(From the left to right)
Sen-an: The boat-shaped washbasin in the teahouse garden is said to have been brought back to Japan by Kato Kiyomasa during the Bunroku Campaign and sent from Osaka Castle to a branch of the Satake family line at Mitsunari Ishida’s discretion.
Kubota Castle Osumi Yagura: This tower, located on the high grounds of the main enclosure’s north side, was built in 1989 as a project of the 100 year anniversary of the municipal establishment of Akita City. This kind of tower served as a guard post and armory.
Kogetsu Lake: Park designer Nagaoka Yasuhei built this pond first during the construction of the park. He decorated the pond with a low, three-legged stone lantern and water fountain. The Oga lotus, awoken from its 2000 years of slumber, blooms in early summer.
Toki-gane bells: It is believed that second-generation Akita lord, Satake Yoshitaka, first installed the bell tower in the corner of Ninomaru (the second citadel) in 1639. It was constructed in its current location in 1890 after a number of recastings and relocations.
Statue of Satake Yoshitaka: Satake Yoshitaka (1825-1884), the twelfth-generation lord of Akita, was the final lord to have developed modern Akita. He fought for the side of the new government in the Boshin War and is a symbolic figure that lived during the tempestuous period of the Meiji Restoration.
Main gate ofKubota Castle: The main gate of Kubota Castle, also called “Ichinomon”, was an important strategic location for the protection of the castle. The defense and management post was situated at the gate on the left side, and the head guards’ post was situated below the gate to protect against intruders, providing the first line of defense against attacks on the castle.
Omono-gashira Obansho: This was the post of the Monogashira (group leader of common soldiers) who was in charge of fire extinguishing, defense of the land near the castle and the opening and closing of the second gate of the castle. It was designated by Akita City as a cultural property in 1990.
