Abe, then governor of Koshi Province (the northwestern part of Honshū bordering the Sea of Japan), established a fort on the Mogami River, and thus began the Japanese settlement of the region.

The region was used as a base of operations for the Japanese empire as it drove the native Ezo people from northern Honshū.

During the Tokugawa shogunate it was appropriated to the Satake clan, who ruled the region for 260 years and developed the agriculture and mining industries that are still predominant today.

[2] In 1871, during the Meiji Restoration, Dewa Province was reshaped and the old daimyō domains were abolished and administratively reconstructed, resulting in the modern-day borders of Akita.

The famous Heian period waka poet, Ono no Komachi, is said to have been born in Yuzawa City, Ogachi Town, located in the southeast of the prefecture.

[11] It is well known for having the highest consumption of sake in Japan[12] and is thought to be the origin of the Akita breed of dog which carries the prefecture's name.

Akita is known for the following regional specialties (tokusanhin): Recently there have been efforts to revitalize rural communities facing depopulation with different forms of green tourism and agritourism.

[16] These efforts are primarily aimed at attracting urbanites and foreign tourists to Akita Prefecture, advertising its pristine forests, sprawling rice fields, and range of cultures.

In addition, numerous seasonal festivals (matsuri) offer a glimpse of rural or traditional Japan.

The Aoyagi house is the former residence of Odano Naotake, who illustrated Japan's first modern guide to human anatomy.