Kakunodate Bukeyashiki dōri, Historic samurai street in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture, Japan
Kakunodate Bukeyashiki dōri, also known as Kakunodate Samurai Street, is a historic street lined with old wooden samurai residences in the town of Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture. The houses sit behind tall wooden fences, and six of them are open to the public.
The street took shape when the town of Kakunodate was founded as a castle settlement in the early 17th century. Samurai families settled in this part of town during the Edo period, and many of their homes have remained standing ever since.
Several of the old houses along the street are open to visitors, offering a look at how samurai families organized their daily lives. The Ishiguro Family Residence stands out because it is still lived in by descendants of the original family.
The street is within walking distance of Kakunodate Station and is easy to explore on foot. Spring is a popular time to visit, when cherry trees in the residence gardens are in bloom.
The Matsumoto residence on this street was home to a low-ranking samurai family who earned extra income by weaving strips of maple bark, a craft known as itayazaiku. This craft is still practiced in Kakunodate today and is considered one of the town's most distinctive traditional skills.
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