This historic neighborhood consists of wide, tree-lined streets with mansions built during the Edo Period, only six of which remain and are open to the public. The area is particularly beautiful in late April, when the cherry trees are in full bloom.

A tradition dating back to 1910, this fireworks festival is known throughout Japan as the definitive fireworks meet, with pyrotechnicians from throughout the nation competing to show off their skills. The new technologies on display top themselves every year, and the stories told by the displays and innovative production values are highlights. Competitors vie in three categories: daytime fireworks, #10 round-shell fireworks, and creative fireworks. The overall champion receives the Prime Minister's Prize. The finale, featuring wide starmines a year in the making from the Omagari Fireworks Cooperative Association, is an absolute can't-miss, with a story and scale that leaves viewers speechless.

The Kanto, or "Pole Lantern", Festival is held from August 3-6. Performers take to the street en masse to show their skill in balancing bamboo "kanto" poles. Each pole, which can be up to 40 feet tall and 90 pounds in weight, has paper lanterns tied to its top-- all with a real, lit candle inside! Entertainers are expert in wielding these, and when the Night Parade takes over the festival's main street, over 250 kanto poles light the area, and a 90-minute show gets underway. Energy is high as drums, flutes, and a crowd chanting "dokkoisho!" accompany the performers as they heft aloft the kanto. Afterwards, guests are welcome to give it a try themselves.

Kakunodate is an old castle town located on the northern part of the Senboku Plain. Located along the banks of the Tamagawa and Hinokinaigawa Rivers and cradled on three sides by mountains, this town is known both for its historic samurai mansions and the beautiful blossoming cherry trees that line the streets. Popular with tourists from all over the world, it has an atmosphere truly appropriate to its nickname of “the Little Kyoto.”