Top 9 Things To Do In Beautiful Noshiro, Akita Prefecture

Things to do in Noshiro, Akita
Roselle
Roselle 
Updated
| 3 min read

Located in the northwest of Akita Prefecture, Noshiro City recently merged with Futatsui Town, tied by the Yoneshiro River for a long time. Filled with scenic places with different themes during every season, Noshiro is a city blended with nature. Summer blooms cherry blossoms, autumn hosts festivals, winter covers the picturesque snowy landscape. Enjoy all season of Noshiro with a list of the things to do in this beautiful city.

1. Kaze no Matsubara


One of the largest pine groves in Japan is Kaze no Matsubara. Known as the “Wind of Matsubara”, the black pines were planted to prevent Noshiro from coastal erosion. In 1996, the Ministry of Environment designated it as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. Now, people use it as a recreation site where one can find endless trails for walking and cycling. There are maps, a square, a field athletics course and a couple of shrines.

Kaze no Matsubara

Website: Kaze no Matsubara (in Japanese)

Visited this place?

2. Noshiro Energy Park

Noshiro Enadium Park
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user アラツク used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Half park, half power station, Noshiro Energy Park combines nature, people, and energy. There’s a glass dome with an indoor arboretum, an outdoor wading pool, a tennis court, and free stilts! The tropical botanic garden utilizes heat from a thermal power plant. There’s also a small museum dedicated to kites and Noshiro’s famous festivals. A family friendly amusement zone for those who want to have some adventure or relaxation.

Noshiro Energy Park

Address: 1-6 Omoriyama, Noshiro 016-0807, Akita Prefecture

Website: Noshiro Energy Park

Visited this place?

3. Noshiro Rocket Testing Center


Located in the southern part of Noshiro City, The Noshiro Rocket Testing Center is a research facility of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It has two main buildings. The Large Atmosphere Firing Test Building is where tests are conducted to check the performance of large rockets. The Vacuum Firing Test Building runs tests to check the performance of rocket motors of vacuum flights. Some of the facilities are open for the public, and visitors come to observe the experiments held there.

Noshiro Rocket Testing Center

Address: Asanai, Noshiro-city, Akita 016-0179

Website: Noshiro Rocket Testing Center

Visited this place?

4. Noshiro Huyajou

Posted by 能代七夕「天空の不夜城」 on Sunday, 25 December 2016

“The Sky Castle that never sleeps” is a festival once held at the end of the Edo period to bring in the Meiji era. It was revived again a century later and became a tourist attraction. It’s a festival of gigantic and colorful lanterns resembling an ancient, multi-tiered castle. Gathered with sounds of taiko drums, and lively Hayashi performance, experience a parade of fascinating floats reaching out to the sky in a setting like a fairy tale.

Noshiro Huyajou

Address: Central city of Noshiro, Akita Prefecture

Website: Noshiro Huyajou (in Japanese)

Visited this place?

5. Kimimachizaka Park

【伝承:秋田の紅葉~きみまち阪公園~】 能代市二ツ井町の『きみまち阪公園』。 明治天皇が訪れた際、夏の長旅を気づかう皇后の手紙がお待ちしていた公園です。 手紙には和歌がしたためられており、旅の途中の天皇に寄せられた「恋文」そのものでした。 ...

Posted by あきたびじょん on Friday, 21 October 2016

From a park without a fixed name, it is now one of the famous parks in Noshiro City. Visited by Emperor Meiji in the 14th-century, it was designated as an Akita prefectural natural park. It used to be inaccessible due to steep mountains and one would need to cross several rivers to get to it. Traveling became convenient after tunnels were made and locals began to develop the place. It’s now a romantic park covered with beautiful flower trees.

Kimimachizaka Park

Address: Futatsuimachikotsunagi, Noshiro 018-3102, Akita Prefecture

Website: Kimimachizaka Park (in Japanese)

Visited this place?

6. Noshiro Port

Posted by 秋田県観光総合ガイド あきたファン・ドッと・コム on Monday, 10 July 2017

Located in the Tohoku region, facing the sea of Japan, the port offers access to the northern Akita Prefecture. Close to the Shirakami-Sanchi, a heritage site, it has a deep history up to the ancient times. It now hosts the Noshiro Minato Festival Fireworks yearly, launching 15,000 different kinds of fireworks in a rare display. Visitors and locals are usually captured by the breathtaking display of colorful fireworks lighting the night sky by the beautiful port.

Noshiro Port

Address: Noshiro Port Shimohama Fucho

Website: Noshiro Port (in Japanese)

Visited this place?

7. Noshiro Old Restaurant Kaneyu

Posted by 能代市旧料亭金勇 on Tuesday, 1 April 2014

Built in 1937 at the peak of rice and lumber, with building methods according to the natural Akita cedar, this restaurant was the place of gathering for the rich people of Akita and Noshiro. Each room has a different style and atmosphere. Eventually becoming a cultural property of Noshiro, it stopped serving as a restaurant and became open for public viewing. Rooms can be rented for events and there are free tours open for visitors.

Noshiro Old Restaurant

Address: 13 - 8 Yanagicho Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture 016-0825

Website: Noshiro Old Restaurant

Visited this place?

8. Hamanasu Observatory

Hamanasu observatory 20170520b
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user 掬茶 used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Located in the Green Harbour overlooking the sea of Japan is the Hamanasu Observatory. Sitting next to the Hamanasu gallery, the lobby has a spiral concrete staircase with a hundred steps. The observatory is surrounded by a park with people trying to fish nearby. The top room offers a view of the Noshiro Port, Kaze no Matsubara, Shirakami Mountains towards the north, and the Oga Peninsula towards the south.

Hamanasu Observatory

Address: Noshiro City, Omoriyama

Website: Hamanasu Observatory (in Japanese)

Visited this place?

9. Jūhachi-ban Ramen

能代2日目終了で十八番!

Posted by Hiroto Hatakeyama on Wednesday, 28 June 2017

An exclusive ramen shop with only 16 seats to offer and 3 types of ramen. Business hours are short and the shop is closed during the weekends. This leaves regulars rushing in as soon as the shop opens and people immediately falling into line just to try out the legendary ramen which makes the store usually packed. However, the mouthwatering ramen leaves people coming back for more.

Jūhachi-ban Ramen

Address: 2-50 Oiwakemachi, Noshiro, Akita

Visited this place?

City of wood

With a deep history, up to ancient times, combined with recent developments, Noshiro now offers festivals, celebrations, excitement, nature, and wonder! The “city of wood” is a wonderful harmony of nature combined with urban lifestyle. With many breathtaking sights and exciting cultural festivals, Noshiro can be enjoyed all year round. A good way to start an adventure in Akita and fall in love with Japan.

Visited this place?
Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

Roselle is a 3D Artist originally from Singapore. She is currently living as a Digital Nomad in Bali with her Husband. She plans to continue her journeys to Thailand, Vietnam and more. She has been...Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore Noshiro
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.