[For Seniors] Akita Prefecture Local Quiz: Brain Training to Deepen Knowledge with Famous Fireworks Festivals, Traditional Crafts, and Local Cuisine

Omagari Fireworks Festival

The Ōmagari Fireworks Festival is the National Fireworks Competition held in Daisen City, Akita Prefecture. Along with the Tsuchiura All Japan Fireworks Competition in Ibaraki Prefecture and the Nagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks in Niigata Prefecture, it is counted as one of Japan’s three major fireworks festivals. With a deep history and tradition dating back to the Meiji era, master pyrotechnicians selected from across the country compete to claim the top spot in Japan by showcasing their proud craftsmanship.

3rd place

Akita Prefecture has consistently ranked among the top in Japan for rice production, placing third in a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries survey for 2024. For reference, Niigata ranked first and Hokkaido second. Speaking of Akita, the “Akitakomachi” variety is famous nationwide. The large temperature differences between day and night and the clean water flowing from rich mountain ranges such as Mount Chokai are the secrets to growing delicious rice.

magewappa (bentwood lunch box)

Magewappa are specialty products of Ōdate City in Akita Prefecture and are also designated as traditional crafts of Japan. They are made by shaving Akita cedar—renowned for its beautiful grain and fragrance—into thin sheets, softening them in hot water, and then bending them into a cylindrical shape. A major attraction is that the cedar wood appropriately absorbs moisture from the rice, helping it stay delicious even as time passes.

Inaniwa udon

Inaniwa udon is a hand-stretched udon made in Inaniwa, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, and is counted among Japan’s “Three Great Udon,” alongside Sanuki udon from Kagawa Prefecture and Mizusawa udon from Gunma Prefecture. Despite its thin noodles, it has a firm chew and is characterized by a smooth, silky texture. It is handmade using traditional methods dating back to the Edo period and was once prized as a tribute to feudal lords. Easy to swallow even for the elderly, it is a representative local dish of Akita that tastes delicious both chilled and hot.

kiritanpo

Kiritanpo is a signature local dish of Akita Prefecture: freshly cooked rice is lightly pounded in a mortar, shaped into cylinders around cedar skewers, and grilled over charcoal until nicely browned. Kiritanpo nabe, in which the kiritanpo is simmered in a broth rich with flavors like Hinai-jidori chicken stock along with ingredients such as burdock root, maitake mushrooms, leeks, and seri (Japanese parsley), is famous nationwide as a dish that warms both body and soul during the cold winter.

Namahage

Namahage is a traditional folk event held on New Year’s Eve around the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture. Going from house to house while shouting in terrifying voices, “Any crying children here?” and “Any bad children here?” they admonish the lazy. However, they are not merely fearsome ogres; they have long been revered as benevolent visiting deities who bring good health, bountiful harvests in the fields, and blessings from the mountains and the sea. Recognized as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan and inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, it is widely known nationwide as a quintessential winter tradition representing Akita Prefecture.

Godzilla Rock

At the southwestern tip of the Oga Peninsula, in a rocky area called Chiosezaki, stands “Godzilla Rock.” It was named because the rock’s silhouette looks like Godzilla roaring toward the sea. Especially at dusk, the rock’s outline is highlighted against the setting sun, and when the sun overlaps around its “mouth,” you can enjoy a dramatic view as if it were breathing fire.