Details

① Lunch at Oga Shio Ramen "Ogaya"

1:10pm (or 12:45pm if you start at Akita Airport)

Enjoy lunch at Oga Shio Ramen “Ogaya,” a newly opened ramen restaurant just outside Oga Station. This restaurant specializes in shio (salt) ramen and uses Oga spring water and Oga salt to craft its flavorful chicken broth. The eatery’s signature dish includes medium-thin, flat noodles served with sides of smoked chashu (pork belly), spinach, and menma (seasoned bamboo shoots).

Closed day(s): Monday & Tuesday

② Mount Kanpuzan Rotating Observatory

2:00pm

After a nourishing meal, admire Oga Peninsula’s natural vistas at the Mount Kanpuzan Rotating Observatory. This unique observatory is located 355 meters above sea level on Mt. Kanpu’s summit and completes full rotations every 13 minutes. Take a seat, and enjoy unobstructed, 360° views of Mt. Kanpu’s verdant fields, the Sea of Japan, the distant Mt. Chokai, the World Heritage Site Shirakami Sanchi, and more!

Note: Mount Kanpuzan Rotating Observatory is closed annually during winter (early December to mid-March). During this time, you will only travel half way up Mt. Kanpu and will visit the Kanpuzan shokudo.

Closed day(s): None

③ Takinokashira Spring

2:45pm

Please note that you must apply to see this area and a guide is required.

Located at the base of Mt. Kanpu, Takinokashira Spring is a treasured water source that accounts for approximately 70% of Oga City’s water supply. Snowmelt and rain seep into Mt. Kanpu and then go through a roughly 20-year natural filtration process before flowing out of the earth. This verdant area features a small fountain, clear ponds, and a mysteriously alluring shrine.

Closed day(s): None

④ Ine to Agave Brewery

3:30pm

Ine to Agave Brewery is a craft sake brewery founded in 2021 that aims to share the charm of sake and Oga with the world, while simultaneously revitalizing the local area. The brewery solely uses organically-grown rice and combines creative thinking with traditional sake-making techniques to craft its quality products.

Closed day(s): Monday & Tuesday

⑤ Lecture and Sake-tasting at Sanaburi Factory

4:00pm

After familiarizing yourself with Ine to Agave Brewery, head over to its Sanaburi Factory. This food processing factory and shop transforms the often discarded byproducts of sake-making into usable products. Here, you will participate in a lecture and sake-tasting experience with details as follows:

• In English, learn about the basics of sake-making, craft sake, sake-making at Ine to Agave, and Ine to Agave’s urban development goals
• Taste and compare five types of sake and doburoku (a sake variety)

Closed day(s): Irregular holidays

⑥ Dinner at Tsuchi to Kaze

5:00pm

End your day with a luxurious dinner at Ine to Agave Brewery’s restaurant, Tsuchi to Kaze. The eatery’s Akita-born chef prioritizes the use of Oga and Akita-sourced ingredients and draws upon his professional training to create elevated Kyoto-French cuisine. The restaurant’s dishes highlight Oga’s blessings from the mountains and sea and embody the area’s culture.

Closed day(s): Monday & Tuesday