Akita City & Odate City

Akita City Surprisingly urban. The area around the station has a Loft and a Starbucks, and there are plazas and photo spots in front of the station. A 15-minute walk leads to Senshu Park, a fairly large park. Beyond a small wooded area lies Kubota Castle; while there is no main keep, there is a three-story turret called Osumi-yagura, which offers a view of Akita City from the top. Lotus flowers bloom in the moats facing the city center. A 30-minute walk from Araya Station leads to Omoriyama Zoo, a relatively large zoo where you can feed rare animals like giraffes and capybaras. An amusement park called "Anipa" is attached next to it, and you can see the zoo from the Ferris wheel. Odate City A small town, but the sacred land of Akita dogs and Kiritanpo. The Akita Inu Museum, a 30-minute walk from the station, has materials on Akita dogs and offers opportunities to interact with real ones at certain times. There are many specialty shops for Kiritanpo, where you can enjoy authentic hot pots paired with Akita's premium Hinai-jisuri chicken.

Oga City & Ogata Village

Oga City Exiting Oga Station, you'll find a small town sandwiched between mountains and the sea. The station front is quite clean. This town is all about the Namahage! However, the most famous Namahage Museum is in the mountains, requiring a reservable dedicated taxi to reach. Actually, Namahage are not evil demons, but gods who pray for health and a good harvest. Still, they are scary when seen up close. Ogata Village The most striking feature of this village is the rice fields. Rice fields? You might ask, but Akita is a famous rice-producing region, ranking third in Japan after Niigata and Hokkaido. Ogata Village is about 40 minutes by bus from Hachirogata Station. Vast rectangular rice fields stretch out as far as the eye can see, covering about 11,000 hectares. To put that in perspective, it's about twice the size of the area inside the Yamanote Line. The view from the road is breathtaking.

Daisen City & Yokote City

Daisen City There is no Daisen Station; the main hub is Omagari Station. It's a somewhat large station where the Shinkansen stops. At the Omono River, a 30-minute walk from the station, you can see the Omagari Fireworks in the summer, which are among the largest in the prefecture (the crowds during that period are immense). It has a history of nearly 60 years and is a major industry for the town. At a JA direct sales office, also a 30-minute walk from the station, you can eat the famous "Bodakko-meshi." (Bodakko is extremely salty salmon. Only 5 grams are placed on 200 grams of rice, but it's said to be so salty that you'll run out of rice). Hideyoshi, a local sake produced since the 1600s, is also famous. Yokote City A somewhat large city said to be the second largest in Akita Prefecture. About 50 minutes by bus from the station is a theme park called Akita Furusato Village. Its main attraction is a planetarium said to be one of the largest in Tohoku. With souvenirs, play areas, and dining, both locals and tourists frequent this spot. Yokote Yakisoba is famous here—a city soul food featuring thick, chewy noodles topped with a sunny-side-up egg.

Kamikoani Village & Senboku City

Kamikoani Village A settlement deep in the mountains and a fairly obscure town. Taking a bus from Ani-Matagi Station, a completely remote station in the middle of nowhere, leads to the Matagi Museum. It contains interesting materials on the ecology of brown bears, which have become a recent issue. A walk (or taxi ride) further into the mountains leads to Kumakuma-en, a small zoo where you can meet real brown bears. There is also a hot spring hotel nearby. Senboku City A small mountain town centered around Tazawako Station. It is characterized by Lake Tazawa, famous as the deepest lake in Japan (423m). It has a beautiful blue color, and sightseeing boats are recommended. Shirahama, located near the station, is also used as a beach during the summer.

Other Cities

Noshiro City Noshiro Technical High School is a basketball powerhouse and the model for Slam Dunk. Kita-Akita City (Takanosu Station) Yasu-no-Taki Falls, ranked 2nd in Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls with a 90m drop. Yurihonjo City (Ugo-Honjo Station) A swimming beach located near the station.