Strolling around Tonomachi

Located in front of JR Kakunodate Station, this tourist information center is the base for exploring Kakunodate. This storehouse-style building was originally a warehouse for the agricultural cooperative, built in 1932 for the purpose of storing and storing produced rice. In the 1960s, transportation shifted from rail to road, and the warehouse adjacent to the station became unnecessary. This agricultural warehouse was built during the heyday of the old Seibonai Line, and is a commemorative building that was preserved and restored to be used again with the opening of the Akita Shinkansen. Related information: Semboku City Tourist Information Center "Kakunodate Ekimae Kura" Address: 394-2 Kamisugasawa, Kakunodate-cho, Semboku-shi, Akita Prefecture 014-0369 (in front of Kakunodate Station)

Shoanji Temple is the family temple of the Imamiya family and the samurai group living in Tamachi. A monument commemorating Odano Naotake, a samurai from Kakunodate who drew the anatomical diagrams for Kaitai Shinsho, stands to the right of the temple gate. His talent was discovered by Hiraga Gennai, and he went to Edo, where he contributed to the development of Akita Western painting. In the cemetery behind the main hall, there is a small grave inscribed with the words "Zetsugaku Genshin Shinshi." This is the grave of Odano Naotake, and it seems to tell the story of his life, which was a crossroads of glory and misfortune.

There is a temple called Tennei-ji in Aizuwakamatsu city, and this temple is an offshoot of it. Kakunodate was under the control of the Ashina clan for about 50 years before the Satake clan took control. The Ashina clan were originally the lords of Kurokawa Castle in Aizu, and Tennei-ji is the family temple of the Ashina clan. The temple gate of Tennei-ji was built in 1791 (the third year of the Kansei era), and is said to have been a relocated gate from Kakunodate Castle. In addition, the graveyard of the Ashina clan, which died out after three generations, is located behind the main hall, and even today some townspeople visit to pray, but the three generations of the Ashina clan rest in peace.

He was a wealthy merchant during the feudal era and served as a purveyor to the domain. He was originally a member of the Hazu Fujiwara clan and a nobleman in Kyoto. He was bestowed the rank of Shogoi (Senior Fifth Rank), but the "I" in his name was changed to "Ido" (well). The Goi family home is where Odano Naotake, a samurai from Kakunodate who drew the anatomical diagrams for Kaitai Shinsho, met Hiraga Gennai. Hiraga Gennai discovered Naotake's artistic talent when he saw a folding screen painting hanging in his room during a stay. With permission from Satake Yoshiatsu (Shozan), the lord of the Akita domain, Gennai invited Naotake to his home in Edo and immediately began work on the anatomical diagrams. Considering how much Kaitai Shinsho contributed to the development of academic studies in Japan, the Goi family home has become a historic place.

When Kakunodate's current town of Shoraku was still called Shoraku Village, there was a village shrine dedicated to Yakushi Nyorai (Medicine Buddha) and it was called "Mine no Yakushi-san." When Kakunodate Castle lord Tozawa Noto-no-kami fell ill with eye disease, he prayed to this Mine no Yakushi and was miraculously cured. He then built a remote worship hall for Yakushi within the castle and prayed there, and his wishes were granted, so it was named Jojuin Yakushi-do. The Yakushi, who has protected the land and people of Kakunodate for over a thousand years, remains a deity in the hearts of the townspeople. Every year, on September 8th, the entire town gathers for the evening festival, and on the 9th, the main festival, with floats and a portable shrine from the Yakushi-do parade. Behind Yakushi-do is Hoshin-ji Temple, associated with the Tozawa clan, who ruled during the Sengoku period. In 1620, the Ashina clan moved the temple to its current location, where the graves of Kakunodate's wealthy merchants, including the Goi family, are located. If you have time, please...

