Akashi has a history of prosperity as a castle town, a rich food culture brought about by the Akashi Strait, one of Japan's best fishing grounds, and a city where the Japan Standard Time Meridian passes through at 135 degrees east longitude. It's compact but has a lot of impact. We went on a day trip to see the symbols of Akashi.

First, let’s learn about Akashi's history at Akashi Castle and look over the town.

Two towers stand as if watching over Akashi. Hitsujisaru means southwest of the main keep, and Tatsumi means southeast.

First, we headed to Akashi Castle, about a five-minute walk from JR Akashi Station.

Akashi Castle was built in 1619 as a national project. It was a key location for land and sea transportation, including the highway and the Akashi Strait, served as a defense against the Western Provinces (the Kyushu region located in the west), and is now listed as one of Japan's 100 most famous castles.

It is characterized by its flat castle style without a castle tower (a tower built high on the three- to five-story keep). The Tatsumi Tower and Hitsujisaru Tower, which remain in the corners of the castle keep, are nationally designated Important Cultural Properties.

The stone wall is about 20m high and 380m wide from east to west. Different types of stones were used when the castle was first built and when it was repaired, so it's fun to spot the differences.

Akashi Park spreads out below

When Akashi Castle was built, it is said that Miyamoto Musashi, the invincible swordsman of the time, was involved in the planning (plotting) of the castle town. It is said that Akashi was the only place in Japan where Miyamoto Musashi planned the town.

Akashi Castle is located in Akashi Park. This was my first time visiting, and I didn't expect it to be such a large and beautiful place. There is also a pond and a lawn, so it would be nice to take a walk or have a picnic. There is also a cafe that is perfect for taking a break during your walk or taking shelter from the rain, so it seems to me as a spot that even families with children can enjoy without worry.

Get your hands on a MoguTicket, an essential item for eating your way around Akashi!

MoguTickets can be purchased at the Akashi Information Center or the Akashi Tourist Association Office

After Akashi Castle, we headed to the Uontana Shopping Street, where stores line the arcade. Before going there, we bought MoguTickets, which are food coupons. MoguTickets are coupons that can be exchanged for 18 Akashi specialties, including sweets, seafood products, and Akashiyaki, at 13 stores in Uontana Shopping Street and elsewhere. The system allows you to exchange the number of tickets according to the product, and a set of six tickets costs ¥750. The tickets also list translations in English and traditional Chinese.

What will we exchange them for?

Savor the bounty of the Akashi Strait at Uontana Shopping Street.

A festive atmosphere at Uontana Shopping Street, decorated with fishermen banners, during the New Year holidays

About a 10-minute walk from Akashi Castle, Uontana Shopping Street is a historic shopping street that is said to have been created by Miyamoto Musashi when he laid out the town. The 350m long arcade is lined with about 100 stores, mainly selling seafood such as Akashi octopus, a bounty of the Akashi Strait.

An Akashi octopus welcomes customers with open arms (?!)

I took a bite of the Akashi octopus tempura at MoguTicket's Shirakawa Minami branch. The batter was crispy and the inside was moist and soft!

It was a lot of fun eating around using MoguTickets. The flavor and texture of the paste and tempura varies depending on the shop, so when you visit, I recommend trying different flavors from different shops to compare them.

An Akashi octopus feast at Yoshikawa

Can you tell how fluffy the texture is?

「Takomeshi – the perfect balance of textures

Akashiyaki omelet is a must-try at Uontana Shopping Street. I ordered Akashiyaki and takomeshi at Yoshikawa. Akashiyaki is made by putting octopus in a batter made from wheat flour, starch, eggs, and dashi stock and frying it. When you put it in your mouth with the fragrant Kansai-style dipping sauce made from kelp and bonito flakes, it is fluffy at first and melts on your tongue in no time. Takomeshi is rice with a strong octopus flavor. I enjoyed both the taste and the texture of either meal.

I was fascinated by the skill of the restaurant staff in making Akashiyaki.

I enjoyed interacting with the shop owners in the shopping street. Everyone was very friendly and eager to tell me about their products and the history of the area. The arcade decorations and street performers made the street even more lively, and it was filled with laughter and smiles from passersby, but there were also quiet spaces where tourists could relax. Uontana Shopping Street was a warm street where I could feel a variety of hospitality.

