Sakoshi is a historic port town in eastern Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture, facing Sakoshi Bay on the Seto Inland Sea. Known for its beautifully preserved traditional buildings and historic streets, the town was selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Urban Landscapes. Its enduring streetscapes reflect centuries of maritime trade, local traditions, and close ties to the sea.
Just offshore lies Ikishima Island, a sacred island associated with Hata no Kawakatsu. Designated a National Natural Monument, the island is also part of a specially protected zone within Setonaikai National Park. Sakoshi is equally famous for its oysters, known as Sakoshi oysters, which are cultivated in the bay and prized for their clean, mild flavor.
Sakoshi has a long history as an important stop along the Seto Inland Sea. According to local tradition, Hata no Kawakatsu, a powerful figure of the Asuka period who served Prince Shotoku, fled here in 644 to escape political unrest involving Soga no Iruka. He is said to have spent his final years in the area, and his connection to Sakoshi remains central to local religious traditions.
Over the centuries, many notable figures are said to have visited Sakoshi, including the Buddhist monk Kukai, the scholar Sugawara no Michizane, the Jesuit missionary Luis Frois, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. These stories reflect the town’s position along important routes linking communities throughout western Japan.
From the 17th century onward, Sakoshi developed into a prosperous center for maritime shipping. Wealthy merchant families, including the Okuto, Onishi, Iwasaki, and Shibuya families, operated shipping businesses, and vessels of various sizes regularly anchored in Sakoshi Bay. The port was also used by feudal lords traveling to and from Edo as part of the sankin-kotai system, under which they were required to spend alternate periods in the shogun’s capital.
Although many ports around the Seto Inland Sea declined as shipping routes in the Sea of Japan grew in importance during the 18th century, Sakoshi continued to prosper as a port for transporting salt produced in Ako. Its maritime trade remained important until the Meiji period, and the historic streets along the main road known as Sakoshi Omichi preserve the atmosphere of that prosperous era.
Records also indicate that Dutch ships called at Sakoshi. In 1787, the rangaku scholar Shiba Kokan visited the area, as recorded in his travel diary, Kokan Saiyu Nikki. This account offers a glimpse into the wider commercial and cultural connections of the port town.
Unlike many port towns where the principal street runs directly along the coast, Sakoshi Omichi follows a distinctive inland route. It connects the port with the Takase-bune landing area on the Chikusa River, crossing a valley on the way. Historic merchant houses, sake breweries, temples, and residences belonging to shipowners line the street, preserving the character of an old maritime settlement.
The former Sakoshiura Meeting Hall, located near the center of town, once served as a resting place for the lords of the Ako Domain. During the early modern period, it also functioned as an administrative and commercial center. From the second-floor Kankaikaku room, visitors can enjoy views across Sakoshi Bay while imagining the town’s former importance as a port.
Other historic buildings include the Sakoshi Machinami-kan, formerly the Okuto Bank, and the Okuto Sake Brewery Local History Museum, which introduces the area’s brewing traditions. Traditional houses and renovated old buildings now accommodate cafés and sweet shops, adding new life to the historic district.
Sakoshi preserves numerous traditional festivals, performing arts, and historic sites. The most famous event is the Sakoshi Boat Festival at Daibutsu Shrine, which has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. The town’s maritime history and its role as a port for the Kitamaebune trading ships were recognized through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Hometown Award in fiscal year 2017.
In 2018, seven cultural properties associated with Sakoshi were included in the Japan Heritage designation for the historic ports and shipowner settlements connected with the Kitamaebune trade. These heritage assets highlight the town’s importance in Japan’s maritime and commercial history.
Ikishima is a small island in Sakoshi Bay with a coastline of approximately 1,630 meters. Regarded as sacred since ancient times, it has traditionally been closed to ordinary visitors. As a result, its woodland has remained largely undisturbed, offering a rare glimpse of the original natural environment of the Seto Inland Sea region.
The entire island lies within a specially protected zone of Setonaikai National Park. In 1924, its woodland was designated a National Natural Monument under the name Ikishima Woodland. The forest is a characteristic warm-temperate evergreen woodland dominated by Japanese chinquapin and holly in the upper canopy, with plants such as Dendropanax and Japanese evergreen oak growing below. Its ecological value makes the island important for the study of regional vegetation.
