Tazawa-ko and Kakunodate

The lake area of Tazawa-ko (Lake Tazawa) and the traditional town of Kakunodate are good side trips into Tohoku's wilder interior, approachable from either Morioka or the west-coast city of Akita. For a little thermal relaxation in a very rustic setting, forge on to the old spa town of Nyuto Onsen, just north of Lake Tazawa.