On the first night of August, the main avenue of Akita City transforms into a corridor of light. Hundreds of bamboo poles, each strung with as many as 46 paper lanterns, rise into the humid summer air. The performers — men and women who have trained for months — balance these swaying kanto on their palms, foreheads, shoulders, and hips, all while the crowd roars and taiko drums thunder from the sidelines. This is the Akita Kanto Festival, one of Japan's designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties and a fixture of the Tohoku summer calendar since the Edo period.
While neighboring Aomori has its Nebuta floats and Sendai its Tanabata streamers, Akita's contribution to Tohoku's summer is arguably the most physically demanding. A large kanto pole stands 12 meters tall and weighs around 50 kilograms — roughly the same as a grown adult. Watching a performer shift this weight from one hand to the other, or catch it on the bridge of their nose while lantern flames flicker inside, is genuinely breathtaking.
When and Where
The Kanto Festival runs every year from August 3 to 6. The main venue is Kanto Odori (Kanto Avenue), a straight stretch of road in central Akita City near the prefectural government building. Evening performances begin at 7:30 PM and last until around 9:00 PM. After the formal performances, there is a hands-on session where visitors can try lifting a smaller kanto — a highlight for anyone who wants to feel just how impossibly heavy these structures are.
Daytime events take place at Akita City's Senshu Park area, where individual performers compete in balancing techniques. This is a great chance to see the skills up close without the evening crowds.
Reserved seating along Kanto Odori costs around 3,000 yen and should be booked well in advance through the festival's official website. Free standing areas are available on both sides of the avenue, but arriving by 6:00 PM is essential for a good spot.
The History Behind the Lights
Kanto originated as a Tanabata-related practice called Neburi Nagashi, a ritual to drive away summer drowsiness and disease. The lanterns, shaped like rice bales, were prayers for a bountiful harvest. Over time, the poles grew taller, the lanterns more numerous, and the balancing feats more acrobatic. The festival was formally named "Kanto" in 1931 and received its national cultural designation in 1980.
Each kanto is built by a local neighborhood association (chonaikai), and the designs on the lanterns — family crests, neighborhood symbols, seasonal motifs — are a matter of local pride. Watching the different teams parade their kanto is like reading a visual directory of Akita's communities.
Getting to Akita
Akita City is served by the Akita Shinkansen (Komachi line) from Tokyo, with the journey taking about 4 hours. The Komachi runs through spectacular mountain scenery along the Ou Mountains, and the final stretch through Akita's rice paddies is one of the most beautiful Shinkansen approaches in Japan.
From Sendai, a highway bus takes about 3.5 hours and costs roughly half the Shinkansen price. Akita Airport, about 25 minutes from the city center by limousine bus, has direct flights from Tokyo Haneda (about 70 minutes), Osaka Itami, and Sapporo Chitose.
Kanto Odori is a 15-minute walk west of Akita Station, or a short taxi ride.
Nyuto Onsen: Japan's Most Secluded Hot Spring Village
About 90 minutes northeast of Akita City, at the foot of Mount Nyuto near the shores of Lake Tazawa, lies one of Japan's most atmospheric onsen clusters. Nyuto Onsen-kyo (Nyuto Hot Spring Village) consists of seven individually operated ryokan scattered through dense beech forest at elevations of 700 to 800 meters. Each ryokan has its own spring source with different mineral properties, and a "yumeguri" (bath-hopping) pass lets guests visit all seven for 1,800 yen.
Tsurunoyu, the most famous of the seven, dates back over 350 years. Its milky, sulfur-rich outdoor baths sit beside a thatched-roof building that looks unchanged since the Edo period. The mixed-gender outdoor bath (konyoku rotenburo) is one of the most photographed onsen scenes in Japan. Separate-gender baths are also available.
Oganiya offers sleek, modern rooms with excellent cuisine. Kuroyu, accessible only by a narrow forest road, has iron-rich black water that stains the rock pools a deep amber. Magoroku Onsen, the smallest and most rustic, has no electricity in some buildings — guests bathe by lamplight.
In summer, the forest around Nyuto is lush and cool, a dramatic contrast to the sweltering lowlands. Hiking trails connect several of the ryokan, and the area is rich with mountain wildflowers, cicada choruses, and the occasional Japanese serow (kamoshika).
Lake Tazawa: Japan's Deepest Lake
En route to Nyuto Onsen, Lake Tazawa (Tazawa-ko) is worth a stop. At 423 meters, it is the deepest lake in Japan, and its cobalt-blue water is strikingly clear. The golden statue of Tatsuko on the western shore — a figure from local legend who wished for eternal beauty and was transformed into a dragon — is an iconic photo spot.
