Kakunodate Station 角館駅

Kakunodate Station is in the Kakunodate district of Senboku City, central-eastern Akita Prefecture - a district famous for its streets of elegant preserved samurai houses.

Kakunodate Station is the last stop on the Akita Nariku Line (the sole line operated by the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway) which goes 94km north as far as Takanosu Station, and the Tazawako Line (JR East) which the Akita Shinkansen Komachi ("mini shinkansen") trains also run on. Kakunodate Station is operated as a a not-for-profit venture, with involvement by Akita Prefecture.

Kakunodate Station's architectural design makes the most of the Kakunodate district's history as a former castle town with numerous, centuries-old preserved samurai dwellings.

Kakunodate Station has two station buildings: one for JR East and one for the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway. However, both the JR Tazawako Line line and the Akita Nariku Line run by opposite sides of the same single platform.

Kakunodate Tourist Information Center 角館町観光協会

The Kakunodate Tourist Information Center is the best-looking building here and is modeled on an old Japanese storehouse, or kura, mostly white with brown trim and a dramatic dark brown roof. The Center is right in front of the Akita Nairiku Jukan Kakunodate Station. In addition to providing information on Kakunodate's attractions to tourists, the Information Center also runs a bicycle hire service.

 

Kakunodate Station Taxi Stand

Even the taxi stand in front of Kakunodate Station joins in the antique atmosphere, being built in picturesque faux-samurai wooden style.