Akita Prefecture: The Deep North

Mount Chōkai. (© Photolibrary)

Snow-covered roofs in the city of Yuzawa, the hometown of Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide. (© Pixta)

Fireworks artists paint the night sky in Ōmagari. (© Pixta)

Kamakura shine outside Yokote Castle. (© Pixta)

Namahage, robed in rice straw, display their fearsome features. (© Pixta)

Rows of kantō parade through the streets of Akita. (© Photolibrary)

Kiritanpo-nabe helps banish the chills of winter. (© Photolibrary)

A coastal treat, shottsuru-nabe. (© Pixta)

Iburigakko are crunchy and have a distinct smoked flavor. (© Pixta)

A steaming-hot bowl of Inaniwa udon. (© Pixta)

Ono no Komachi, right, in an edition of Hyakunin isshu (trans. One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each) published in 1680. (Courtesy of the National Diet Library)