Airport conquest series. This time: Akita Airport and Odate-Noshiro Airport, both in Akita Prefecture. They’re close enough to cover in a single day trip, making this one of the easier entries in the series.
The full series index is here.
Route Design
Akita and Odate-Noshiro are in the same prefecture, connected by the JR Ōu Main Line. To cover both in one day, the approach is to fly into one, travel overland, and fly out of the other.
I considered both directions — Akita to Odate-Noshiro and the reverse — but the total travel time was nearly identical. I chose to fly into Akita first, then head north by rail to Odate-Noshiro.
Both airports have shuttle buses timed to flight arrivals and departures, so airport access is not a bottleneck. This is standard for regional airports in Japan.
Itinerary (as of May 2022)
Timetables are subject to change. Check the latest schedules before traveling.
Two Hours at Akita Station
After arriving at Akita Station by shuttle bus, there’s about a two-hour wait before the JR departure. I ate at “Manma,” a restaurant inside the Akita Shimin Ichiba (citizen’s market), about a six-minute walk from the station. Being inside the market, the fish was fresh.
Alternative Route Considered
I also considered a route that would double as a complete ride of the Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway (Kakunodate to Takanosu).
The plan: take a taxi (~8 km) from Akita Airport to Wada Station, ride the JR Ōu Main Line to Ōmagari, transfer to the Tazawako Line to Kakunodate, then ride the Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway all the way to Takanosu before heading to Odate-Noshiro Airport.
However, there’s no shuttle bus from Akita Airport to Wada Station — only taxi, which makes timing unpredictable. The Odate-Noshiro to Haneda flight would also likely need to be pushed to a later departure to make this work.
Since I had already ridden the Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway on a separate occasion, I chose the shortest route this time.