Spectacular views of the Seto Inland Sea, old castle ruins, temples, sake breweries, and hot springs are just some of the things you can enjoy in Ako, Hyogo.

Although technically classified as a city, Ako is a small seaside town in western Hyogo Prefecture, bordering Okayama Prefecture. This town has a rich history in salt trade and ties to Japan’s greatest revenge story; The Forty-Seven Ronin.

Ako is serviced by JR Banshu-Ako Station but is best accessed by car as some of the sites are spread out. It’s about a 90 minute drive from Kobe City, one hour from Himeji and one hour from Okayama. Car parking and/or entrance to most locations is free.

I’ve visited Ako a handful of times (as it’s only a 90 minute drive from where I live) and stayed overnight a few times. Here are some of the main sites in Ako city, Hyogo.

Ako Castle Ruins & Oishi Shrine

First stop is the Ako Castle Ruins. While there is no castle to speak of, the vast grounds are surrounded by moats. The castle walls, including guard towers, remain. The castle dates back to the early 1600s and has been designated a national historic site.

You can freely wander the gardens within the castle grounds, as you do you will come across Oishi Shrine and home of the Forty-Seven Ronin statues lining the entrance. I won’t go into detail about the 47 ronin here (you can jump over to Wikipedia for that), however the story is well known throughout Japan as one of the greatest revenge stories in samurai history.

Car parking, entrance to the grounds and shrine are all free. Ako Castle Ruins is roughly a 20 minute walk from JR Banshu-Ako Station.

Iwatsuhime Shrine & Views of the Seto Inland Sea

Jump back in the car and head south for 10 minutes to Ako Misaki (cape) where you can dine at the popular Sakuragumi or one of the couple of other cafes in the area. The rocky coast has parks and walking paths where you can get stunning views of the Seto Inland Sea.

Ako Misaki is not a huge area but the views that it offers and the serenity of Iwatsuhime Shrine make it worth the stop. The shrine is said to bring good luck in relationships.

Momoi Museum

Another short drive, or around a 2 km hilly walk, is the Momoi Museum, filled with wind-chimes and Unkayaki; pottery from the Ako region. There is a cafe and nice garden with views of the sea.

The garden has some unique water-sound ceramic structures called Suikinkutsu scattered around it. You can hear various sounds through the pots as water drips inside. Wikipedia has a good article about them.

Open from 10am — 4pm. Closed Tuesday (or the following day if Tuesday is a public holiday). Parking is free, entrance is ¥500. Tip: When you enter the museum, order drink or some sweets and they might wave the entrance cost (they did for us)!

Ako Hot Spring Resorts (Onsen)

Located in the same area of Ako Misaki are Ako’s hot spring resorts or onsen. The upmarket Japanese hotels provide open-air baths with superb views of the sea.

My family and I were treated with warm hospitality at Ginpaso, one of the handful of such hotels in the area. A full course dinner including fresh seafood of the region was served in-room with a Japanese-style breakfast the next morning served in the hotel restaurant. The outdoor onsen and views were was especially gorgeous at sunset.

Visit the official Ako sightseeing page for more details about the onsen hotels in the region.

Ako Seaside Park

The wide-open space, grassy hills, play grounds, paddle boats and classic amusement park make Ako Seaside Park a great family spot to relax for a picnic. It’s not a sightseeing spot and as a tourist with limited time you can feel free to skip this. However, if you live here in Japan, especially Kansai and looking for somewhere to get away with your family I recommend it. It was somewhere I returned to with my family throughout 2020 as we avoided crowded places and kept social distancing.

The WakuWaku Land amusement area located inside the park is pretty old but it doesn’t seem to bother my 3-year-old who enjoys the attractions.

Ako Seaside Park grounds are free to enter, car parking is ¥500 a day and the attractions cost between ¥200 to ¥700.

Okuto Shoji Sake Brewery Museum & Shop

The final stop on our trip to Ako was the Okuto Shoji Sake Brewery along the ancient trading street of Sakoshi Hon-dori (main street). Here you can step back in time, and wander down the old street and view the sake museum free of charge. Established in 1601, the brewery has an old charm of days gone by.

With a bottle of sake as a souvenir, it’s a nice treat to enjoy sipping as you reflect on your time in Ako; the picturesque town by the sea.

Final thoughts

Ako makes for a great day trip or a one night stay. It’s ideal for travellers or residents that want to escape the big city lights and explore a traditional Japanese town without the crowds.

Coming by car from Osaka/Kobe or Okayama is well worth it as there is some scenic coastal roads to enjoy on your way and enables you to discover more of

For more of what Ako has to offer please visit their official tourism site: https://ako-kankou.jp/en/