Arriving at Domannaka Izakaya in Kakunodate, Akita Prefecture, we ate our fill, drank our fill, then strolled around the corner to admire the night cherry blossoms.

Photos and text byMIKA’s Food Adventure Log

For this Akita cherry blossom trip, we had a few places in mind beforehand, but once we arrived, either we were too busy chasing flowers and missed meal times, encountered restaurants that were fully booked, or faced mix-ups like wrong addresses leading us astray. In short, cherry blossom chasing was the main goal, while food took a back seat. Sounding a bit pitiful, I know, but actually, over these four days, we did have several enjoyable meals. This post introduces Domannaka Izakaya, a short walk from Kakunodate Station. It was where we had dinner on our first day. The atmosphere was cozy (rarely no smoking), the food was delicious, and the prices were reasonable. If you’re planning a self-guided trip to Kakunodate, it’s worth adding to your list. (Note: This series of articles was co-written and photographed by me, along with my travel companions Devil Zhen and Angel Jia, and simultaneously posted on our respective blogs.)

We stayed at Hotel Folkloro next to Kakunodate Station. The hotel is located in the same building as the station, which we’d never experienced before—staying so close to the station was super convenient~~ More details in the accommodation travelogue.

On the right side of Kakunodate Station is the tourist information center, which has lots of helpful info and free Wi-Fi. If you’re unsure where to go, the staff are very helpful, though we didn’t encounter anyone who spoke Chinese—just Japanese and lots of gestures.

The tourist info here is probably the most up-to-date, but we arrived a bit early. The cherry blossoms in Kakunodate weren’t really blooming yet. Our family member Ashan was fooled by the cherry blossom forecast (which predicted full bloom on April 23). That’s the second time she’s been tricked by it.

Domannaka is about a 15-minute walk from Kakunodate Station. Just head straight along the street (?dori) in front of the station (no turns!), and the scenery along the way is pleasant. It’s a comfortable walk, with some early-blooming cherry blossoms greeting us and cute little coffee shops along the way. Of course, it felt less lively at night XD

Swinging under the cherry blossoms is incredibly poetic. Why doesn’t a park near my home have a cherry blossom swing like this? I’d feel much better about bringing my sister to the park when she refuses to leave:P

Keep walking until you reach the post office, then turn left. Not far after, you’ll see the Domannaka sign. Nearby, there’s also a Kakunodate Onsen where you can soak in the hot springs. Actually, evenings are quite nice for hot springs in Kakunodate. Although it was hot during the day—you could get by with just a thin T-shirt—the weather forecast predicted 5–15°C, so I brought a bunch of heavy winter clothes for nothing. But at night, it gets cooler, and you’ll need a thick coat. This trip made me fully appreciate how advanced technology is nowadays. As long as you use LINE and smartphone apps well, Google Maps works perfectly, and following the directions isn’t a problem. Just make sure you have internet access.

This time, we used a WI-UP high-speed mobile Wi-Fi router, which can connect up to ten devices simultaneously. It partners with Japan’s three major telecom companies (Docomo/AU/Softbank), and depending on the model, the maximum speed can reach 110Mbps. You can get a 10% discount on WI-UP by booking through this link (http://www.hipowerd.com/index.php?dealer_id=226). I also get a referral bonus, so if you need mobile internet, it’s worth considering. My personal experience with it was pretty good.

Actually, we walked faster at night because most shops were closed, so there wasn’t much to see while strolling. The next morning, we wanted to both see the flowers and explore the shops along the way, which took more time. By pre-saving the shop addresses in Line’s notepad and then copying them into Google Maps before setting out, we immediately got route guidance. No need to print out a bunch of maps anymore~~

The restaurant has plenty of seating. As soon as you walk in, the left side has bright four-person tables, while the right side has a row of private rooms, including both traditional Japanese-style seating and regular seats. Izakayas usually get livelier the later it gets—it seems we arrived a bit early. That’s fine, though; at least we didn’t have to breathe secondhand smoke XD

These are the Taiwanese fellow travelers we met at Kakunodate Station. Coincidentally, they were staying at the same hotel as us. They were a group of retired parents traveling to Japan with their adult children. Retiring so young, and with parents still so healthy and active—it’s really enviable. We chatted along the way and shared our cherry blossom plans. When they mentioned not knowing where to eat dinner, I immediately recommended Domannaka. It’s a place endorsed by Ashan, our Japan expert. Since the elderly couldn’t wait to eat, they set off earlier than us. By the time we arrived, they were already halfway through their meal. We quickly asked them what was good and ordered accordingly.

