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According to the Akita City website , "Akita City was founded in 1602 when Satake Yoshinobu was transferred to another province."
Satake Yoshinobu (Ukyo-dayu) – Tentokuji Temple Collection Source: Wikipedia
Satake Yoshinobu came to Akita in 1602.
At the command of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Shogun of the Edo Shogunate, he moved with his entire family from Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture), where he had lived for many years. The Satake clan was well-liked by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and they held great influence in Hitachi Province, boasting a stipend of approximately 540,000 koku
However, in the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), he took an ambiguous stance by siding with neither Hideyoshi nor Ieyasu, which left a bad impression on Ieyasu, who won the battle. He was reduced to 200,000 koku and sent to Akita (Dewa Province), the most remote northern province at the time
Akita Domain Territory Akita Domain Six Counties Map Collection: Akita Prefectural Museum
Construction of Kubota Castle began immediately after the transfer of the domain to Akita
At the time, Akita was ruled by a powerful clan called the Akita clan, but when the Satake clan was ordered to move to Akita, they were also ordered to move to Hitachi Province to replace the Satake clan. The Akita clan built Minato Castle at Tsuchizaki Minato (present-day Tsuchizaki Port in Akita City) and used it as their base, and Yoshinobu also initially resided in Minato Castle
However, Minato Castle was too small for the vassals of the Satake clan, a feudal lord with a fief of over 500,000 koku, so Yoshinobu quickly decided to build a new castle in an area called Kubota. Construction began in 1603 and continued until around 1631
Kubota Castle never had a castle tower. The moat was created by renovating a natural river
Kubota Castle Map Collection: Akita Prefectural Museum
At the time, the center of what is now Akita City was Tsuchizaki Port at the mouth of the Omono River, and Minato Castle was also located in this area. However, Yoshinobu built a castle in Kubota, a short distance away on the banks of the Asahi River, a tributary of the Omono River, and began the development of a new town
The site chosen for the main castle was the top of a small hill called Shinmeiyama, and although the reason is unclear, Yoshitsune did not build a castle tower from the beginning
The Honmaru is in the center, with the Ninomaru to the southeast and the Honmaru and Ninomaru surrounded by an inner moat. The Sannomaru is to the north of the Honmaru, and the outer moat surrounds it to the east, with the northwest side being a wetland created by the Asahi River
The marshland served as a natural fortress. It is said that the moat was created by converting a natural river into a moat over many years of construction. Another distinctive feature of Kubota Castle is that it has no stone walls
The construction of the castle town began at the same time as the construction of Kubota Castle
Castle Town Map (1763) Collection: Akita Prefectural Museum
Yoshinobu built a town around Kubota Castle , he built a samurai town called Uchimachi
The townspeople's area Tomachi , and it is said that merchants were invited from Tsuchizaki Port to build the town. The town was organized by occupation and was very orderly.
Temples are located further outside the outer town. Many of these temples were relocated from Tsuchizaki, but some accompanied the Satake clan from Hitachi Province
Kubota Castle and the castle town, most of whose buildings were destroyed in a fire during the Meiji period
The Akita Domain (Kubota Domain) was one of the few domains from the Tohoku region to join the new government forces during the Boshin War (1868-1869) during the Meiji Restoration.
The Aizu clan, as well as the Shonai and Nanbu clans in the Tohoku region, formed the Oshu-Uetsu Alliance to oppose the new government. The Akita clan also initially joined the alliance and fought against the government forces, but later withdrew and joined the new government forces
The new government forces won the Boshin War, but many castles, towns, and villages were destroyed in the battle. It is said that Kubota Castle suffered almost no damage despite being attacked by allied forces
However, in a major fire that occurred in 1880 (Meiji 13), all of the buildings in Kubota Castle and Uchimachi were burned down, leaving only the Omonogashira Guardhouse and the rear gate
the Tawaraya Fire in 1886 (Meiji 19) . Since then, the area has been hit by numerous fires, and unfortunately, there are very few old buildings left in Akita City.
This park was developed on the site of Kubota Castle. Most of the buildings, including the main citadel, were lost in a fire, but the castle ruins were renovated in 1896 (Meiji 29) by Nagaoka Yasuhei, a pioneer of modern park design, who designed the park as a Japanese garden
The "Chiaki" in Chiaki Park is a combination of "Akita" (Autumn) and "Sen" (Chikyuu), which means "long-lasting" (Chokyuu). The park was named by Kano Ryochi, a Chinese scholar from Akita Prefecture
Within the park, the stone steps of the main castle, the remains of the gate, the guardhouse, and part of the moat remain, and the Osumiyagura (corner turret) and front gate have also been restored. It is known as a famous cherry blossom viewing spot, and admission is free
Chiaki Park＜Information＞
Facility name: Senshu Park
Address: 1-1 Senshu Park, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
Omonogashira Gobansho the only remaining Edo periodof the guards, who were responsible for extinguishing fires within Kubota Castle, and is believed to have been built in the mid-Edo period. a designated cultural property of Akita City .
