Half Day Kakunodate Tour of Crafts Culture and Cuisine
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Kakunodate is a former castle town which flourished during the Edo period. Known as the “Little Kyoto of Tohoku”, the town is home to a district 800-meters in radius consisting of samurai residences and traditional architecture popular with both domestic and international tourists. The samurai residences lining the town’s most famous street are nationally protected Traditional Buildings.
But no one really cared about the merchant district that also has history and culture that is also passed down for generations. In this tour, with an experienced local guide, we will take you to both the merchant district and the samurai district. It will show you the contrast between the 2 distinct lifestyles of people and how the tradition has been passed down to current days.
We picked up the best of the best in town, so we are confident that you will acknowledge the beauty of traditional style of living which people admired from the samurai era.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What To Expect
We will have our tour briefing at ORENCHI. Information regarding Kakunodate Town as a samurai town and also as a merchant’s town will be given here. The tour will begin by going into the merchant’s district first and experiencing Kabazaiku using mountain cherry barks, exploring a century old soy sauce and miso brewery, and visiting manors of the Samurai district. Information regarding Kakunodate’s significance will be given here.
Established in 1876, Yatsuyanagi Shoten is a manufacturer and distributor of kabazaiku, a traditional handicraft designated by the national government. The company has been producing products in Kakunodate for generations, carrying on the traditional techniques and methods of production, while at the same time being conscious of modern lifestyles. The craft of making these products has been passed down for 200 years since the late Edo period (1603-1868), when it became a domestic occupation for the warriors of Kakunodate. Each piece of cherry bark work is made by hand by craftsmen who shave the bark of the mountain cherry tree into thin strips and attach them to the wood with a trowel. On this tour, you will receive instruction from the seventh generation family and experience making your own coasters by scraping the cherry bark yourself. You can take your coaster home as a souvenir. This tour unravels the charm of this traditional craft experience, which is done entirely by hand.
What‘s Included
Entrance fee of Ishiguro House
Sakura craft workshop fee
3 hours in-person guiding
Insurance for the tour
Ando brewery excursion and tasting
Private transportation
Souvenirs for yourself
Options
Half Day Kakunodate Tour of Crafts Culture and Cuisine
Reviews
8 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A complete tour of Kakunodate
Tanguy L,,Aug 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were very well received by Mikiya! A complete tour of Kakunodate: Samurai quarter, making shoyu and miso, and crafts. All with memories to bring back.
A delightful half day getting insight into Kakunodate’s crafts and history
387AlexA,,Jun 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My family and I have taken many food and culture tours in a number of cities and towns across the globe, and this stands out as one of the very best. The town of Kakunodate is a small gem of a place which is beautifully nested among mountains, forests and rivers. The tour was a delightful half day spent with our excellent guide, Ginji, who spoke flawless English and took us to three amazing and memorable places as we biked between them (it was probably less than 45 minutes of actual bicycling). The most remarkable part of this was that the proprietors of these businesses themselves gave us the tours and instruction (in all cases these were multi-generational businesses, the newest of them being “only” 120 years old), all beautifully translated by our guide. We got to see how miso and soy sauce are made by the region’s top producer (including a tour of the fermenting pots and industrial presses), got a tour of a Samurai estate given by the current-generation descendant of that family, and tried our hand at cherry bark crafting learning from a master crafts-person. It felt like getting an in insiders’ access to each of these fascinating and culturally important businesses. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough.
Brilliant Tour
lilacrose,,Jun 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic morning with our guide, this tour was really very special. Our first stop was at workshop where they had been making beautiful boxes and objects using cherry tree bark for 100's of years and we thoroughly enjoyed making coasters with the lovely owner. The next stop was another longstanding family run affair, this time a Soy and Miso brewery where we had tastings and a tour of the process of brewing both soy and miso, our final stop was an old Samuri house and we were shown around by the owner who's family had loved there for 700 years. The whole tour ws really special and our guide was fantastic and even found us restaurant serving vegetarian food at the end of the tour. Highly recommend.
Excellent tour
Dean C,,May 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Varied and interesting with a lot packed in and an excellent English speaking guide with great local knowledge. Very enjoyable.
Superb insight into Kakunodate
wennine,,Apr 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wonderful half day bike tour from Ginji, despite the very wet weather. Enjoyed authentic craft workshop along with explanation of soy sauce and miso origin. Ending with a look at samurai history. Some great restaurant recommendations too.
Take this tour if you get the chance!
kaiw01,,Apr 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a wonderfully immersive, uniquely intimate opportunity to meet and learn from some of Kakunodate's skilled artisans and community members. Our guide Ginji was also highly knowledgeable about the history and landmarks in Kakunodate and Japan as a whole. This tour captured the essence of Japanese community and craftsmanship as I'd imagined it. There really is history behind everything you see in Kakunodate - go ahead and ask for yourself! During the quiet time of year when we visited, everything felt surreal and serene as we walked through the town. The streets are lined with weeping cherry blossoms (there's a story behind that, too!), and while we arrived just before cherry blossom season, I can imagine how amazing the town must look when they're in bloom. Take this tour if you get the chance, no question about it!
Perfect First Experience in Japan!
Riane H,,Apr 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an amazing tour during my first trip to Japan, and Ginji was the perfect tour guide! We learned so much about Kakunodate, its local craftsmanship, and Japan’s history. I highly recommend this tour to everyone!
Amazing tour of a historic city!
seijiw2025,,Apr 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Highly recommend this tour. Ginji, our tour guide, was great! I've traveled to Japan before, but visiting Kakunodate for the first time really showed me the incredible history and family legacies still around today. The descendants of samurai and craftsmen personally showed us around their homes and businesses and explained each family's history. I was especially excited trying the 10-year fermented soy sauce for the first time. Definitely a unique place to visit in Japan!
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