Nikaho is a small Sea of Japan city at the foot of Mount Chokai, where Akita begins to tilt toward Yamagata. It is not a big-ticket city, but it has a distinct landscape: a lone volcanic mountain, cold spring water pouring through moss, old lava coasts, and the odd sight of former islands now marooned in rice fields.
The strongest stop is Mototaki Underflow, a low, wide waterfall fed by snowmelt from Chokai. Nearby Nakajimadai Forest and Shishigahana Marsh make the inland side feel cool and green even in summer.
Closer to the coast, Kisakata has the area's strangest story. The Kisakata Kujukushima Islands were once sea islets compared to Matsushima, until an 1804 earthquake lifted the lagoon and left the "islands" surrounded by paddies. Nikaho is best for travellers already moving along the Akita-Yamagata coast, but for them it is a worthwhile stop rather than just another station name.