Fodor's Expert Review Kakunodate Cherry Bark Work Museum

A hall in front of a cluster of samurai houses serves as a museum and a workshop for the local cherry-bark veneer handicrafts that became the new source of income for samurai when they suddenly found themselves unemployed. Don't be put off by the imposing exterior of the Densho House—go right on in and watch a master craftsman at work. You can buy the products—often one of a kind—here, rather than from the shops on the street. The Satake-Kita family armor and heavily Kyoto-influenced ancient heirlooms are exhibited in adjacent parts of the building. You can also learn about life in old-time winters, with displays of plaited-maple sleighs and some truly inventive and adaptive tools and togs for coping with snow.