Akita · City
Semboku
仙北市せんぼくしSenboku-shiSamurai houses, Japan's deepest lake and hot springs in the beech forest
Semboku is a city in eastern Akita that brings together the samurai town of Kakunodate, Lake Tazawa – at 423.4 metres the deepest lake in Japan – and the hot springs of Nyuto and Tamagawa in the Ou Mountains. It was formed in 2005 by the merger of Kakunodate, Tazawako and Nishiki.
Overview
Semboku – officially romanised with an 'm', Senboku in standard Hepburn – covers a large area of eastern Akita between the Ou Mountains on the Iwate border and the Semboku plain. Much of it is forest and mountain, part of Towada-Hachimantai National Park, and the city is one of the snowiest in the prefecture.
Its best-known part is Kakunodate, a castle town laid out in 1620 whose samurai quarter, with black board fences, broad streets and hundreds of weeping cherry trees, is one of the most complete in northern Japan. North-east of it lies Lake Tazawa, a deep blue caldera lake ringed by forest. Higher up, the beech woods of Mount Nyuto and the volcanic highlands of Hachimantai shelter some of Tohoku's most traditional hot-spring inns.
Landmarks
Kakunodate samurai district
角館武家屋敷Kakunodate bukeyashikiBroad streets of black fences, gates and samurai residences such as the Aoyagi, Ishiguro and Iwahashi houses, several open to visitors.
Weeping cherries of Kakunodate
角館のシダレザクラKakunodate no shidarezakuraHundreds of old weeping cherry trees in the samurai district, many of them a national natural monument, flowering in late April.
Hinokinai River cherry embankment
檜木内川堤Hinokinai-gawa tsutsumiA tunnel of Somei-yoshino cherries about two kilometres long along the river, a national Place of Scenic Beauty.
Kakunodate Kabazaiku Denshokan
角館樺細工伝承館Kakunodate Kabazaiku DenshōkanA museum and workshop of cherry-bark craft at the edge of the samurai district.
- 田沢湖Tazawa-ko
Japan's deepest lake, 423.4 metres, with the golden statue of Tatsuko, a girl who according to legend became the lake's dragon in her wish for eternal beauty.
Nyuto Onsen area
乳頭温泉郷Nyūtō onsenkyōSeven rustic hot-spring inns in beech forest, among them Tsurunoyu with its thatched buildings and milky outdoor bath.
- 玉川温泉Tamagawa Onsen
Strongly acidic springs on the Hachimantai side of the city, visited for traditional cure stays and rock-bed bathing.
Dakigaeri Gorge
抱返り渓谷Dakigaeri keikokuA gorge of the Tama River with blue-green water, a suspension bridge and the Mikaeri waterfall, known for autumn colour.
Districts
Kakunodate Uchimachi
内町UchimachiThe samurai quarter north of the old firebreak, with the preserved residences and weeping cherries.
Kakunodate Tomachi
外町TomachiThe former merchants' town to the south, with brick and plaster storehouses, breweries and a soy sauce maker.
Tazawako
田沢湖TazawakoThe lake area with the station town, the lakeshore and the Tazawako Kogen highlands leading to Nyuto and Akita Komagatake.
Nishiki
西木NishikiThe rural western part of the city along the Akita Nairiku Line, known for its katakuri (dogtooth violet) fields in spring.
History
Kakunodate began as a fortified settlement on Mount Furushiro. After the Satake were moved to Akita in 1602, the domain assigned Kakunodate to Ashina Yoshikatsu, who in 1620 relocated the town to the flat land south of the hill and divided it by a firebreak into a samurai quarter (Uchimachi) and a merchants' quarter (Tomachi) – a plan that survives. From 1656 the Satake-Kita branch family governed the town until 1871.
In the eighteenth century Kakunodate samurai became known for cherry-bark craftwork and for painting: Odano Naotake, a local samurai, led the Akita school of Western-style painting. The samurai district was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1976. Lake Tazawa's ecology was transformed from 1940, when acidic water from the Tamagawa river was diverted into it for hydropower and irrigation; the lake's endemic black kokanee (kunimasu) disappeared, and was only rediscovered in 2010 in Lake Saiko near Mount Fuji, where eggs had once been sent.
