Nishi-no-miyake

Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)


Halfway between the train station and the sightseeing district, this samurai house has been partly converted into a stylish cafe. The menu spans the ages, but mostly serves elegant yōshoku (Japanese-style Western food). The tea and cake selection is equally tempting.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) attractions

1. Andō Brewery

0.16 MILES

Rows of Hinamatsuri dolls welcome visitors to this centuries-old brewery overseen by one of the oldest families in Akita Prefecture. Andō makes soy sauce…

2. Kakunodate Cherry-Bark Craft Center

0.49 MILES

Inside this elegant building you'll find exhibits and demonstrations of kabazaiku, the craft of covering household or decorative items in fine strips of…

3. Aoyagi Samurai Manor Museum

0.57 MILES

The restored Aoyagi family compound is impressive in its own right, but inside each well-maintained structure is a fascinating exhibition of family…

4. Bukeyashiki Ishiguro-ke

0.6 MILES

Built in 1809 as the residence of the Ishiguro family, advisers to the Satake clan, this is one of the oldest buildings in the samurai district…

5. Tatsuko

9.15 MILES

Legend has it that long ago, a local maiden, Tatsuko, believing that the spring water would make her beauty last forever, drank so much that she turned…

6. Tazawa-ko

12 MILES

The under-visited beach at Shirahama (白浜) is a real find for open-water swimmers and beach bums due to its clear-blue water, shallow entry and…

7. Senshū-kōen

25.1 MILES

Locals flock to this lush, leafy oasis on sunny days. The grounds were originally home to Akita's castle, built in 1604, which was destroyed with other…

8. Akita Museum of Art

25.15 MILES

Akita's most famous artwork, Tsuguharu Foujita's Events of Akita, is reputed to be the world's largest canvas painting, measuring 3.65m by 20.5m and…