Annual festival celebrating the plentiful ayu (sweetfish) in the Yosheshiro River. Ayu grilling, traditional dances, and a fireworks show at night are held along the riverside. Participants in the tradtional dance are automatically entered to receive a free prize!

The Daimonji Festival lasts all day with both daytime and evening events. Yukata-clad citizens, schools bands, and dance teams parade down Hachiko-dori (main street) during the afternoon. After sunset, a fireworks show is held on the banks of the Nagaki River in the center of town. At the same time, Japans largest daimonji (a series of fires arranged on a mountain form a Japanese character) is lit. This year paper lanters will be released down the Nagaki river to help guide the spirits of ancestor back to the afterlife. Many performances, food stalls, and games are held at the Nagaki Riverside park for visitors to enjoy while watching the show.

Tashiro is famous for delicious bamboo shoots that come out in the spring called takenoko. Every year the area holds a festival in celebration of the takenoko harvest with food, games, and performances. Games include a takenoko peeling contest (who can peel the fastest) and the most popular takenoko eating contest. Teams of two squeeze into one t-shirt and compete to be the fastet takenoko soup eaters. There are many other events open to all visitors. Raw takenoko, boiled takenoko, and takenoko soup with local pork are sold during the festival.

Be charmed by the wide varitey of roses on display at the Ishida Rose Garden. Rose saplings, souvenirs, and snacks like rose mochi and rose ice cream are available for purchase. During the evening, the garden is romantically illuminated and offers a whole new experience from a day time visit.

Keijo Park is the sight of the former Odate Castle which was owned by the western Satake clan. Athough the castle was razed in 1868, there are still remnants to be found in the park including a section of the moat. Every year the town celebrates the blossoming of the 140 yoshino cherry trees in the park by holding performances on the stage and enjoying the surrounding food stalls. The park is illuminated at night so the park can be enjoyed even when the sun sets. The Akita Dog Preservation Society holds their annual dog show in the park on every May 3rd.

Free-range, slow raised Hinai chicken is counted as a delicacy throughout Japan. Hinai chicken oyakodon makes the most of the tender, juicy meat by pairing it with creamy Hinai chicken eggs and sweet sauce on a bed perfectly steamed rice. Striving for simplicity, the sauce is 100% free of artificial seasonings like MSG.

Magewappa is said to have began with lumberjacks bending pieces of cedar into useful shapes while working in the forest. Nowadays, a magewappa piece begins selecting a strong and flexible strip of Akita cedar with a beautiful grain. Then the strip is bathed in hot water and bent into the desired shape. Lastly, cherry tree bark is then woven through the overlapping cear to secure shape and finish the process. ​Sleek, simple, and natural, magewappa handicrafts have garnered fans from around the globe.

The award-winning Torimeshi lunch set has its origins during the hard times of post-war Japan. With food scarce, the local people made due with the rations that were available. A resourceful chef was able to combine ingredients at hand into a delicious boxed lunch. The result was an instant hit and has been a local staple ever since. Tender chicken, soy sauce, and burdock make up the flavor profile of the dish. It is popular with those looking for a lunch on the go, especially those passing through Odate Station. To ensure that the take-out lunches taste great even when cold, they are made to suit the day’s temperature and humidity levels for maximum taste. In 2017 Hanazen renovated their store and now customers can watch through a second floor glass window as workers make the lunches in the kitchen below.

Kiritampo traces its roots to the lumberjacks who worked in the mountains around Odate. The day’s leftover rice would be mashed, kneaded, and then stewed with meat and vegetables or glazed with a miso paste. The dish is nationally renowned as a specialty of Akita Prefecture, but truly authentic kiritampo-nabe stew can only be found in Odate. Although a staple of homecooking, visitors to Akita can try the kiritampo for themselves at any of several restaurants in the area that specialize in the dish.

Prestigious resident Hirohide Ishida gifted his beloved rose garden to Odate City on July 1, 1995. Now every June, the Odate Rose Festival is held during the first blooming season of the year. The garden covers an area of 2,300 m2 and contains roughly 500 different varieties of flowers. They don’t bloom long, so make sure to see them when you can! The garden remains open throughout the year for walkers, etc.