Kakunodate Area

Kakunodate Town developed as a castle town. The Tozawa clan gained power in the Semboku and Kitaura regions around the Oei era (1394-1428), and during the reign of Tozawa Moriyasu, Toyotomi Hideyoshi granted him 44,000 koku of land as a feudal lord in Kakunodate. Following the Battle of Sekigahara, the Tozawa clan was relocated to Hitachi (later to Shinjo), while Satake Yoshinobu moved to Akita. In Kakunodate, Ashina Yoshikatsu (Yoshinobu Satake's younger brother), a prominent clan once known as the leader of Aizu, was granted 15,000 koku by the Satake clan and came to rule. The Ashina clan worked to build a new castle town, and the townscape, divided into samurai and townspeople quarters, has remained virtually unchanged for over 400 years. The Ashina clan subsequently died out after three generations, and Satake Yoshichika (the Northern Satake clan) took over as a shogunate governor. The Satake clan's reign lasted for over 200 years, spanning 11 generations, until the end of the feudal domain system in the Meiji era. With the implementation of the city and town system in 1889, the villages of Kakunodate, Nakagawa, Kumosawa, and Shiraiwa were created, and in March 1955, these four towns and villages merged to form Kakunodate Town, which remains the same to this day.

Kakunodate townscape

With its deep grove of trees and stately samurai residences, Kakunodate is a town that still retains the atmosphere of its feudal domain era. Often referred to as the “Little Kyoto of Tohoku,” the entire town exudes an elegant charm, making it a renowned place for viewing cherry blossoms.
This town was established in 1620 (Genna 6) by Ashina Yoshikatsu, who governed the Kakunodate region. Situated in the northern part of the fertile Senboku Plain, the area is surrounded on three sides by mountains, with the Hinokinai River to the west and the Tamagawa River to the south—an ideal location for forming a castle town.

One of the most notable features of the castle town’s layout (design) is the earthen embankment built along the central north–south axis of the town, which served as a firebreak. This embankment divided the area into the samurai residential district, known as Uchimachi, and the townspeople’s residential district, Tomachi (Sotomachi). The samurai residences functioned not only as living spaces, but also collectively formed a type of fortified structure.

The area known as “Bukeyashiki Street,” stretching from Route 341 at the foot of Kojōzan to Hiyoke-mae, was the very first district to be designated in September 1976 (Showa 51) as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government.

The firebreak zone had more than just the role of separating Uchimachi from Tomachi. It is said to have been constructed to prevent fires that started in the townspeople’s district from spreading into the samurai district. A wooden gate was also installed in the middle of the earthen mound, and it was closed at night. In addition to preventing fire, it likely also helped keep suspicious individuals from entering.

Although today people can move freely between the areas, the town layout—dividing the northern samurai society and the southern merchants’ and craftsmen’s society—has been preserved intact for over 400 years.

In Kakunodate, some neighborhood names include the character “丁,” such as Omotemachi Shimodōri / Kamidōri and Tōshōrakuchō, while others include the character “町,” such as Iwase-machi and Shimoshin-machi.
This is because “丁” was used for districts where samurai lived, while “町” was used for merchant districts.
The fact that place names still retain these distinctions from several hundred years ago is one of Kakunodate’s many charms.

For anything related to sightseeing in Kakunodate, please feel free to contact us. Semboku City Tourist Information Center “Kakunodate Ekimae-Gura”

The tourist information center is a large kura-style building located in front of JR Kakunodate Station. After exiting the station, it is the white-walled building on your right.
We provide directions to the Bukeyashiki (Samurai Residence Street), introduce local dining options, and offer information on hotels and ryokan. Tourist brochures and maps are always available, and you can watch sightseeing videos of Akita Prefecture inside the facility.
The inside of the center can be used freely as a rest area, making it convenient while waiting for trains or buses.

White building to the right when exiting JR Kakunodate Station
Open 9:00–18:00 (until 17:30 from October to March)
TEL: 0187-54-2700
FAX: 0187-54-1755

Kakunodate AreaRecommended spots

Tamachi Samurai Residence Street

Another samurai residence street in Kakunodate When the Ashina clan built the town in 1620, 80 samurai banners began to live in Tamachi, the southern district of town, separate from the samurai residences in Uchimachi. These samurai received stipends from the direct vassals of the Satake clan, the lord of the Akita domain. In 1656, the Satake clan came to rule Kakunodate, and the samurai divided into those who moved to Uchimachi and those who received stipends from the Satake clan. The Tamachi samurai residences are not designated as a national preservation district, but the remaining black wooden fences, cherry blossoms in spring, and autumn leaves are worth seeing.

Tomachi

The former merchant town of "Tomachi" (Outer Town) is a stark contrast to the inner town lined with samurai residences, with its rows of merchant houses and other buildings, giving it a historic feel. Many old buildings and storehouses remain, and these spaces are still cherished and utilized for shops, restaurants, and more.

Dakigaeri Valley

Dakigaeri Valley is known as the Yabakei of Tohoku, and is a famous spot for its beautiful virgin forests on both banks, the waterfalls hanging over the cliffs, and the distinctive blue mountain stream, as well as its fresh greenery and autumn foliage. There are walking trails that allow you to easily view the strangely shaped rocks, rapids, and waterfalls both large and small. The view from Kami no Iwabashi Bridge, a suspension bridge that catches your eye when you reach the valley, is magnificent.

Uchimachi

A former samurai living space At the beginning of the Edo period in 1620, large-scale urban planning was carried out by the Ashina clan, and Kakunodate subsequently flourished as a castle town for the Satake clan. The streets lined with samurai residences are called "Uchimachi," and even today they retain the characteristics of a samurai town, such as the layout of the residences from the end of the Edo period, the layout of the main house, gate, and storehouse, and the square-shaped building.

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