic Hachimantai Plateau, and Mt. Chokai, also known as Dewa (Akita) Fuji.

Akita has many traditional festivities and unique events throughout the year. The Akita Kanto Festival in Akita City, the Kamakura (snow huts) Festival in Yokote City, and the Namahage-Sedo Festival in Oga City, in which people dressed as red and blue demons carrying flaming torthes come rearing out from the mountains, are all worth seeing.

Akita is also known as a rice-farming region. You can try various local specialties such as the ‘Kiritanpo-nabe’ stew made of rice, and ‘jizake,’ or locally brewed sake (rice wine).