Ikishima is also associated with Hata no Kawakatsu, a prominent figure of the Asuka period who is believed to have fled from the capital region to Sakoshi in the mid-7th century and died there. Known for his service to Prince Shotoku, he is enshrined at Daibutsu Shrine and remains an important figure in local history and religious tradition.
Daibutsu Shrine is the principal local shrine of Sakoshi and is closely associated with Hata no Kawakatsu. It is best known for hosting the Sakoshi Boat Festival, one of the three major boat festivals of the Seto Inland Sea region.
The shrine’s offerings and historical objects include some of Japan’s oldest surviving votive ship paintings. In 2018, these objects were recognized as part of the Japan Heritage designation connected with the Kitamaebune ports and shipowner settlements. The shrine and its festival remain important expressions of Sakoshi’s maritime heritage and community identity.
Myokenji is a Shingon Buddhist temple traditionally said to have been founded by the monk Gyoki around the middle of the 8th century. It is also associated with Kojima Takanori, a warrior who appears in the medieval historical epic Taiheiki. The Kannon Hall, located partway up the hillside, offers sweeping views over Sakoshi Bay and its surrounding islands.
Mount Hojusan is a popular destination for walking and hiking. Trails on the mountain include routes connected with a pilgrimage of 88 sacred sites, allowing visitors to combine a nature walk with a glimpse of local religious traditions.
Several elevated viewpoints provide beautiful panoramas of Sakoshi Bay, Ikishima, and the distant Ieshima Islands. These include Funaoka Park, the Kannon Hall at Myokenji Temple, and the summit of Mount Chausu. The views reveal the bay’s intricate coastline and the distinctive island scenery of the Seto Inland Sea.
The stone foundations beneath some of the old waterfront residences also offer clues to the town’s changing landscape. They are reminders that the sea once reached much closer to the buildings than it does today.
Every year on January 15, Sakoshi hosts the traditional Hikikondo Festival, a local form of the New Year fire ritual known as Sagicho or Tondo. A decorated fire structure mounted on a cart is pulled through the streets toward the coast, accompanied by lively festival music and traditional songs. It is then set alight in a festive ceremony.
The custom is believed to date back approximately 250 years, to the Meiwa and An’ei eras (1764–1781). Its distinctive combination of a moving fire structure, music, and a seaside setting makes it an unusual example of a traditional Japanese mid-January celebration.
Sakoshi Bay lies near the mouth of the Chikusa River, whose clear waters flow into the Seto Inland Sea. Surrounded by forested hills, the area provides a favorable environment for oyster cultivation. Sakoshi oysters are widely distributed in markets across Japan and are known for their clean taste and high quality.
They are cultivated as one-year oysters, meaning they are raised for a relatively short period before harvesting. Their flavor is generally mild, with less of the strong marine aftertaste that some people associate with oysters. This makes them an appealing choice even for diners who are not usually fond of shellfish.
Sakoshi is home to Okuto Sake Brewery, a historic brewery founded in 1601. It is regarded as one of the oldest sake breweries in Hyogo Prefecture, following Kenbishi Brewery in Kobe and Konishi Brewery in Itami. The brewery continues to produce sake using traditions passed down through generations.
Its best-known labels include Chushingura, including the varieties Rin and QUATRESEPT47, as well as Otome. In recent years, the brewery has also sold sake brewed by students in the agricultural course at Hyogo Prefectural Kamigori High School, bringing local education and traditional brewing together.
Sakoshi is located in the southwestern part of Hyogo Prefecture, approximately 4 kilometers northeast of central Ako and about 6 kilometers from Aioi. The town lies along Sakoshi Bay, with the Harimanada waters to the south, and is surrounded by low mountains including Mount Hojusan and Mount Kikkoyama.
From Sakoshi Station on the JR Ako Line, the historic town center is approximately a 15-minute walk. Roads serving the area include National Route 250 and Hyogo Prefectural Routes 458 and 32. The climate is generally mild, typical of the Seto Inland Sea region.
Sakoshi is a rewarding destination for travelers interested in traditional Japanese streets, maritime history, sacred landscapes, and regional food. A leisurely walk along Sakoshi Omichi, a visit to the historic buildings, and views across the bay offer a memorable introduction to this quietly beautiful port town.