Namahage Sedo Festival

This festival is a winter event that combines a Shinto ritual at a shrine with the Namahage tradition, and it is held in Oga City, Akita Prefecture. The sight of Namahage descending from the mountains with torches is truly powerful. Although they look frightening, they also serve to watch over children to make sure they aren’t misbehaving, and the event is a traditional ceremony cherished by the local community.

Akita Komachi

This delicious rice represents Akita Prefecture. When cooked, it becomes glossy with a pleasantly chewy texture. It’s delicious on its own and perfect for rice balls or lunch boxes. Grown in Akita’s climate and soil, it’s loved by many people. It’s popular throughout Japan and known as one of Akita’s finest foods.

rice

In Akita Prefecture, a lot of delicious rice is produced. When that rice is cooked, lightly mashed in a suribachi or similar bowl, wrapped around a cedar stick, and grilled, it becomes “kiritanpo.” Kiritanpo is often eaten in hot pot dishes and is cherished as a winter cuisine of Akita. As a traditional dish made with high-quality rice, it has become a specialty of the prefecture.

Lake Tazawa

Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture is 423.4 meters deep at its deepest point. That’s deep enough to fit Tokyo Tower inside. As a symbol of the lake, there is a golden statue of Tatsuko, inspired by a dragon legend, which is popular with tourists. It’s one of Akita’s signature spots where you can enjoy the beautiful lake scenery and its legend.

World Natural Heritage

In the Shirakami Mountains, which span Akita and Aomori Prefectures, there is a vast beech forest that has been largely untouched by human hands. Because this forest is a place of pristine and important nature, it has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Many animals and plants live there, and it is cherished by people around the world to preserve its untouched natural beauty.

sweet sake (amazake)

Inside the kamakura (snow hut), the water deity, “Suijin-sama,” is enshrined. During the winter festival, children say, “Haittetanse” and “Ogandetanse” (local phrases meaning “Please come in” and “Please offer your prayers”) as they serve amazake and rice cakes to visitors who come to the kamakura. This event is a long-standing tradition, a cherished winter celebration in which the community gathers to enjoy themselves while expressing gratitude to the water deity.

Princess Tatsuko

There is a story about Lake Tazawa called the Legend of Princess Tatsuko. The beautiful Princess Tatsuko prayed to the gods, saying, “I want to stay young and beautiful forever.” When she drank the spring water as the gods had foretold, she transformed into a dragon and is said to have become the guardian of Lake Tazawa. This legend inspired the lake’s symbol, the Statue of Tatsuko, which is beloved by visitors to Lake Tazawa.