20 Parks in Akita worth your time

Yokote Park offers a castle replica, local history, and scenic views, especially during cherry blossom season.

What it is

• An urban park in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.
• Designed in 1902 by landscape architect Anpei Nagaoka.
• Selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Historical Parks.
• Affectionately called "Oshiro-yama" by local citizens.

What to see

• A replica of Yokote Castle's keep.
• The keep houses a local history museum and observation deck.
• Akita Shrine, dedicated to Yoshinobu Satake.
• A monument to Masazumi Honda.
• The Peace Kannon, built to mourn war dead.

When to go

• Visit during the Yokote Cherry Blossom Festival.

Official site

www.city.yokote.lg.jp

Read more about Yokote Park

Kanezawa Park is a historic urban park with a shrine, battlefield site, and unique monuments.

What it is

• Urban park in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.
• Developed in 1906 around the Kagemasa Komyozuka.
• Site of the Kanazawa Barrier, an old battlefield.
• Kanazawa Hachimangu Shrine was founded in 1093.

What to see

• Kanazawa Hachimangu Shrine is within the park.
• Kagemasa Komyozuka is a mound for enemy bodies.
• Site of an Onodatejo, a resting place.
• Monument marks the legendary birthplace of natto.

Getting there

• About 15 minutes from Yokote IC by car.
• Accessible by bus from Yokote Bus Terminal.

Official site

www.city.yokote.lg.jp

Read more about Kanezawa Park

Honjo Park, built on a castle site, offers seasonal flowers and historical facilities worth an hour.

What it is

• A park developed in the Taisho era.
• Located on the site of Honjo Castle.
• Selected as a top tourist spot in Akita Prefecture.

What to see

• Honmaru no Yakata rest facility.
• Shushinkan experiential learning facility.
• Yu'eikan heated pool and Tsurumai Baseball Stadium.
• About 1,200 cherry trees.
• About 10,000 azaleas.

When to go

• April for cherry blossoms.
• May for azalea blooms.

Getting there

• 8-minute walk from Ugo-Honjo Station.
• 10-minute drive from Honjo IC.

Read more about Honjō Park

Omori Park is a historic castle ruin site with sports facilities and a stunning spring flower festival.

What it is

• Urban park in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.
• A castle ruin park, formerly Iwabuchi Castle.
• Renamed Omori Castle around 1580.

What to see

• About 1000 cherry trees planted in 1901.
• Omori Resort Village Shibazakura Festa with 220,000 moss phlox plants.
• Public hot spring facilities: Sakura-so and Omori Health Onsen.
• Sports facilities: tennis courts, gymnasium, baseball field, multipurpose plaza.

When to go

• Shibazakura Festa is held in May.

Official site

www.city.yokote.lg.jp

Read more about Omori Park

Asamai Park is a historic urban park known for its extensive iris and bush clover gardens.

What it is

• An urban park in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.
• Started in August 1882 by Ise Taemon planting trees.
• Urban park development began in September 1973.
• Covers an area of 5.1 hectares.

What to see

• A lawn, flower beds, and a waterfall.
• 80 varieties and 30,000 iris plants.
• Over 60 types of trees, totaling 5,000.
• 6 types of bush clover, 4,500 plants.
• Two ponds using groundwater from 60 meters deep.
• Play equipment and sports facilities.

Read more about Asamai Park

A large prefectural park in Akita City with a museum, Japanese garden, and wetlands.

What it is

• A prefectural park in Akita City, Akita Prefecture.
• Built around the Ogata and Megata lakes.
• Ogata and Megata wetlands are natural monuments since 1987.

What to see

• Akita Prefectural Museum is located inside the park.
• Suishin-en is a full-scale Japanese garden, opened in 1979.
• Multi-purpose open space and a green slope.
• Large play equipment and a fountain plaza.
• Outdoor stage and tennis courts.
• Cycling road and field athletics.

Official site

koizumigatakouen.wixsite.com

Read more about Akita Prefectural Koizumigata Park

A park with a ski resort, hot spring, and historical finds, easily accessible by train.

What it is

• A park opened in 1923 by Shinnosuke Ebata.
• Designed by Anpei Nagaoka.
• Named 'Karinosato' from the Gosannen War.
• Features a ski resort, golf course, and hot spring.

What to see

• Jomon period pottery unearthed during construction.
• Pit dwellings, a prefectural historic site.
• Gosannen Ski Resort with rope tow and T-bar lifts.

Getting there

• About 10 minutes walk from Gosannen Station.

Official site

www.town.misato.akita.jp

Read more about Karinosato Yamamoto Park

Akita Prefectural Hokuou-no-mori Park is a large park with diverse facilities for recreation.

What it is

• A wide-area park in Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture.
• Partly opened on May 29, 1994.
• Hosted the 59th National Tree-Planting Festival in 2008.
• A bird sanctuary was registered in 2024.

What to see

• Park center, event plaza, and dog run.
• Children's play area and a fountain.
• Auto-campground and tennis courts.
• Park golf course.

When to go

• Closed from December 29 to January 3.

Official site

www10.plala.or.jp

Read more about Akita Prefectural Hokuou-no-mori Park

Urban park commemorating a historic battlefield, featuring statues and a unique bridge.

What it is

• An urban park in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.
• Developed in 1991 as a historical park.
• Spreads along Nishinuma, an old battlefield.

What to see

• Reliefs depicting battle scenes.
• Bronze statues of Minamoto no Yoshiie and Fujiwara no Kiyohira.
• Triple drum bridge called Kariganebashi.

Getting there

• 30-minute walk from Gosannen Station.
• 10 minutes by car from Yokote-kita SIC.

