Akita Prefecture stretches along Japan's northwestern Tohoku coast, offering a remarkable blend of preserved feudal heritage, volcanic landscapes, and centuries-old culinary traditions. The samurai townscape of Kakunodate rivals Kyoto for beauty, while the impossibly blue Lake Tazawa—Japan's deepest—draws visitors year-round. Akita is famed for its Kanto Festival, when hundreds of performers balance towering bamboo poles hung with paper lanterns; for Namahage demon lore on the rugged Oga Peninsula; for steaming mountain onsen clusters at Nyuto; and for producing some of Japan's most celebrated sake and the uniquely tender Inaniwa udon.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Kabazaiku (cherry bark lacquerware)
Price: ¥1,000–50,000 (~$7–328 USD)
Where: Kakunodate craft shops; designated national traditional craft
Inaniwa udon (dried)
Price: ¥500–2,000 (~$3–13 USD) per pack
Where: Akita Station Topico, Sogo basement, station kiosks
Iburigakko (smoked pickled radish)
Price: ¥400–800 (~$3–5 USD) per pack
Where: Gojome Market, convenience stores, Topico basement
Akita sake (nihonshu)
Price: ¥1,500–5,000 (~$10–33 USD) per bottle
Where: Liquor stores near station; Sogo depachika; sake breweries (Kariho, Dewatsuru, Takashimizu)
Akita Inu merchandise
Price: ¥500–3,000 (~$3–20 USD)
Where: Akita Station Topico; Akita Inu no Sato (Odate)
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.