This is the family temple of the Satake Kita clan, the head of the Satake clan that ruled Kakunodate during the Edo period. The main gate, built in 1753 (the third year of the Horeki era), is the oldest in the town. The main gate of the neighboring Hoshinji Temple was also built around the same time. The main hall, built in 1763 (the third year of the Horeki era), is also impressive. The graveyard of the Satake Kita clan is located behind the kuri (temple priest's quarters), but it is not open to the public and cannot be entered. Kakunodate was a battlefield during the Boshin War, and the clan won with reinforcements from various Kyushu domains. Samurai who died in battle in Kakunodate and its surrounding areas in the early Meiji era are buried here. Relief soldiers from Choshu, Hirado, Omura, Satsuma, and Kokura are buried here, but the Omura clan's war dead were later moved to the Omura Imperial Army Cemetery. The rest of the war dead continue to rest here, far from their hometowns.

This is Iho Shoten (commonly known as Ioya). Built in 1924 (Taisho 13), it is a three-story Western-style building, which was very rare at the time. There are many temples in the surrounding area, so this building was quite eye-catching in the town. It was a general store with a wide selection of items, and it was said that there was nothing you couldn't buy in this store.

Founded in 1876 (Meiji 9), the store was the first to apply birch crafts to geta sandals during the Taisho era, and began manufacturing and selling them. During the "Kakunodate Hina Doll Tour" held every year from February to March, hina dolls are displayed in the windows and inner rooms of the Taisho-style store. The exterior and interior of the store were renovated in the early Showa era, but it is an exemplary building that exudes a historical atmosphere, and in 2004 it received the "Semboku City Hometown Landscape Award" for its contribution to creating an excellent landscape. Related information: Kabazaiku Hachiyanagi Shimonakacho Store Address: 2 Shimonakacho, Kakunodate-cho, Semboku-shi, Akita Prefecture, 014-0318

The current building was built in 1900, and conveys the atmosphere of a merchant's house to the present day. The deep, earthen floor, typical of merchant houses, has an inner parlor where seasonal exhibits are displayed, including Hina dolls that have been passed down through generations. Behind the earthen floor is a storehouse, and inside the storehouse are the hobby and daily necessities actually used by the ancestors of the Tatetsu family (Tatetsu family), which are open to the public free of charge as the "Tomachi Museum Tatetsu". The storehouse also displays the original precious oshie (pressed picture) drawings by Hirafuku Honan. Related information: Kakunodate Sakura Bark Crafts Center Main Store (Post Office Street Store) Tatetsuya Address: 25 Nakamachi, Kakunodate-machi, Senboku-shi, Akita Prefecture, 014-0318

From Iwasemachi to Shimoshinmachi, you can see traditional storehouses. Many storehouses are located at the back of the house or are built inside the house, so there are not many storehouses visible facing the road. There used to be around 200 storehouses in Kakunodate, but the number has decreased year by year and is now perhaps around 50. We recommend strolling around town and looking for storehouse-style buildings.

This is a long-established birch craft store founded in 1851 (Kaei 4) during the Edo period. Birch crafts, a traditional craft made in Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, are made using the bark of mountain cherry trees. Mountain cherry bark is an environmentally friendly material that regenerates even after being peeled, and after being peeled and thoroughly dried, it is processed into tea caddies, boxes, chests, trays, etc. A storehouse from the late Edo period has been renovated to sell birch crafts and open as a gallery store. Related information Fujiki Denshiro Shoten Address: 45 Shimoshinmachi, Kakunodate-cho, Senboku-shi, Akita Prefecture 014-0315

This miso and soy sauce brewery was founded in 1853. In the summer of 1882, a fire burned down the entire storehouse, leaving only a small section of it. Reconstruction began immediately afterwards, with the main building completed in 1884 and the storehouse parlor completed in 1891. The fire-resistant brick storehouse has a parlor interior and the exterior of the storehouse is surrounded by brick. Inside the store, there is a room leading to a dirt floor, and in the typical style of a townhouse, from the road side towards the back of the store there are rooms called "mise" (store), "oe" (middle room), and "kitchen (living room)". It is said that the accounting office was located across the dirt floor. Currently, in addition to this brick storehouse and main building, the library storehouse is also open to the public free of charge. Related information Ando Brewery Main Store Address: 27 Shimoshinmachi, Kakunodate-machi, Senboku-shi, Akita Prefecture 014-0315

