Editing Akita Prefecture (section)

==Tourism==
[[File:Kakunodate.jpg|thumb|right|[[Samurai]] house in Kakunodate]]

Recently there have been efforts to revitalize rural communities facing depopulation with different forms of green tourism and agritourism.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sznajder |first1=Michal |last2=Przezbórska |first2=Lucyna |last3=Scrimgeour |first3=Frank |title=Agritourism |date=2009 |publisher=CABI |isbn=978-1-84593-482-8 }}{{page needed|date=September 2023}}</ref> These efforts are primarily aimed at attracting urbanites and foreign tourists to Akita Prefecture, advertising its pristine forests, sprawling rice fields, and range of cultures.<ref name=":0" />  There has been a push for home stays, farmers markets for locally produced foods, and the integration of outsiders into local cultural practices.  The [[Namahage]] ritual in [[Oga, Akita|Oga]] on New Year's Eve draws a large number of tourists to Akita Prefecture every year.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Foster |first1=Michael Dylan |title=Inviting the Uninvited Guest: Ritual, Festival, Tourism, and the Namahage of Japan |journal=Journal of American Folklore |date=2013 |volume=126 |issue=501 |pages=302–334 |doi=10.5406/jamerfolk.126.501.0302 |s2cid=143644459 |id={{Project MUSE|515294}} }}</ref>

Near [[Lake Tazawa]], there are a number of hot springs resorts (''[[onsen]]''). These are popular with tourists from all over Japan.  In addition, numerous seasonal festivals (''[[matsuri]]'') offer a glimpse of rural or traditional Japan. Some famous examples are the Akita Kantō, the [[Omagari]] Fireworks, [[Namahage]] Festival, and the [[Yokote]] Kamakura Festivals.

[[Kakunodate, Akita|Kakunodate]], known as the little [[Kyoto]], features many preserved samurai houses. The Aoyagi house is the former residence of Odano Naotake,  who illustrated Japan's first modern guide to human anatomy.  The house is now a museum and gallery of medical illustrations and traditional crafts.

Starting in 2009, Akita began experiencing a huge surge in [[Koreans|Korean]] tourism after the airing of the popular drama [[Iris (South Korean TV series)|''Iris'']], which featured several scenes shot in Akita, most notably at Lake Tazawa and Oga's GAO Aquarium.<ref>{{cite news | first=哲也 (Tetsuya) | last=笠井 (Kasai) |author2= 矢島大輔 (Yajima Daisuke) | script-title=ja:韓国人ファン、秋田に殺到 ドラマ「アイリス」効果 | date=April 21, 2010 | url =http://www.asahi.com/showbiz/tv_radio/TKY201004210259.html |work=Asahi Shimbun |location=Japan | access-date =April 22, 2010 | language = ja | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100423005818/http://www.asahi.com/showbiz/tv_radio/TKY201004210259.html| archive-date= April 23, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>