In summer, the lake offers swimming, kayaking, and cycling around its 20-kilometer shoreline. The Tazawako Kogen area on the eastern shore has pensions and rental shops. A bus from Tazawako Station (on the Akita Shinkansen line) reaches the lake in about 15 minutes.
Kakunodate: The Little Kyoto of Tohoku
Just 15 minutes by Shinkansen from Tazawako Station, the samurai town of Kakunodate is a must-stop. Its Bukeyashiki (samurai residence) district preserves a row of dark-walled estates shaded by weeping cherry trees. In summer, the trees form a green tunnel that is almost as beautiful as the famous spring blossoms.
Kakunodate is also known for kabazaiku, a traditional craft using cherry bark to make tea caddies, boxes, and accessories. Several workshops offer demonstrations. The Denshokan museum provides an excellent overview of the town's feudal history.
What to Eat
Akita's cuisine is hearty, built around rice and the ingredients of the Tohoku mountains.
Kiritanpo Nabe — The signature dish of Akita. Freshly cooked rice is pounded, wrapped around cedar skewers, and grilled over charcoal. The resulting cylinders (kiritanpo) are then simmered in a rich chicken broth with seri (Japanese parsley), burdock root, maitake mushrooms, and Hinai-jidori chicken. The combination of smoky grilled rice and umami-laden broth is deeply satisfying, even in summer.
Inaniwa Udon — Thinner and silkier than regular udon, Inaniwa udon is one of Japan's three great udon varieties. It is typically served cold (hiyashi) in summer, with a dipping sauce. Sato Yosuke Honten in Yuzawa and branches in Akita City are the definitive spots.
Hinai-jidori Chicken — A premium free-range breed native to Akita, with firm texture and rich flavor. Try it as yakitori at the izakaya near Akita Station, or in the kiritanpo hot pot.
Hatahata — The sailfin sandfish is Akita's prefectural fish, usually served grilled with salt, simmered in shottsuru (fish sauce), or as hatahata sushi. Shottsuru is Akita's answer to Southeast Asian fish sauce, and it adds a funky depth to nabe and other dishes.
Babahera Ice Cream — A colorful roadside treat unique to Akita. Vendors in traditional clothing scoop pink (strawberry) and yellow (banana) ice cream into petal-like flower patterns on a cone. You will see them stationed along the Kanto Festival route.
Practical Tips
- Akita in early August is hot and humid (30-33°C), but significantly cooler than Tokyo or Osaka. Evenings drop to a comfortable 22-24°C, perfect for outdoor festival viewing.
- Nyuto Onsen is cool even in summer — bring a light layer. Mountain temperatures hover around 20-25°C during the day.
- Hotels in Akita City fill up fast during Kanto. Book at least two months ahead. The area around Akita Station (Dormy Inn, Metropolitan Akita, Comfort Hotel) is most convenient.
- For Nyuto Onsen, reserve your preferred ryokan as early as possible. Tsurunoyu is the hardest to book; alternatives like Oganiya and Taeshinoyu are excellent and slightly easier to secure.
- A Kanto Festival → Nyuto Onsen itinerary works well as 3-4 nights: arrive in Akita on August 2, attend Kanto on August 3-4, take the Shinkansen to Tazawako on August 5, visit Kakunodate and continue to Nyuto Onsen for 1-2 nights.
- The JR East Pass (Tohoku Area) covers the Akita Shinkansen and local trains, making this trip very affordable for international visitors.
- Rent a car at Tazawako Station if you want flexibility around the lake and Nyuto area. The forest roads are well-maintained but narrow.
A Suggested 4-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Akita City. Explore Senshu Park and the Akita Museum of Art (home to a massive Fujita Tsuguhei mural). Evening: attend the Kanto Festival opening night.
Day 2: Morning at the daytime Kanto competition in Senshu Park area. Afternoon: browse Akita's covered shopping streets, sample babahera ice cream. Evening: second night of Kanto from a different vantage point.
Day 3: Take the Akita Shinkansen to Kakunodate (about 45 minutes). Walk the samurai district and try kabazaiku workshops. Continue to Tazawako Station, bus to Lake Tazawa, then to Nyuto Onsen. Evening: soak in your ryokan's baths and feast on mountain cuisine.
Day 4: Morning bath-hopping at neighboring Nyuto ryokan using the yumeguri pass. Afternoon: hike the forest trails or kayak on Lake Tazawa. Return via Tazawako Station to Tokyo or continue north.
Akita does not shout for attention. It is not on the Golden Route, it does not have a world-famous castle or a Disney resort. What it offers is something rarer: a festival where the performers' skill leaves you holding your breath, hot springs where the only sound is water and wind, and a cuisine that tastes like a place that has never needed to impress anyone but itself.
Image: Akita Kanto Festival at night near Nichōme Bridge, 2017, CC BY-SA 4.0, by 掬茶, via Wikimedia Commons