This shrine, also known as Ise-do, is the main guardian deity of Kakunodate Town and enshrines Amaterasu Omikami. Revered by the Tozawa clan, it was originally located in Jomawari (at the foot of Mt. Furushiro). However, after the Tozawa clan was transferred, it was relocated to Mt. Tamachi, and then moved to its current location in 1731. The sacred object is said to be a piece of material from the Ise Grand Shrine's relocation ceremony, placed inside a box filled with sand, but no one has ever seen it. South of Mt. Shinmei, where the Shinmei Shrine is located, is a higher mountain where Tenjin-sama is enshrined. On this mountain, there is a bronze statue of Hamada Kingo, a young drummer for the Omura Domain, overlooking the ancient battlefield of Iwasegawahara during the Boshin War. The Kakunodate Festival, held annually from September 7th to 9th, features the annual festival and Yoimiya Festival on the 7th, and the Shinko Festival on the 8th.

The silk mill building, which operated from 1911 (Meiji 44) to 1918 (Taisho 7), remains here. Designated a tangible cultural property of Akita Prefecture, the building is long and narrow to facilitate assembly line work. The small roof window at the top and the windows high up on the walls are installed for light and ventilation. It is said that many female workers worked there to make thread and weave cloth. While the samurai's life may seem elegant, it was actually a hardship, and in Kakunodate, sericulture, silk reeling, and silk weaving were also popular side jobs for samurai, in addition to birch crafts. Next to the silk mill is the Ota family's storehouse, a large wooden building housing two storehouses that are not normally open to the public. Be sure to see it when it is open to the public at an event.

There are two samurai residence streets in Kakunodate. The tourist spot called Uchimachi, which you will visit, is the area where the samurai groups under the control of the Northern Satake clan lived. Tamachi was the residential area of the Imamiya family, a branch of the Satake clan. The Satake clan allowed two samurai groups to exist in order to keep an eye on each other and prevent rebellions. There are no samurai residences remaining, but many descendants of the samurai still live there. The area is densely covered with tall trees, and various types of gates can be seen, such as the Yakuimon gate, Munemon gate, and Kabukimon gate, making it a street where you can fully experience the atmosphere of the samurai residences of the past. Related information: Tamachi Samurai Residence Street Address: Tamachi, Kakunodate-machi, Senboku-shi, Akita Prefecture

Originally a samurai family under the control of the Imamiya clan. Although they had only around 30 koku of land, they gained economic power from the end of the Edo period, becoming one of the largest landowners in Kakunodate Town, owning 150 cho of land. Nishinomiya Togo was the first mayor when the town and village system was implemented in 1889, and served as mayor twice thereafter, leaving behind a legacy of great accomplishments for the town. Five storehouses remain today, and their imposing structures evoke the prosperity of the town in the past. These storehouses are used for restaurants, museums, hotels, and local product sales. *Currently under construction and cannot be viewed.

The Kakunodate General Information Center is home to educational facilities, a library, and the Shinchosha Memorial Literature Museum. The museum and library have been donated with numerous publications from Shinchosha, one of Japan's leading publishing companies. This is because Yoshiaki Sato (1878-1951), founder and first president of Shinchosha, was originally from Iwasecho in Kakunodate Town. In 1920, a library was established in his hometown of Kakunodate, and in 1922, he donated his own collection of books and the company's publications, saying, "I want the people of my hometown to read lots of books." The Shinchosha Memorial Literature Museum was established to honor Yoshiaki Sato, the founder of Shinchosha, and opened in April 2000. Related Information: Shinchosha Memorial Literature Museum Address: 23 Kamicho, Kakunodate-machi, Senboku-shi, 014-0311