Akita Prefecture

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Pedal along old train tracks on a rail bike
On a few closed country railway lines the tracks have been left in place, and you can ride them on a rail bike, a small pedal-powered cart that runs on the rails. You roll through tunnels, over iron bridges and along river gorges, with the clack of the rail joints under your wheels. Rides need booking in advance and most stop for the winter, so check the season first.
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Drink fresh beer next to the tanks it came from
All over Japan, small craft breweries pour their beer in taprooms set right beside the brewing tanks, so what you drink was made a few steps away. Order a few small glasses to compare styles, often with food made to go with them. The places in and around Tokyo make an easy evening out, while those farther away fit into a longer trip through the region.
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Spend a day reading among walls of manga
Manga are Japanese comics, and at these museums tens of thousands of volumes line the walls, free to take down and read inside. Pick up a classic or a series you have never heard of, and read for as long as you like. Most books are in Japanese, but the pictures carry much of the story, so you can enjoy them without reading every word.
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Walk temple slopes full of June hydrangeas
In June, during tsuyu, Japan's early-summer rainy season, hydrangeas bloom blue and purple across the grounds of Buddhist temples. Walk the paths and stairs among the flowers, whose colors look deepest in the rain. Many temples charge an entry fee or take reservations only in the flower season, so check their websites before you go.
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Wind deep into the mountains for an onsen
Hikyo onsen, hidden hot springs, are rustic inns deep in the mountains, often the only building in sight. Getting there is part of it: you wind up mountain roads or ride a cable car down into a gorge, then soak in water that comes straight from the ground. Many close on set weekdays or are cut off by snow in winter, and not all take day visitors, so check before you go.

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