AKITA CITY - tourist guide

Senshu Park

A park to watch the birds, or to take a walk through historic treasures.

Senshu Park 5 minutes walk from Akita Station
The park was once the castle of Satake clan of Akita. Cherry blossoms and Azaleas in the Spring, and Lotus flowers on the moat in early summers to entertain people passing by. Also, historic treasures as the statue of Yoshiaki Satake ,the twelfth lord, a room for tea ceremony, and Ohchozubachi, a big basin are seen in the park.

Osumiyagura turret(museum inside)
(Osumiyagura "castle" watch tower in Senshu Park) was reconstructed as the memento of the 100th anniversary of Akita becoming a city. Historical documents are exhibited inside and you can view the whole city from its observatory.

Monument to Taro Shoji
Osumiyagura castle watch tower was built as a memento of Taro Shoji who was one of the greatest composers of Japanese popular music in the Showa period.
When people stand in front of it, his famous songs, such as 'Kokkyo no machi' (a border town), can be heard.

Oga Lotus
The moat is covered with lotus flowers that were grown from 2000 year-old seeds.

Senshu Pocket Park (board walk)
The stylish park where you can take a break while wandering around. You can see the moat of the castle.

The remains of Akita Castle / The East Gate

Feeling the sophisticated atmosphere of 'Tenpyo', the guard of ancient times.

The remains of Akita Castle / The East Gate
15 minutes from Akita Station by car
The east gate of Akita Castle was restored using the way it was constructed in 733 as the farthest north protection of Yamato Dynasty. The depository of excavations from the site of Akita Castle nearby can be visited by appointment.

Historic Park
The East Gate, which many people visit for picnics.
The marsh used to be a sacred place for people to dedicate earthenware used at festivals in the castle.

Gokokujinja shrine
It is surrounded by Takashimizu Park, famous forits cherry trees. There are also many cherry trees including Shidare-zakura(weeping cherry trees) in the castle area. A quiet footpath.

Kosio Shrine
The place of the god for ports in Akita, where sailors, as well as common people, used to come to pray.

Grave of Masumi Sugae,
a scholar of Edo era
Scholar of Japanese literature and travel writer in late Edo period. He traveled around Akita and Tsugaru (in Aomori Prefecture) and wrote much Waka poetry and travel writing.

<<Historical walks of Akita>>
As well as Takashimizu Park [the remains of ancient castle] and Senshu Park [the remains of the Edo period castle], Akita has many interesting historic sites.

Hie Hachiman Jinja shrine
Hie Hachiman Jinja shrine
The red three-storied pagoda has such finely detailed craft work that it is even called 'The Nikko shrine of Akita'.

Tentokuji Temple
The temple of the Satake family, the lord of the Akita clan. It has many treasures such as 'Juroku-rakanzu (sixteen Rakan painting)' and 'Jusan-botoke (thirteen figures of Buddha) in color from the Muromachi period.

Taiheizan Miyoshi Jinja shrine
This shrine of a brave god is very popular among the citizens of Akita. The largest pipe and Sake cup in Japan were dedicated to the shrine.

Grave of Atsutane Hirata, a scholar of Edo era
Atsutane was born in the samurai family of Akita clan and studied in Edo (Tokyo). He established a theological theory called 'Hirata-shintou'

Residence of Nara family, a farmhouse
The site of a wealthy farmer residence. You can see the characteristics of the Sukiya style and the Shoin style of Japanese traditional architecture during the Horyaku period (designated as an important national cultural property)

Hodadera Temple
The oldest temple of the Sodo sect in Akita. It is the temple of the Akita family who was the lord before the Satake family. It is said that Fujifusa Fujiwara was the second chief priest. He was a famous figure in the Northern and Southern Courts period.

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