Uontana Fish Market

Located near Akashi Station, this arcade is lined with a wide variety of fresh seafood. It is decorated with large fishing flags during the New Year's holiday season and is always crowded with shoppers and tourists.

The name "Uontana” (fish shelf) is derived from the fact that fish merchants used to line up their fish on a board and let the water flow over them to keep them fresh. The area's history dates back to the early Edo period (1603-1868), with its roots in the fishing towns of Higashi-Uocho and Nishi-Uocho, which were created by Miyamoto Musashi's town planning for the construction of Akashi Castle.

All kinds of seafood, including the famous red seabream and octopus landed at the Akashi Fishing Port, can be found on the Uontana shopping street. It's fun to just walk around, but you can also enjoy tempura and other delicacies sold in the stores.

Akashi is also famous for its specialty, Akashiyaki. These octopus dumplings, called "tamagoyaki" (egg omelet) by the locals, are eaten in Japanese soup stock, and there are a number of specialty stores in the Uonotana shopping street as well. There are also many sushi restaurants and izakayas (Japanese-style pubs), making this a shopping district that foodies will want to come back to again and again.