Kakunodate Samurai Residences
角馆武家屋敷 · Akita Prefecture · Semboku City (Kakunodate)
Kakunodate's Bukeyashiki-dōri keeps the layout of an Edo-period samurai quarter, with black board fences and old trees lining the street and weeping cherries in bloom in spring; samurai houses such as the Aoyagi and Ishiguro residences are open to visitors.
Know before you go
- Entering private residences or peering into their inner gardens
- leaning on or scratching the black board fences and earthen walls
- breaking cherry branches or shaking the trees
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
How old are the weeping cherries?
The weeping cherries of Bukeyashiki-dōri, about 150 along the street, are a National Natural Monument. According to the Japan Tourism Agency database, they were likely planted soon after the Satake-Kita family began ruling Kakunodate in 1656. Around 1770, the Akita Domain retainer and scholar Masudo Sōshū visited Kakunodate and wrote that, judging by the length of their branches, the trees were already over 100 years old.
Source: Japan Tourism Agency multilingual commentary: Kakunodate weeping cherries; Wikivoyage: Kakunodate
History
A street that has risen
The 11-metre width of the samurai street is unchanged since the Edo period, but the modern road surface is about 80 centimetres higher than it was then. The fences were once taller than an average adult of the time (about 150 centimetres), hiding the houses from view.
Source: Official site: Semboku City – Kakunodate's Historic Samurai District
History
The floats of the Kakunodate Festival
The Kakunodate Festival is held every year from 7 to 9 September and is said to have a history of some 350 years. When the ornate floats meet in the street they ram into each other, the liveliest moment of the festival.
Source: Wikivoyage: Kakunodate
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Kakunodate lies in Semboku City, Akita Prefecture (in 2005 Kakunodate Town merged with Tazawako Town and Nishiki Village to form Semboku City). Surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the Hinokinai River to the west and the Tama River to the south, it was easy to defend. In 1620 Ashina Yoshikatsu, younger brother of the lord of Akita Domain, founded a castle town here; the Ashina governed until 1656, after which the Satake-Kita branch of the Satake family ruled Kakunodate for more than 200 years. The town was divided by an earthen firebreak called the hiyoke: the samurai district (uchi-machi) lay to the north and the merchants' and townspeople's district (to-machi) to the south. Bukeyashiki-dōri runs between National Route 46 at the foot of Mt. Furushiro and the hiyoke, its houses ringed by groves that give it a fortress-like look. In September 1976 it was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, one of the first areas to receive the designation; the district covers 6.9 hectares. Six samurai residences are open to the public—Aoyagi, Ishiguro, Iwahashi, Kawarada, Matsumoto and Odano—though some can only be viewed from outside. Kakunodate calls itself the "little Kyoto of Tōhoku".
Local customs
- Stroll along Bukeyashiki-dōri
- visit the samurai residences open to the public, such as the Aoyagi and Ishiguro houses
- in spring, see the weeping cherries on Bukeyashiki-dōri and the Somei Yoshino cherries along about 2 kilometres of the Hinokinai River embankment
- tour the district by rickshaw
- and watch the floats of the Kakunodate Festival on 7–9 September.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Entering private residences or peering into their inner gardens
- leaning on or scratching the black board fences and earthen walls
- breaking cherry branches or shaking the trees
Locals appreciate DO
- Follow each residence's visiting rules
- admire exterior-only houses from outside the gate
- follow staff directions at peak cherry-blossom times
- check the photography rules inside each residence before taking pictures
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Bukeyashiki-dōri is about a 15-minute walk from Kakunodate Station. The district is compact and best explored on foot, with rickshaws as an alternative
- each residence has its own opening hours and fees, so check official information.
- Take the Akita Shinkansen Komachi to Kakunodate Station and walk from there
- check official and station notices for specific services. Late April to early May is cherry-blossom season
- autumn leaves generally peak from late October to early November, and the samurai quarter under snow in winter has a charm of its own.
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