Yokote Things to Do

Akita Furusato Mura, is a theme park about Akita prefecture.
There are exhibitions of crafts and local performing arts in Akita Prefecture, the Akita Museum of Modern Arts, (showing both its own collection and travelling exhibitions),

Kamakuland amusement park for children, Planetarium.

Restaurants serving local fares like kiritanpo, Ina niwa noodle, shops selling local food and preserved stuffs, and a local craft promenade (featuring opportunities to learn about and try making Akita's local crafts)
A theater (occasionally showing travelling plays or movies).

Yokote Castle is located in Yokote Park. It is a reconstruction of a castle which stood from the 17th to 19th century. The park also contains a pond and rose garden, and a playground for children.

I visited the castle, in it the display of samurai suites, porcelines, stones with inscribtions, old maps etc.
Entrance charge. Museum: JPY 100 (combination ticket with Kanazawa Museum, Yokote City Fureai Center Kamakurakan and Ishizaka Yojiro Memorial Museum

Visiting time : 9.00 am - 4.30 pm

I have not visited Yokote during winter, but have the pleasure of actually being inside it, in the City Hall ice chamber.

Kamakura festivel is on the 15-17 Febuary
Place:Doro Koen Park in front of Yokote City Hall
City: Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
pls read : http://www.jntohttp://web-japan.org/atlas/festivals/fes04.html,,,,,,,,also : .go.jp/eng/indepth/history/traditionalevents/a10_fes_Yokote.html

Kamakura is a form of Japanese Ice huts, they are made every February 15th to 16th in Yokote City as a celebration of new years, to worship the God of Water.

The children inside kamakura, greet the visitors with amazake (sweet rice wine) and grilled mochi (rice cakes), with the greeting "haitte tanse (please come in)" and "Ogande tanse (please pray for God of Water)."

Kamakura originally is meant to be spending time inside, instead of watching from outside, and the visitors give donation to God of Water which is decorated at the center of Kamakura, and pray for the prevention of disasters at home, successful business, and rich harvest during autumn.
During the festival, there are about 100 kamakura and people spend the time in them and talk about their stories while eating rice cakes and drinking amazake. It has continued for 400 years and the traditional atmosphere is like a fary tale.

A permanent display of Kamakura, can be visited in the City Hall, entry 100 Yen.

An old Christian Missionary House

Located near Gakko-bashi Bridge over the Yokote River, as the house is still used, visitors are not permitted to enter but must simply observe from outside.