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Kate’s winter travel

Kate’s winter travel

A journey through Akita that you’ll never forget.

Start

  • JR 田沢湖駅
    JR Tazawako station

Access

Take a public bus “田沢湖一周線” Tazawako round trip line, “鎧畑” Yoroibata line, “駒ヶ岳” Komagatake line or “乳頭線” Nyuto line. All lines from JR Tazawako station and get off “田沢湖畔” Lake Tazawa.  About 12min.

 

Lake Tazawa

  • 田沢湖
    Lake Tazawa

Lake Tazawa is really breathtaking. It is the deepest lake in Japan (423m), located just below the Tazawa Ski Resort. Under blue skies, the water turns into a perfect mirror and reflects the mountains around it. There is also the statue of Tatsuko, who in local legend prayed for eternal beauty—so the gods transformed her into a dragon, forever to protect the lake.
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  • JNTO
  • JAPAN GUIDE
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

Take a public bus “駒ヶ岳” Komagatake line or “乳頭線” Nyuto line, both from JR Tazawako station, get off “田沢湖スキー場前” Tazawako ski-jo mae (Lake Tazawa ski resort). About 22min from Tazawako staion, 15min from Lake Tazawa.

 

Tazawako Ski resort

  • 田沢湖スキー場
    Tazawako ski resort

This place caters for everyone from pros to beginners. It hosted the Mogul World Cup in 2016, but instructors are still happy to help the inexperienced. In contrast to mainstream ski resorts, the slopes on a weekday are virtually empty. This makes for multiple runs and an amazing day out. The cafeteria is another adventure, with lots of hot and distinctly Japanese cuisine.
  • TripAdvisor
  • SNOW JAPAN
  • Tazawako Ski Resort
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

Take a public bus “駒ヶ岳”Komagatake line or “乳頭線”Nyutoline, get off “水沢温泉郷” Mizusawa onsenkyo. About 1min from Tazawako ski resort. 20min from JR Tazawako station.

 

Mizusawa Onsen

  • 水沢温泉郷
    Mizusawa Onsen area

Very near by Tazawako Ski resort, variety of accommodations are available; Hotel, Hot springs Ryokan, resort inn and guest house. Mizusawa Onsen is the place not only for winter, but also you can enjoy Sakura Cherry blossoms in Spring too.

  • TripAdvisor
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

Take a public bus “駒ヶ岳”Komagatake line or “乳頭線”Nyutoline, get off “高原温泉” Kogen onsen. About 5min from Tazawako ski resort, 32min from JR Tazawako station.
 

Tazawako Kogen Onsen

  • 田沢湖高原温泉郷
    Tazawako Kogen Onsen area

Located in Tazawa highland resort, You can enjoy a Mt.Komagatake mountain view in front and see the mystique-blue Lake Tazawa; aka deepest lake in Japan; below your eyes. The hot spring water is welling up from a middle high of the Mt.Komagatake, the hot spring water quality is a sulfur springs, clear color, make your skin smooth and keep your body warm.
  • TripAdvisor
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

Take a public bus “乳頭線”Nyuto line, get off at the nearest bus stop from each Ryokan Japaese inn. “鶴の湯温泉入口” Tsurunoyu onsen iriguchi, “休暇村前” Kyukamura mae, “妙乃湯温泉前” Taenoyu Onsen mae or a last bus stop “乳頭蟹場温泉” Nyutoganiba onsen.
 

Nyuto Onsen

  • 乳頭温泉郷
    Nyuto Onsen area

Taenoyu is one of seven traditional hot spring resorts in the Nyuto-onsen-kyo Village. It has beautiful tatami rooms, delicious local food and faultless service in English and Japanese. It also has baths from two hot springs—luxury!—including pools in the open air. There is nothing better than sneaking out to watch the sunrise from a steaming bath, surrounded by pristine snow.

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  • TripAdvisor
  • JNTO
  • JAPAN GUIDE
  • RYOKAN STORIES
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

JR Tazawako station –< Shinkansen bullet train Komachi 23min >– JR Kakunodate station and 20min walk to Samurai houses.
 

Kakunodate Samurai Houses

  • 角館武家屋敷
    Kakunodate Samurai houses

A number of old buildings line the street in Kakunodate. The Ishiguro House has stood for twelve generations. It is its own time capsule, filled with maps, tools, furniture and even wooden dolls from when the region was a samurai stronghold. The Aoyagi House is also fascinating, decked with an eclectic mix of local craft, gramophones, early Meiji history and cameras dating back to the 1930s.

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  • JNTO
  • JAPAN GUIDE
  • Kakunodate Tourist Association
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

It is located in the Samurai houses area and the building on the corner.

 

Sakura Kabazaiku

  • 角館樺細工伝承館
    Kakunodate Cherry Bark Handcrafts Denshokan Hall

The ‘kaba-zaiku’ industry in Semboku City dates back to the late 1700s, when it became a past-time for lower class samurai. Now a fully fledged art form, bark from the mountain cherry tree is polished and then applied to anything from tea jars to card holders and coffee tables. Each object shines with a unique lustre. Times have changed, but most of the work is still done by hand.

  • TripAdvisor
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

Date: February 13th-14th
Place: 14th – in each area of Kakunodate town.13th – Sakura namiki city parking in Kakunodate town.
*20min walk from JR Kakunodate station.

 

Hiburi Kamakura and Fire Festival

  • 火振りかまくら
    Hiburi Kamakura Festival

‘Hiburi’ is the word for ‘fire-swinging’, and this is what people do to clean away bad luck as part of the Kamakura Festival. From there you can go to see the Yokote Kamakura, two meter igloos, once built as shrines, now host to food and drink and friendly locals who call out to passersby.

  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

JR Kakunodate station -< Akita Shinkansen bullet train Komachi > 49min -JR Akita staion -< JR Oga line> 55min – JR Oga staion. – temporary shuttle

bus service from JR Oga station for the festival at Oga Shinzan Shrine.

 

Namahage Matsuri

  • なまはげ柴灯まつり
    Namahage Sedo Festival

The namahage demons of the Oga Peninsula are famous for making children cry—and they can certainly make grown adults jump. By tradition, men dress up in straw cloaks and wooden masks and stamp their way through neighborhoods on New Year’s Eve, drawing promises of good behavior from local children. The festival is a reenactment, complete with taiko drums, a bonfire and a wild performance.

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  • JNTO
  • OGA NAVI
  • Namahage Museum
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel
  • Kate’s winter travel

Access

About 10min by car or taxi from Festival site at Oga Shinzan Shrine.

 

Finish

  • 男鹿温泉郷
    Oga Onsen area

 
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