The coastline emerges slowly from the sea: pine forests, rice paddies that descend almost to the Sea of Japan, then the cranes of the Tsuchizaki port sector. Akita makes no attempt to impress upon arrival. This prefectural capital of Tohoku, the north of Honshu's island, reserves its attractions for those who take time to approach it: a peaceful castle garden, a lantern festival unique in Japan and a table renowned throughout the country.

A Glass Tower to Find Your Bearings

Ships dock at Nakajima Quay, about seven kilometres north-west of the central station. A few minutes' walk away rises Selion Tower, a glass spire of 143 metres whose viewing platform, perched at 100 metres, embraces on one side the sea, on the other the rice plain and the mountains that close the horizon. It is the ideal place to grasp the geography of the location before reaching the urban centre by shuttle, taxi or local train from Tsuchizaki station.

Senshu Park: Memory of the Satake Lords

About ten minutes' walk from Akita Station, Senshu Park occupies the site of Kubota Castle, the residence of the Satake clan for more than two and a half centuries. The original buildings have vanished, but the moats, the wooded slopes and a reconstructed tower still evoke the feudal era. Local people come to walk here beneath the cherry blossoms in spring, among the lotus in summer, and the main mound offers a fine viewpoint over the roofs of the city.

Lanterns by the Hundred

Each early August, the Kanto Festival transforms the avenues: carriers balance on their foreheads, shoulders or hips bamboo poles twelve metres long laden with dozens of paper lanterns. The rest of the year, the Neburi Nagashi-kan, a centre devoted to this tradition, allows you to observe the poles closely, attend demonstrations and even attempt to lift one. You then measure the balance of strength and finesse that this ritual, transmitted since the Edo era, demands.

Art in the Northern Light

A stone's throw from Senshu Park, the Akita Art Museum, designed by architect Tadao Ando, preserves a monumental canvas by Tsuguharu Foujita devoted to the festivals and labours of the region's countryside. The grand concrete staircase and the body of water arranged as a terrace compose a silent dialogue with the neighbouring foliage. Architecture enthusiasts will venture to the neighbouring quarter, where an old red-brick bank from the early twentieth century now houses a museum dedicated to the region's folk traditions.

The Northern Table

The rice here and the water from melting snows give rise to sought-after sakes, which several shops in the centre offer for tasting. On restaurant menus, kiritanpo—grilled rice on a stick, served in chicken broth—warms the cooler days, while the municipal market, a few streets away, aligns fish from the Sea of Japan, mountain vegetables and seasonal fruits. A fine way to taste the region without straying far. Those with a sweet tooth will finish with a babahera, an ice-cream cone sculpted into rose petals that mobile vendors shape before the eyes of passers-by when summer arrives.

Port of Call Reference Points

As the ship draws from the dock and Selion Tower shrinks in the evening, what remains of this port of call is an impression of industrious calm: a region that cultivates its rice, brews its sake and waits each summer to hoist its lanterns to the sky. You find yourself wanting to return one day in early August, when the whole city lifts its eyes.