Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Akashi (Japan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, Akashi Castle, and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Also, be sure to include Former Residence of Saji Muto in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Akashi (Hyōgo).
Table of Contents
Akashi Kaikyō Bridge
Also known as: 明石海峡大橋
Expansive bridge with tours to its top. The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is a suspension bridge which links the city of Kobe on the Japanese island of Honshu to Iwaya on Awaji Island. It is part of the Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway, and crosses the busy and turbulent Akashi Strait. It was completed in 1998, and has the second longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world, at 1,991 metres.
It is one of the key links of the Honshū–Shikoku Bridge Project, which created three routes across the Inland Sea.[1]
Akashi Castle
Also known as: 明石城
Historic castle with an observation deck. Akashi Castle is a Japanese castle in Akashi, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.
Akashi castle was constructed by Ogasawara Tadazane on Mount Akamatsu from 1617 to 1619 to watch over the western lords, by the order of Tokugawa Hidetada. It is known Miyamoto Musashi helped in building the castle as he was invited by Ogasawara Tadanao to be a "Construction Supervisor". The castle only took one year to complete, which was relatively fast for the time period. This was done so quickly as a result of a 1615 law mandating castle per clan, so many castles were dismantled and parts of some were used to construct Akashi Castle.
The castle was built in Akashi, which was an important strategic point between Osaka and western Japan, where many major tozama daimyō had their feudal estates. Akashi Castle was expected to be a key staging point to stop a hypothetical invasion of Osaka.
Akashi castle underwent major repairs in 1739, and was demolished by the Meiji Government in 1874.[2]
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Museum is located in Maiko Park, Tarumi Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. Formerly known as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Museum. The octagonal Chinese-style pavilion, "Shijiaogak", built in 1915, is the oldest existing concrete block structure in Japan and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.
Address: ２０５１ Higashimaikochō, Tarumi-ku, Kōbe-shi, 655-0047 Akashi (垂水区)
Former Residence of Saji Muto
Former Muto Residence is a western-style house located in Tarumi Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as the Former Yamaharu Mutoh Residence and the Former Maiko Club of Kanebo.
Akashi Strait
Also known as: 明石海峡
Strait. The Akashi Strait is a strait between the Japanese islands of Honshu and Awaji. The strait connects Seto Inland Sea and Osaka Bay. The width of the Akashi Strait is approximately 4 kilometers, and maximum depth is about 110 meters. The fastest tidal current is about 4.5 metres per second.
The 1.5-kilometer strait is one of the important points of the Seto Inland Sea and is at the mouth of the Pacific Ocean. The surrounding waters around Akashi Strait is a known fishery area. The Akashi Strait is designated as an international shipping channel by the Maritime Traffic Safety Act in Japan.
The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, an almost four-kilometer-long suspension bridge, crosses the strait. It links the city of Kobe (the capital of Hyōgo Prefecture) on Honshu Island to Iwaya on Awaji Island (also within Hyōgo Prefecture). Its longest span measures nearly two kilometers. After 10 years of construction it was finally opened to traffic on 5 April 1998. At the time of its opening in 1998, it was the world's longest suspension bridge.
The Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred beneath the Akashi Strait and struck on 17 January 1995 with magnitude 7.2. The Nojima Fault, which cuts across Awaji Island, is responsible; a surface trace about 10 kilometers long appeared on the island due to the earthquake. The Nojima Fault is a branch of the Japan Median Tectonic Line which runs the length of the southern half of Honshu.[3]
Akashi Kaikkyo Bridge Exhibition Center
Hashi no Kagakukan is a science museum located in Tarumi Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, which opened in April 1998. It is a two-story building with a total floor space of approximately 1,700 square meters. It was formerly managed and operated by the Ocean Bridge and Bridge Research Foundation, but is now managed and operated by JB Highway Service Co. It is located on the Kobe City side of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Maiko Park.
The museum introduces the long span bridge construction technology used for the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge and other long span bridges connecting Honshu and Shikoku, as well as other long span bridge projects in Japan and around the world.
Ming shi shi li tian wen ke xue guan
Akashi Municipal Museum of Astronomy and Science is a museum on the theme of "Time and Space" located on the meridian of Japanese Standard Time in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture.