Private multi-day tour · Multi-day from Tokyo
From Tokyo: 3-Day Kakunodate & Tazawa Customizable Tour
Walk the samurai district of Kakunodate, step inside the Aoyagi and Ishiguro houses, and see Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan.
Private · your group only◆3 days◆Up to 6 guests◆Pickup included
Road-day snapshot
This is your private tour, so the route is flexible: tell us if you want to skip a stop, stay longer somewhere or add a place nearby.
The experience
A private journey, thoughtfully paced
Kakunodate in Akita keeps one of the best samurai districts in northern Japan. Wide streets, black wooden fences and tall trees look much as they did hundreds of years ago. This private 3-day trip from Tokyo gives you a full day there and at Lake Tazawa.
The Aoyagi family estate is a group of samurai buildings and small museums, with armour, swords, old tools and art. The Ishiguro house is still lived in by the family, and you can see the rooms and garden of a samurai home.
The district is beautiful in every season: weeping cherry trees in late April, green in summer, colour in autumn and deep snow in winter.
Lake Tazawa is the deepest lake in Japan, about 423 metres deep, with clear blue water. On its shore stands the golden statue of Tatsuko, a girl from a local legend. We drive around part of the lake and up into the Tazawako highlands.
Akita is far from Tokyo. Day 1 and day 3 are long travel days, with rest stops on the way.
Your driver-guide meets you in the lobby of your hotel in central Tokyo. The van has room for your luggage, and we stop at expressway rest areas for toilets, snacks and coffee. Times in the plan below are a guide and can shift a little with traffic.
This is a private tour. Only your group. Your driver-guide speaks English, and also Hindi and Urdu.
If a core site is closed on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed.
Day 1 Early morning pickup in Tokyo and drive to Kakunodate (about 7 hours). Evening free in Kakunodate.
Day 2 Morning in the samurai district, with the Aoyagi estate and the Ishiguro house. Afternoon at Lake Tazawa, the Tatsuko statue and the Tazawako highlands.
Day 3 Morning drive back to your Tokyo hotel, with rest stops on the way.
Choose with confidence
Is this the right journey for your group?
Excellent fit if
- Explore Kakunodate's samurai district and black wooden fences
- See armour and swords at the Aoyagi family estate
- Visit the Ishiguro house, still home to the samurai family
- Discover Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan
- Admire the golden Tatsuko statue on the lake shore
Said plainly
The drive is long, about 600 km each way. Day 1 arrival is in the evening In winter the roads can be snowy. Our van has winter tyres, and times may be longer If the samurai houses are closed on your date, you can take a full refund of your booking, guaranteed. If you prefer, we can instead visit other open samurai houses in the district and spend more time at Lake Tazawa Pickup is from your hotel in central Tokyo. Dietary needs can be added in the booking form
Your day
Suggested itinerary
Times are approximate. Your driver-guide adjusts the order for traffic, weather, opening hours and the best light.
Explore Kakunodate's samurai district and black wooden fences
See armour and swords at the Aoyagi family estate
Visit the Ishiguro house, still home to the samurai family
Discover Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan
Admire the golden Tatsuko statue on the lake shore
What is covered
What you see is what you pay
Ours — included
- Private van and English-speaking driver-guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Tokyo
- All parking, fuel and road tolls
- Aoyagi family estate entry
- Ishiguro house entry
- Other samurai house entries on the route
Yours — paid on the day
- Hotel accommodation (you book your own hotel in Kakunodate)
- Meals and drinks unless listed as included
- Optional cherry bark craft and souvenir purchases
- Gratuities, which are never expected in Japan
Good to know
Before you book
Languages
English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi
Pickup
Pickup and drop-off at your Tokyo hotel or accommodation (23 wards).
Group and vehicle
Private for up to 6 guests. Enter adults, children, infants and child seats separately at booking.
Dietary and mobility needs
Halal, vegetarian, allergy, walking or other practical requests go in your booking notes and are planned before the day.
Questions
Frequently asked
Can we change the route on the day?
Yes. It is a private tour in our own van, so your driver-guide can skip, extend or add stops where time allows.
Is the price per person?
No. The price is for your whole private group of up to 6 people, including the van, fuel, tolls, parking and your driver-guide.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for an automatic full refund to the original payment method. Within 24 hours, contact us directly so we can help. If a typhoon or official weather warning stops the trip, we offer a new date or a full refund. For a GetYourGuide booking, the terms shown on that booking apply.
Somewhere else in mind?
Any destination in Japan
If this route is not exactly what you need, tell us the destination, dates and group. We confirm the plan and the exact price before any payment is taken.
Plan a custom journeyYour private Japan day
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From¥251,000
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