Kakunodate

Kakunodate is a nationally designated Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in Semboku City, Akita Prefecture. The town still retains the land layout from the feudal domain era, and many historic structures, landmarks, and heritage sites—such as samurai residences—remain today. It is also known as "Michinoku’s Little Kyoto." Kakunodate is famous for cherry blossoms: the weeping cherries in the samurai district are designated a National Natural Monument as "Kakunodate no Shidarezakura," and the cherry-lined embankment on the left bank of the Hinokinai River is designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty as "Hinokinai River Embankment (Cherry Blossoms)." The area is also selected among Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots as "Hinokinai River Embankment & Samurai Residences." The weeping cherries are said to have begun when the wife of Satake Yoshiaki, the second head of the Kakunodate Satake Kita family, brought them as part of her bridal trousseau. Around 400 trees—some over 300 years old—stand throughout the historic townscape. The Somei Yoshino along the Hinokinai River embankment were planted in 1934 to celebrate the birth of the Crown Prince at the time, and during cherry blossom season, many visitors gather to enjoy the approximately 2-kilometer-long tunnel of blooms.