Wabizakura

Top choice in Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)

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Deep within the forest, surrounded by trees, this stunning ryokan is housed in a 200-year-old building that was carefully relocated from Iwate Prefecture. With distinct Western interior-design influences, Wabizakura (a type of cherry blossom) is popular with well-off Tokyoites seeking refined solitude in a historical setting. The 10 suites include outdoor onsen and stylish lounge areas. Very hard to leave.

It's 15km from Kakunodate; pick-up from the train station is available with advance reservation.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Tazawa-ko

    Tazawa-ko

    9.37 MILES

    The under-visited beach at Shirahama (白浜) is a real find for open-water swimmers and beach bums due to its clear-blue water, shallow entry and…

  • Senshū-kōen

    Senshū-kōen

    23.4 MILES

    Locals flock to this lush, leafy oasis on sunny days. The grounds were originally home to Akita's castle, built in 1604, which was destroyed with other…

  • Exampla kabazaiku items. Kabazaiku objects are made using the bark of a cherry tree, and have a lustrous patina.

    Kakunodate Cherry-Bark Craft Center

    3.78 MILES

    Inside this elegant building you'll find exhibits and demonstrations of kabazaiku, the craft of covering household or decorative items in fine strips of…

  • Akita Museum of Art

    Akita Museum of Art

    23.49 MILES

    Akita's most famous artwork, Tsuguharu Foujita's Events of Akita, is reputed to be the world's largest canvas painting, measuring 3.65m by 20.5m and…

  • Tatsuko

    Tatsuko

    5.94 MILES

    Legend has it that long ago, a local maiden, Tatsuko, believing that the spring water would make her beauty last forever, drank so much that she turned…

  • Andō Brewery

    Andō Brewery

    4.39 MILES

    Rows of Hinamatsuri dolls welcome visitors to this centuries-old brewery overseen by one of the oldest families in Akita Prefecture. Andō makes soy sauce…

  • Neburi Nagashi Kan

    Neburi Nagashi Kan

    23.76 MILES

    If you can't make it to town for the Kantō Matsuri pole lantern festival, this small museum is the next best thing. The highlight is a large hall with…

  • Bukeyashiki Ishiguro-ke

    Bukeyashiki Ishiguro-ke

    3.66 MILES

    Built in 1809 as the residence of the Ishiguro family, advisers to the Satake clan, this is one of the oldest buildings in the samurai district…

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Nearby Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) attractions

1. Bukeyashiki Ishiguro-ke

3.66 MILES

Built in 1809 as the residence of the Ishiguro family, advisers to the Satake clan, this is one of the oldest buildings in the samurai district…

2. Aoyagi Samurai Manor Museum

3.7 MILES

The restored Aoyagi family compound is impressive in its own right, but inside each well-maintained structure is a fascinating exhibition of family…

3. Kakunodate Cherry-Bark Craft Center

3.78 MILES

Inside this elegant building you'll find exhibits and demonstrations of kabazaiku, the craft of covering household or decorative items in fine strips of…

4. Andō Brewery

4.39 MILES

Rows of Hinamatsuri dolls welcome visitors to this centuries-old brewery overseen by one of the oldest families in Akita Prefecture. Andō makes soy sauce…

5. Tatsuko

5.94 MILES

Legend has it that long ago, a local maiden, Tatsuko, believing that the spring water would make her beauty last forever, drank so much that she turned…

6. Tazawa-ko

9.37 MILES

The under-visited beach at Shirahama (白浜) is a real find for open-water swimmers and beach bums due to its clear-blue water, shallow entry and…

7. Senshū-kōen

23.4 MILES

Locals flock to this lush, leafy oasis on sunny days. The grounds were originally home to Akita's castle, built in 1604, which was destroyed with other…

8. Akita Museum of Art

23.49 MILES

Akita's most famous artwork, Tsuguharu Foujita's Events of Akita, is reputed to be the world's largest canvas painting, measuring 3.65m by 20.5m and…