At the Uontana Shopping Street there are 19 different manhole covers with fish designs. The fish were drawn by Sakana-kun, a TV personality and Akashi octopus ambassador. Keep an eye on the ground, too!

Akashi is also known as the "town of time

The tower in the back is a large clock with a diameter of about 6.2 meters. It is a landmark of Akashi that can be seen from the window of the JR Kobe Line and Sanyo Electric Railway.

After filling your stomach, head to the Akashi City Planetarium. It is just under 20 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by car from Uontana Shopping Street.

The Akashi City Planetarium is a museum with the theme of time and space, located on the Japanese Standard Time Meridian at 135 degrees east longitude. It also houses Japan's oldest active planetarium, which has been in operation since it opened in 1960.

Looking at the exhibits in the museum, you can really see how astronomy is closely related to our lives.

The Calendar Exhibition (the 55th Calendar Exhibition will run from Saturday, December 7, 2024 to Sunday, January 26, 2025) is being held inside the museum. There are calendars from various eras and cultural spheres, which gave me a good idea of how civilizations have measured time up until now. The evolution of the calendar reflects the evolution of science and culture!

This planetarium was made by Carl Zeiss Jena. In 2012 it was ranked number one in Japan for the length of operation, and number five in the world.

The chairs in the planetarium can be reclined, making them very comfortable. The guide operates the projection and gives explanations while communicating with the audience, but unfortunately, his Japanese was a little difficult for me to understand! Still, I was able to immerse myself in the starry sky, which showed about 9,000 stars, the sun, the moon, planets, and more. I was also impressed that the planetarium, which has been in operation for about 65 years, still works so accurately.

View from the observation deck on the 14th floor

From the observation deck, which has windows covering 360 degrees, you can see the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, ships passing through the Akashi Strait, Awaji Island, and more. The panoramic view of Akashi city, Mt. Rokko, and the skyscrapers of Nishi-Kobe showed us the charm of Akashi that goes beyond its natural beauty.

Commemorating the visit to the Japan Standard Time Meridian at 135 degrees east longitude

MoguTickets work here, too!

If you present a MoguTicket at the Akashi City Planetarium, you'll receive a commemorative postcard!

The Akashi City Planetarium also holds events such as daytime solar observations and public openings of the astronomical observatory on the 16th floor, as well as special planetarium projections. For more information, be sure to check out their website.

The people of Akashi particularly care about hospitality to tourists.

Thanks to the daytime auction, seafood fresh from the sea was lined up in the storefronts of the Uontana Shopping Street in the afternoon.

In Akashi, in addition to the specialty Akashi octopus, I saw many other fresh seafoods. At Akashiura Fisheries Cooperative, an auction is held at 11:00 a.m. This is a custom unique to Akashi called "hiruami" (daytime auction). The fishermen's wish is to have fresh seafood for dinner that day!

I knew that the historical sites and seafood were famous, but by interacting with the locals, I was able to learn about their hospitality and preferences.

It is easily accessible from Osaka and Kyoto, so please feel free to visit and update your impression of Akashi!

SPOTS

Akashi Castle

住所： 1-27 Akashi Park, Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture

TEL：078-912-7600

https://hyogo-akashipark.jp

Where to buy MoguTickets

Akashi Information Center

Address: 1-1-23 Oakashicho, Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, inside Piole Akashi West Building

TEL:078-911-2660

Business hours:9:00〜19:000 (until 18:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays)

Uontana Shopping Street (Uontana Shopping Street/Uontana Station)

Address: 1-1-16 Honmachi, Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture

TEL: 080-4647-9666、078-911-9666（10:00〜17:00）

https://www.uonotana.or.jp/

Akashi City Planetarium

Address: 2-6 Hitomarucho, Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture

TEL: 078-919-5000

Business hours: 9:30-17:00 (entry until 16:30)

Closed: Mondays and the second Tuesday of every month (next weekday if Monday is a public holiday), end of the year, etc.

Admission fee: ¥700 (including planetarium)

*Free for high school students and younger

https://www.am12.jp/