Things to do in Akita

Discover the charming, quaint town of Masuda on a guided walking tour. Located in the Akita district, admire the beautiful streets lined with traditional Edo-era Japanese architecture, and visit 3 lavishly decorated historic storehouses. Meet your guide and enjoy a guided stroll through the historic streets of Masuda, a historically significant merchant town that prospered in the Edo period. Enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, and explore a historically significant protected area. Learn a bit about the town which served as an important trading hub and agricultural center. Discover how merchants amassed wealth in their fields and built their own Kura (mansions), which also served as storehouses, within the town. Visit 2-3 of these Kura and feel the elegance in the decorations such as white plaster, polished black plaster, and lacquered interior. Admire the intricate details of the mansions, with your guide on hand to point out some fascinating details.

Omagari in Akita is one of the sacred places for Japanese pyrotechnicians. The fireworks artists gather there and compete their skill. The competition will be held in 30th August in Omagari, Akita. Be moved by fireworks drawn in the Summer night sky by pyrotechnicians. In this night, hotel accommodations surrounded the venue are fully booked and difficult to reserve every year. We offer not only tickets but also inn/Japanese-style hotel stay for participants. Please select one of options for your accommodation at the night of the festival. The details below are written in the option list. 1. WAKASUGI Family Room 2. WAKASUGI Shared Room 3. HOTEL BLANC Bed Room 4. HOTEL BLANC Japanese-style Room -Schedule- Meet your guide at the west exit of JR Omagari Station at 16:00. We will keep and take your luggage to the bus. Make sure to take out your valuables in advance. It is about 40 minute-walk from Omagari station to the venue. When we arrive at the venue, we will explain the seating, restrooms and how to watch fireworks. Hiruhanabi or Evening-Fireworks start at 17:10pm. Yoruhanabi or Night-Fireworks start at 18:50pm. Enjoy the Fireworks show in your seat. After the fireworks, we will walk to the bus lot for 50 minutes and head to your stay by bus. The tour ends the next noon at Omagari Station. After late breakfast, we will head from the hotel to the station. -Food and Drink- Please prepare your own dinner on the day. There will be food stalls at the venue, but drinks may be sold out early, so we recommend that you bring your own drinks. Payment at the stalls can only be made by cash. -Weather and Temperature- At night the temperature drops to 20°C (68°F). We recommend bringing a raincoat in case of rain. -Table- Please note that seating will be at tables for four and if you choose option below , seating will be sharing with other customers. ・WAKASUGI Shared Room You will occupy a table by your group in other options. The table is the photo uploaded. -To get to Omagari Station- The Shinkansen or Bullet train to Omagari Station is expected to be very crowded on the day. 1. Book the Shinkansen Komachi and head to Omagari from Tokyo. 2. Book the Shinkansen Tsubasa and get off at Shinjo from Tokyo, then take a local train to Omagari. The reservation from Omagari to Tokyo in the afternoon of following day is also crowded, so please make your reservations early. Reservations for the Shinkansen start at 10:00am, 30th July, 2025 (JST = UTS plus 0900) one month before the trip day. If you are considering to use a Japan Rail Pass, refer to the JR website and complete your purchase at least one month in advance to make reservations online. If you cannot prepare to go to Omagari on the day, staying nearby the night before is also an option. -Optional tour- We also offer an optional day tour for following day. We will visit Kakunodate Samurai town and Lake Tazawa, come back to Omagari around 17:00.

This show is held twice a year, and more than 100 Akita dogs join! This tour will be held 3rd May! They will be evaluated their appearance as Akita Inu(dog) Standard. You can meet lots of Akitas in this venue in this a day trip. You might come in contact with them! Meet up at Akita station where the last stop of Akita Shinkansen (bullet train). It takes less than 4 hours by Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo. Also, there are some flights from Tokyo International Airport (Haneda airport: HND). It takes 40 minutes from Akita airport to Akita station by airport bus. We get on train and bus from Akita Station to Keijo Park where the venue is located. You can choose meeting places from Akita Station and Odate Station. After arriving Keijo park, the venue of show, we have a briefing on Akita dog critiques at the Akita dog breeders' Show. The Akita dog Show is an official Akita dog appearance contest held by the Akita Inu(dog) Preservation Society. Various kind of features are evaluated. We appreciate for 1 hour. During appreciation, you can walk around the park and come in contact with Akitas. After lunch, we see an exhibit on the history of Akita dog and deepen our knowledge of Akita dog at Akita Dog Museum for 1 hour. After that, we watch the Akita Inu Show again for 1 hour. Next visit is "Akita Inu no Sato" or Akita Dog Visitor Center. You can see AKITAs through the window and see and buy various kinds of AKITA dog souvenirs. We get on the train and return to Akita Station. The Estimated return time is 18:24. Lunch will be on your own. You may also eat at a stall in the show venue or at convenience store. You couldn’t take luggage to the venue. If you couldn’t leave your luggage in your hotel, there are two luggage locker service around Akita station so please let us know in advance. We will tell you where are. These lockers are cash or SUICA (prepaid transportation IC card) only. If you have your JAPAN RAIL PASS, please let us know in advance. You can purchase the train ticket on the day of the tour with your JAPAN RAIL PASS. The amount of the ticket already included in the tour price will be refunded in cash on the day of the tour.

This service includes explanation of traffic rules, support for your driving, and interpreter guide. Your guide will accompany you for about 8 hours during the day. In Japan, you drive on the left. You may not be used to seeing Japanese signs. A lot of sightseeing spots are convenient to visit by car. You may be able to go to places that you can't go on regular sightseeing trips. We could support your driving from next to your seat as English speaking guide. We will explain traffic signs, signals, and rules. Our service is available not only on the first day of driving, but also on the middle and last day of driving. You can enjoy your trip to Japan with your original course. Would you like to travel with the freedom to take breaks and eat whenever you like? Explore Akita's tourist spots together. Meet your guide at your designated location below. ・Akita Airport ・JR Akita Station or any Station of JR Ou(奥羽) Line between Akita to Yuzawa ・Any Hotel in the center of Akita city ・If you would like to designate another location, please contact us before making a reservation. The drop-off location for guide will be determined in consultation with your guide. Basically, it will be a train station within Akita Prefecture or Akita Airport. If you would like to specify another location, please contact us in advance.

Our service operates 24 hours a day, offering smooth and stress-free transportation regardless of your arrival or departure time. Upon your arrival, your driver will be waiting in the designated arrival area, holding a sign with your name. We provide free waiting time of up to 60 minutes from your scheduled pickup time at the airport. For pickups from hotels or other accommodations, we offer free waiting time of up to 15 minutes, allowing you a relaxed start to your journey. Our private transfers are designed to eliminate the hassle of navigating public transportation or carrying heavy luggage through unfamiliar stations. You’ll be transported in a clean, well-maintained vehicle operated by a licensed professional driver, ensuring that your journey is not only comfortable and safe, but also fully compliant with local transportation regulations. ＊Please select the correct number of passengers so we can assign the most suitable car for your trip: [SEDAN] Maximum Capacity: 3 pax + 3 luggages || Car Model: Toyota Crown Comfort, Toyota JPN Taxi, or similar. [MINIVAN] Maximum Capacity: 4 pax + 4 luggages || Car Type: Esquire , Alphard, etc. [VAN] Maximum Capacity: 8 pax + 8 Luggages || Car Type: Hiace, or similar