5 Reasons This is the Japanese Destination to Visit Next

To the far north of Japan’s largest and most populous island, Honshu, and three hours by train from Tokyo lies Akita Prefecture. Rugged and remote, under-the-radar Akita is home to hot springs, world-class skiing and cultural festivals that showcase a different side of Japan. Here’s why Akita needs to be at the top of your Japan bucket list. 

Discover crowd-free world-class skiing

Storms from Siberia travel south to create the signature powdery snow or “Japow” that covers Akita Prefecture. The weather makes Ani Ski Resort on Mount Moriyoshi, in the region’s north, a skier's paradise as it features five pistes and an impressive 663 metres of vertical descent. There are plenty of opportunities to head into the wild and back-country skiing is easy to find. A two-hour drive southeast of Ani Ski Resort, Tazawako Ski Resort overlooks Japan’s deepest crater lake, Tazawa. There are six lifts; wide, long trails suitable for all levels; and plenty of dining options for refuelling the body between runs. Head to Tazawako’s own microbrewery to sample up to four types of draught or pop into Kakunodate Soba for steaming bowls of duck noodle soup. 

Bathe in an onsen wonderland

Hunkered down at the base of Mount Nyuto in Senboku is Nyuto Osenkyo’s hot spring central. In this town, traditional-style inns with steaming outdoor baths sit surrounded by beech forest – a scene that looks straight out of a picture book when dusted in snow. The onsens are fed with seven varieties of spring water, each flowing from different sources within the village, that help soothe sore joints and muscles. At Nyuto Onsenkyo Taenoyu, the hot pools feature a blend of skin-nourishing magnesium and calcium sulphate. Stay the night and indulge in a dinner of Nyuto Onsen yamanoimo nabe.

Become a sake buff

Established in 1689, sake brewery Hideyoshi is located near the town of Kakunodate’s traditional samurai houses. Free tours offer an insight into the brewing process and the opportunity to get up close to the brewery’s collection of historical art, samurai armour and traditional jewellery. While you’re there, sample sparkling sake, umeshu (green plum liqueur) and, in winter, sip its signature warm amazake (sweet fermented rice drink). Hideyoshi is just one of 37 sake breweries in Akita – where locally grown rice and pure mountain spring water provide the basis for the beverage – producing unique flavour profiles from dry and umami-led to sweet and syrupy. 

Watch the enchanting Paper Balloon Festival

Every year on February 10, the Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Festival lights up the mid-winter night sky. Taking place on the fringes of Semboku, a city an hour and 20-minute drive east of the prefecture’s capital Akita, the celebration marks the Lunar New Year by launching hundreds of paper balloons, some of which are 12 metres tall and decorated with illustrations of samurais and beautiful women over Lake Tazawa. The festival also allows attendees to give rise to their own smaller balloons that are handmade for free by locals using traditional techniques. They are often inscribed with a personal wish for the year ahead. 

Ride the Railway of Smiles

Train enthusiasts rejoice in Akita Prefecture, where more than 140 stations and nine railway lines offer views of mountain passes and white-capped waves. In a land that’s home to futuristic high-speed shinkansen, the trains traversing Akita Nairiku take just two hours to ferry passengers on a leisurely trip south from Takanosu to Kakunodate, with more than 20 stops along the way. Each train is only a single carriage, and all are painted in primary colours to align with the seasons. The view from your window is just as charming – you’ll spot rustic villages, virgin beech forest and wildflowers blooming in the outcrops of Mount Moriyoshi as you zip by.