Akita

Akita (秋田) is the capital of Akita prefecture in the northern Tohoku region of Japan's Honshu island.

Understand
Akita is the largest city in the prefecture, and as such is the hub for transportation, sports, and shopping. Its longitude is about the middle of the prefecture, and so is reachable from both the north and south.

Climate
In Akita, late June to late July is the rainy season. The spring and summer before and after that tend to have fairly moderate amounts of rain, and are good for outdoor activities. In November, it is common for some cold weather thunder storms to occur—this is said to mark the end of fall and the beginning of hatahata (a local fish) season. In the winter, Akita sees some snow, though certainly inland areas get more.

Tourist Information Site
Akitachi Plus is the city's official multilingual guide site.

By plane
Akita has an airport, with domestic flights coming in from such places as Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Sapporo. Buses connect the airport with Akita Station (秋田駅) -- a ride costs ¥980 and takes 40 minutes.

By train
Akita can be reached by Shinkansen (bullet train) along the Akita Shinkansen Line (秋田新幹線). Komachi (こまち) trains are available from either Tokyo or Ueno stations in Tokyo and make stops at Omiya, Sendai and Morioka before slowing down to travel to Shizukuishi, Tazawako, Kakunodate, Omagari (where it changes direction), and finally Akita over conventional rail lines. The trip takes just under four hours and costs about ¥10,000 in a standard class car.

When the Akita Shinkansen runs on conventional lines it slows down to regular train speeds and it will stop several times to allow other trains to pass. This will be a bit of a disappointing shock after zooming through northern Japan at top speeds as far as Morioka. In return, the views from the slowed down of the interior of Tohoku are beautiful.

Be aware that the Komachi trains are coupled to Hayabusa trains, which split at Morioka, but as all seats are reserved, the chance of getting in the wrong car is minimal at best. For foreign tourists traveling from Tokyo, the better deal is to purchase a JR East Rail Pass or the national Japan Rail Pass.

By bus

 * JR Bus operates the Dream Akita-Yokohama overnight bus to Akita from the bus terminal at Yokohama Station (9 hr 45 min, ¥9,500) and from Tokyo Station (8 hr 45 min, ¥9,100).
 * Odakyu and Akita Chuo Kotsu run the Flora overnight bus from Shinjuku (8 hours, ¥9,450).
 * The Senshuu daytime bus runs from Sendai with multiple departures (3½ hours, ¥4,000).

Get around
You can get around by bus, taxi, car, or bike. Many bus routes start in front of Akita Station. In the winter, there can be snow and ice, so drivers should decrease their speed.

On the 2nd level of the JR Akita train station is a Tourist Information office. From there you can organize free bicycles.

Eat
The most well-known Akita dish is kiritanpo. Kiritanpo is essentially a tube made of rice, generally formed around a disposable chopstick. It is often roasted, sometimes after being smothered in miso paste. It is also eaten in kiritanpo nabe, a stew of sliced kiritanpo, vegetables, and chicken or fish, most commonly eaten during the winter. Of course, there are many non-local styles of food available in Akita City, including a wide variety of ramen and Indian restaurants.





Drink
As one of Japan's most famous rice-growing regions, Akita has some of the best local sake in all of Japan. A great place to find many different bottles for sale (and usually free samples) is in the Prefectural Goods Shop (あきた県産品プラザ, akita-renritsu puraza) in the basement of the Atorion Concert Hall.

Stay safe
There are bears in Akita. You won't find one trundling along Chuo Odori outside Akita Station, but visitors who are in Akita to enjoy its semi-rural outskirts such as Akita Onsen or the Our Lady of Akita Convent should familiarise themselves with bear safety. You will see signs scattered around warning of bear danger but if you cannot read Japanese they won't be much good to you. It's always best to assume that bears may be in the area, including in the colder months.

The Asian black bear is a retiring kind of beast. It's unlikely to bother you if you don't bother it and for that reason its best to avoid startling a bear, so make noise as you walk and keep a look out. Having said that, it could easily maul you to death so caution is advised. See Dangerous animals.

Go next

 * Kakunodate, one of Japan's last true historical towns and filled with old samurai houses open to the public, is only about an hour away by shinkansen.
 * Lake Towada, a beautiful blue lake, is several hours away.
 * Lake Tazawa, with great hiking and skiing, is several hours away.
 * Mt. Chokai, in southern Yurihonjo, is two hours to the south.
 * Daisen
 * Oga
 * Senboku
 * Katagami
 * Gojome