Kakunodate 角館
Celebrated samurai district & blossoms
The former castle town and samurai stronghold of Kakunodate in inland Akita prefecture is celebrated for its samurai district and hundreds of weeping cherry trees (shidare-zakura), especially along the Hinokinai River, which runs through town.
The samurai district still has some of the best examples of samurai architecture in all of Japan, with 6 samurai houses open to the public. With wide streets shaded by dozens of weeping cherry trees (which bloom in early May), this is aa popular viewing spot.
There are also a number of interesting buildings in the merchant district, to the south of the samurai district.