Omonogashira Guardhouse <Information>
Facility name: Omonogashira Gobansho
Location: Inside Chiaki Park
Phone number: 018-888-5753
Lookout post at Kubota Castle. The restored "Kubota Castle Osumi Yagura"
Kubota Castle Osumiyagura was a tower located in the northwest corner of Kubota Castle, and served as a lookout post and an armory. When this tower was restored, it was built as a two-story structure based on historical documents, and an observation room was installed on the upper floor, offering a panoramic view of Akita city.
Opening hours: 9:00-16:30 (until 19:00 on summer holidays for municipal elementary and junior high schools)
Admission fee: 100 yen (free for high school students and younger)
Closed: December 1st to March 31st of the following year
The main gate of Kubota Castle was restored based on drawings and other sources
The main gate of Kubota Castle was restored based on drawings and other sources
The Kubota Castle Front Gate is a reconstruction of the main gate of the castle's inner citadel. The two-story gate with a tiled roof was reconstructed based on historical documents and drawings.
Kubota Castle Front Gate <Information>
Facility name: Kubota Castle Front Gate
Location: Inside Chiaki Park
Phone number: 018-888-5753
Free tour
The Former Kurosawa Residence: A precious samurai residence that retains its Edo period appearance
The former Kurosawa family residence was the residence of a high-ranking samurai of the Akita domain, and is a rare example nationwide of a building from the Edo period that has remained almost intact. In the Akita domain, samurai residences were the domain's property and were assigned according to status. People often moved due to promotions, transfers, or the domain's circumstances, and this residence passed through the Haga, Akata, Yoshinari, and Hirai families, with the Kurosawa family having lived there since 1829.
The Kurosawa family home was located in Nakadori 3-chome, Akita City, but was relocated to Hitotsumori Park in 1985. The former Kurosawa family home is a nationally designated important cultural property .
Former Kurosawa Residence <Information>
Facility name: Former Kurosawa Residence
Address: Hitotsumori Park, 297-99 Ishizukayachi, Narayama, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 018-831-0285
Opening hours: 9:30-16:30
Holidays: December 29th to January 3rd
Admission fee: 100 yen (free for high school students and younger)
Train: Take a local bus from Akita Station on the Akita Shinkansen or Ou Main Line to Ooto Iriguchi bus stop and walk for about 25 minutes, or get off at Yokomori 2-chome bus stop and walk for about 15 minutes
By car: Approximately 10 minutes from Akita Minami IC on the Akita Expressway or approximately 15 minutes from Akita Chuo IC
Google Map
"Josutei Garden" was built outside Kubota Castle as a resting place for the feudal lord
Josutei Garden, the villa of the Satake clan, former lords of the Akita domain , was developed by the 9th lord of the Akita domain, Satake Yoshikazu, and Josutei was the lord's "resting place." Restoration work began in 2014 (Heisei 26) based on historical documents and documents, and the garden was reopened in 2017 (Heisei 29). It has been designated a national place of scenic beauty
Jositing Garden <Information>
Facility name: Garden of the former Akita feudal lord Satake family villa (Josutei)
Address: 2-73 Asahikawa Minamimachi, Akita City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 018-834-6300
Opening hours:
April to November: 9:00 to 16:30
December to March: 9:30 to 16:00
Admission fee: 210 yen (free for high school students and younger)
Closed: December 29th to January 3rd
access:
Train: Approximately 10 minutes by bus from Akita Station on the Akita Shinkansen or Ou Main Line, get off at the Karamiden or Ogita bus stop, then walk for approximately 5 minutes
By car: Approximately 15 minutes from Akita Chuo IC or Akita Kita IC on the Akita Expressway
My love of travel grew, and I used to write a travel magazine, and now I'm a travel writer for the web. During my research, I visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, mainly in the Tohoku region, but my fun part is soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture such as old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts.
![4550228_m](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/4550228_m-150x150.jpg.webp "Hot springs gush out in a place where there are no volcanoes! "Yuzawa Geopark" where you can see the mystery of the earth up close [Akita Prefecture]")
![Akita Catch](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/979a38324ff45520e274bdc0cee6df5e-150x150.jpg.webp "The pride of the six Tohoku prefectures: "Constructed in peacetime, yet with a sturdy structure!" Kubota Castle, located in a prime location in front of the station [Akita City, Akita Prefecture]")