Official site

www.city.yokote.lg.jp

Read more about Heian no Kaze Wataru Park

Japan's only municipal bear farm, offering close-up views of moon and brown bears.

What it is

• Japan's only municipal bear farm, opened in 1990.
• The only bear farm in the Tohoku region.
• Directly operated by Kitaakita City since 2016.

What to see

• 48 moon bears and 18 brown bears.
• Food for bears is sold to visitors.
• A blueberry field is on the premises.

When to go

• Open from April 29 to November 3.
• Winter hibernation viewing in February by reservation.

Official site

hahaha.akita.jp

Read more about Bear Garden

Akita Prefectural Central Park is a large park with sports facilities, built around Akita Airport.

What it is

• A city park in Akita City, Akita Prefecture.
• Construction began as a noise buffer for Akita Airport.
• Divided into five distinct zones.
• Hosted the 2007 Akita Wakasugi National Sports Festival.

What to see

• Akita Sky Dome, a large dome-shaped facility.
• Tohoku's largest field athletics course in the youth education zone.

Getting there

• Surrounds Akita Airport.

Read more about Akita Prefectural Central Park

Senshu Park in Akita City offers castle ruins, shrines, and beautiful cherry blossoms.

What it is

• City park in Akita City, Japan.
• Built on the ruins of Kubota Castle.
• Designated an Akita City Scenic Spot.

What to see

• Restored Kubota Castle structures.
• Yojiro Inari Shrine.
• Hachiman Akita Shrine.
• Yatako Shrine.
• Floating walkway in the Otemon moat.

When to go

• Selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Viewing Sites.

Official site

www.city.akita.lg.jp

Read more about Senshū Park

Oga Aquarium Gao is a modern aquarium known for its polar bears and successful breeding programs.

What it is

• An aquarium first established in 1967.
• Rebuilt and reopened in 2004.
• Managed by a third-sector company.

What to see

• Over 300 species of aquatic life.
• Polar bears, including Gota from Russia.
• The first artificial snow machine for polar bears in Japan.

When to go

• Any time to see polar bears, unique to this region.

Official site

www.gao-aqua.jp

Read more about Oga Aquarium Gao

Akita Furusato-mura is a large complex showcasing Akita's culture, art, and local products.

What it is

• A prefectural tourism complex in Yokote City.
• Introduces the charms of Akita Prefecture.
• Opened on April 20, 1994.
• Also known as Kamakuland.

What to see

• The Akita Museum of Modern Art.
• A planetarium, largest in the Tohoku region.
• Trick art exhibits.
• Displays of local products and specialties.
• Crafts being made and experienced.

Address

秋田県横手市赤坂字富ケ沢62番地46号 Map

Official site

akitafurusatomura.co.jp

Read more about Akita Furusato-mura

Explore Ōdate Castle ruins at Keijō Park, a historic site with original defenses and a relocated gate.

What it is

• Former Ōdate Castle, also called Katsura Castle.
• Built by Asari Katsuyori before 1582.
• Now Keijō Park, established October 1955.
• Home to the Satake Nishi family.

What to see

• Stone walls, earthworks, and moats remain.
• A gate believed to be from the castle stands in Shimmachi.
• A monument to singer Uehara Toshi is in the park.

Read more about Ōdate Castle

Tsuchizaki Gaiku Park: a historic urban park with a preserved steam locomotive.

What it is

• An urban park in Akita, Japan.
• Formerly called Tsuchizaki Park or Tsuchizaki Children's Park.
• Site of the former Minato Castle, residence of the Ando clan.

What to see

• A monument to the Minato Ando clan.
• A preserved D51 370 steam locomotive.

Getting there

• About 5 minutes walk from Tsuchizaki Station.

Read more about Tsuchizaki Block Park

Akita City Ōmoriyama Zoo, nicknamed "Milve," offers close encounters with diverse animals.

What it is

• A municipal zoo in Akita City.
• Opened on September 1, 1973.
• Its nickname is "Milve."
• Official name is Ōmoriyama Zoo ~Akigin Omorin no Mori~.

What to see

• 93 species and 597 animals.
• Exhibits designed for animal action.
• Daily feeding events called "Manma Time."
• Participate in animal feeding experiences.

Official site

www.city.akita.akita.jp

Read more about Akita City Ōmoriyama Zoo

Akita Hachimantai Bear Ranch was a small zoo that closed in 2012 after a fatal accident.

What it is

• A bear ranch and zoo in Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture.
• Exhibited brown bears, Asian black bears, and Kodiak bears.
• Closed in June 2012 after a fatal accident.

What to see

• Multiple bear enclosures.
• A fishing pond.

When to go

• Closed for winter from late October to late April.

Read more about Akita Hachimantai Bear Park

See 20,000 lavender plants, including a unique white variety, in a scenic hillside park.

What it is

• A botanical garden in Misato town.
• Cultivation began in 1988 for local revitalization.
• Public access started in 1993.

What to see

• Approximately 20,000 lavender plants.
• Seven varieties of lavender.
• Misato Sekka, a unique white lavender variety.
• A 2-hectare park in the northern hills.

Read more about Misato town lavender field

Akasaka General Park offers sports facilities and green space next to Akita Furusato Village.

What it is

• An urban park in Akasaka, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture.
• Covers an area of 33.50 hectares.
• Designated as a wide-area disaster prevention base.
• Development plan began in 1980.

What to see

• Akasaka General Park Baseball Field.
• Yokote City Gymnasium.
• A ground golf course.

Address

秋田県横手市赤坂字大沼沢48 Map

Read more about Akasaka General Park