Yokote Park Observatory (Yokote Castle)

Yokote Castle (Asakura Castle) was built around 1550 by the Onodera clan, who ruled what is now the southern part of Akita Prefecture during the Warring States period. The ruins of Yokote Castle, which fell during the Boshin War at the end of the Edo period, were developed into a park in 1902, and in 1965, an observatory modeled after a castle keep was built on the site of the Ninomaru bailey.

From the observation room on the fourth floor, visitors can take in the Yokote Basin with its spreading townscape, the gently flowing Yokote River, and majestic Mt. Chokai. The observatory is normally open from April 1 to November 30, but it also opens temporarily during the Yokote Snow Festival in February, when kamakura snow huts are built amid the deep snow. Inside the observatory, there is also a local history museum.

Built using remains of the former Yokote Castle, the park also includes Akita Shrine, which enshrines Satake Yoshinobu, the first lord of the Akita Domain, along with the Akatsuchi Plaza and a rose garden, making it a relaxing place for local residents. It is also popular as the city’s largest cherry blossom viewing spot, where several thousand Somei Yoshino and other cherry trees bloom, and the Yokote Sakura Festival is held from mid-April to late April.