This time, we will be looking at express trains that ran on the section of the Japan Sea Longitudinal Line that passes through the Tohoku region. Although the entire section from the starting station to the terminal station is electrified, they used diesel railcars instead of electric trains.
Nyuto Onsenkyo is a hot spring resort located in the mountainous area of Senboku City, famous for Kakunodate and Lake Tazawa, in the central-western part of Akita Prefecture. Its water source is Mount Nyuto (1,478 meters above sea level), which rises on the border with Iwate Prefecture.
The abandoned Kosaka Railway in northeastern Akita Prefecture remains largely intact along the Jukai Line (Akita Prefectural Route 2, Odate-Towada Lake Line), allowing visitors to experience the atmosphere of the past. From the former Odate Station to Kosaka...
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Lake Tazawa is the deepest lake in Japan (approximately 423.4m at its deepest point), and shows off a variety of different faces throughout the seasons. The autumn foliage season is particularly spectacular, with the forests colored in red and yellow and the lake's crystal clear waters...
In spring, Semboku City is home to the Kakunodate Cherry Blossom Festival (early April through Golden Week), which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Akita Prefecture. From summer to early autumn, Semboku City also hosts the Lake Tazawa Dragon Festival (the last Saturday of July), and the Senboku River.
Of the six Tohoku prefectures, Tohoku has the third most roadside stations, with 34 (as of June 2025), after Iwate and Fukushima. Each roadside station offers local soft serve ice cream that takes advantage of the region's unique characteristics.
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In "Let's go see natural Akita cedars" [1], we introduced some representative old Akita cedar trees and the natural forests where they grow. Here, you can enjoy a leisurely walk along well-maintained trails...
Cedar is a tree native to Japan, and fossils dating back approximately 5.3 million years have been discovered in Akita Prefecture. Archaeological excavations have since revealed that humans used cedar trees during the early Jomon period.
Walk west from JR Akita Station for about five minutes and you'll see a moat filled with floating lotus flowers on your right. North of the moat is Kubota Castle, built on the small Shinmeiyama mountain.
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A typical summer sight in Akita is "Babahera Ice Cream," where a parasol is set up in a roadside parking space and then the baker skillfully uses a spatula underneath to create rose-shaped ice cream.
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