While waiting for the food, I took a look around the restaurant. The bar seating area has a pretty cool vibe—you can interact closely with the chefs. Even drinking alone here wouldn’t feel lonely (※Don’t drink too much; it’s bad for your health※).

Grilled items seem to be a specialty here. The chef was constantly busy...

The Taiwanese fellow travelers highly recommended the draft beer. I tried it for MIKA, and she said it was really good—refreshing with none of the usual bitterness of beer. It didn’t take long to finish the small cup, which felt a bit small for real satisfaction (※Don’t drink too much; it’s bad for your health※).

Chicken Nanban (parent and child set)<(1,000日元)，整个SET有饭、汤与渍物。

The portion was surprisingly big—there was plenty of rice, enough for two people. Although there weren’t many chicken pieces and they were small, the meat was firm and delicious. Especially the<饭的酱汁调的非常好，不会太甜与太稀，适当的将饭粒勘的刚刚好，有点黏稠又不会太过的完美境界。

This is definitely one of the top chicken nanban dishes I’ve ever had.<，大推！

The second dish turned out to be a beautiful mistake. The fellow travelers pointed to the menu and raved about how good the potatoes were, so I ordered that. But what came out was actually grilled chicken with bones—Akita chicken nanban style.

This was undoubtedly the most expensive grilled chicken I’ve ever had. One serving with tax cost 3,240 yen (wow)—that’s steak-level pricing. But it was really delicious. The cooking was perfectly timed: crispy skin, fragrant meat, super juicy, and the texture was firm. It must have been a chicken that loved to run XD

To be honest, after those two dishes, we were already full. But we just had to try the legendary potatoes. So we added a side of grilled potatoes and pumpkin. The outsides were slightly charred, and the insides were tender and delicious. It was really good, but maybe because we were already full, the wow factor wasn’t as strong...

With the added grilled potatoes (480 yen), the total came to 5,191 yen. We overate on our first night in Japan (burp). Maybe not the smartest move~~ Luckily, we could take a slow walk afterward to help digest.

The road leading out of Domannaka takes you straight to the Bukeyashiki-dori (Samurai Residence Street). Along the way, it felt a bit off—the cherry blossoms still hadn’t bloomed. Just when we were about to give up, we finally found the most beautiful cherry blossoms in Kakunodate at that moment... Though they should gradually bloom more over the next few days.

When you reach the end, remember to turn left. Right outside the Kakunodate Kagari-Zaiku (traditional woodworking) Heritage Hall, there’s this early-blooming weeping cherry tree to console us (sniffle). There are also night cherry blossoms to enjoy here.

Night cherry blossoms are hard to photograph. Forget about a tripod—I was using a small camera, which just didn’t cut it. For better photos, check out the Kakunodate night cherry blossom feature.

Seeing such beautiful night cherry blossoms on the first night, we naturally came back to this area the next morning. The visitors in Kakunodate at that time were probably all gathered at this street corner. Now, you can probably explore other areas. Although we missed seeing the entire Bukeyashiki Street in full bloom (sigh), leaving with some regrets makes you want to come back. Kakunodate’s cherry blossoms, we’ll definitely meet again one day~~

(Note: This series of articles was jointly photographed and written by me and my travel companionsDevil Zhen and Angel Jiaand is simultaneously posted on our respective blogs.)

Akita self-drive cherry blossom itinerary:
Day 1: Sendai Airport → Sendai → Kakunodate → Hotel Folkloro → Tumago Rustic Cuisine → Samurai Residences Night Cherry Blossoms → Return to hotel for rest.
Day 2: Hotel breakfast → Kakunodate stroll and cherry blossom festival → Hinokinai River embankment cherry blossoms → Elegant lunch → European-style afternoon tea → Car rental & self-drive → Ogata → Ogata Koyo Hotel → Hotel dinner → Rest.
Day 3: Hotel breakfast → Namahage Museum → Mashiyama Heritage Museum → Hotel Sunroute → Rest stop lunch → Oga Village cherry blossoms and rapeseed flower road → Japan National Flower Garden → Return rental car in Akita city → Seafood izakaya dinner → Richmond Hotel Akita Premier → Rest at the hotel.
Day 4: Hotel breakfast → Stroll in Chuo Park → Take the Shinkansen to Sendai → Sendai Airport → Return to the warm home

Traveling is to return to the original place more profoundly

MIKA’s Travel & Food Diary