1620
Ashina Yoshikatsu moves Kakunodate to its present site and lays out the samurai and merchant quarters.
1656
The Satake-Kita family takes over the governance of Kakunodate.
1770s
Odano Naotake, a Kakunodate samurai, illustrates the anatomy text Kaitai Shinsho (1774).
1934
Some two kilometres of cherry trees are planted along the Hinokinai River embankment.
1940
Acidic Tamagawa water is diverted into Lake Tazawa; the kunimasu dies out in the lake.
1976
The Kakunodate samurai district is designated an Important Preservation District.
1997
The Akita Shinkansen begins stopping at Tazawako and Kakunodate.
2005
Kakunodate, Tazawako and Nishiki merge to form Semboku.
Culture
Kakunodate cultivates its identity as a samurai town, sometimes called the 'little Kyoto of Michinoku'. Cherry-bark craft, the memory of the Akita ranga painters and the yearly float festival give the town a cultural life beyond sightseeing. In the mountains, the hot-spring inns preserve an older tradition of toji, long cure stays, while Lake Tazawa is surrounded by legends of Tatsuko and the dragon Hachiro.
Festivals
Kakunodate Festival
角館祭りのやま行事Kakunodate Matsuri no Yama GyōjiFrom 7 to 9 September neighbourhood floats are pulled through town and meet in negotiated collisions; part of UNESCO's Yama, Hoko, Yatai listing (2016).
Hiburi Kamakura
火振りかまくらHiburi kamakuraIn mid-February burning straw bundles on ropes are swung in circles over the snow to drive off misfortune and pray for a good harvest.
Kakunodate Cherry Blossom Festival
角館の桜まつりKakunodate no Sakura MatsuriFrom late April into early May, when the weeping cherries and the riverside trees bloom.
Food
Kiritanpo nabe
きりたんぽ鍋kiritanpo nabeAkita's grilled rice sticks in a chicken hotpot with burdock and seri, served at inns throughout the area.
Iburi-gakko
いぶりがっこiburi-gakkoSmoked daikon pickles, sold in Kakunodate's merchant quarter.
Mountain vegetables and river fish
山菜・岩魚sansai, iwanaSpring shoots, mushrooms and char grilled over charcoal, staples of the hot-spring inns at Nyuto and Tamagawa.
Kakunodate soy sauce and miso
角館の醤油・味噌Kakunodate no shōyu, misoProduced in the Tomachi merchant quarter, where an old brewery shows its brick storehouse.
Getting around
- Kakunodate and Tazawako stations are on the Akita Shinkansen, about three hours from Tokyo via Morioka and 45 minutes from Akita.
- The Akita Nairiku Line runs north from Kakunodate through Nishiki towards Takanosu.
- Buses from Tazawako Station serve the lakeshore, Nyuto Onsen and, outside winter, Tamagawa Onsen and Akita Komagatake.
- The Kakunodate samurai district is a walk of about 20 minutes from the station; rental bicycles are common.
Day trips
The prefectural capital with Senshu Park and the Kanto Festival, 45 minutes by Shinkansen.
Volcanic plateau with marshes, fumaroles and the Aspite Line, reached via Tamagawa Onsen.
A 1,637-metre volcano with alpine flower meadows, climbed from the Hachigome trailhead above Tazawako Kogen.
Omagari and Yokote
The fireworks city of Omagari and the snow-hut town of Yokote to the south.
Iwate's capital, less than an hour east by Akita Shinkansen.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
When do the cherries bloom in Kakunodate?
Usually from late April to early May; the weeping cherries in the samurai district tend to open a little before the trees along the Hinokinai River.
Why is the city called Semboku and not Senboku?
The city uses the romanisation Semboku, following the older Hepburn convention of writing 'm' before 'b'; in modified Hepburn the name is Senboku.
How deep is Lake Tazawa?
Lake Tazawa is 423.4 metres deep, the deepest lake in Japan. Because it rarely freezes, it stays open even in the coldest winters.
Can Nyuto Onsen be visited as a day trip?
Yes. Buses run from Tazawako Station, and most of the inns accept day bathers, though an overnight stay is the traditional way to experience them.