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Uonotana
— Akashi's fish-market arcade
A 350-metre covered arcade in Akashi, Hyogo, where around 100 shops selling fresh seafood share the street with the counter shops that serve the city's famous egg dumplings.
Uonotana — the name means 'the fish shelf' — is a covered arcade that runs through central Akashi, a coastal city west of Kobe. Around 100 shops line it, selling fresh seafood, dried goods and fish cakes; locals have long called it 'Uontana.' Its rhythm follows the hiruami, the midday catch: fish landed by the morning boats are sold at a noon auction and reach the stalls in the early afternoon, which is when the market is liveliest. Among the fishmongers are shops serving tamagoyaki — soft, round egg-and-octopus dumplings eaten by dipping them in warm dashi, a light Japanese soup stock. Official listings often write the dish as 'Akashiyaki (tamagoyaki),' treating both names as the same food.
Why it stays quiet
A genuine local market rather than a tourist sight: it fills up in the early afternoon rather than at dawn, and most information about it is in Japanese, so foreign visitors rarely plan a stop here.
Background & history
The arcade traces its origins to the building of Akashi Castle, completed in 1619, and the castle town laid out around it. Local tradition credits the town plan to Miyamoto Musashi, a famous swordsman of that era — though this is handed down as folklore rather than proven record. The name 'fish shelf' is said to come from Edo-period merchants (1603–1868) who displayed their catch on wide boards at the front of their shops and ran water over the fish to keep it fresh.
What to look for — in walking order
- Arcade entrance
- the covered shopping street begins a 5-minute walk from Akashi Station's south exit
- Fresh seafood stalls
- around 100 shops selling Akashi octopus, whole fish, dried goods and fish cakes
- Tamagoyaki counters
- small shops serving the soft egg-and-octopus dumpling dipped in warm dashi
- Midday-catch selection
- the widest choice of fresh fish arrives in the early afternoon, after the noon auction
How to enjoy it
Come in the early afternoon, when the midday catch has just filled the stalls and the arcade is at its liveliest. Wander past the fishmongers first, then take a counter seat at one of the tamagoyaki shops and eat the dumplings slowly, dipping each one into the dashi.
How to actually get there
- Osaka Station → Akashi Station (JR Kobe Line, Special Rapid toward Himeji/Nishi-Akashi, ~40 min, no transfer).
- Akashi Station south exit → Uonotana arcade entrance (walk south ~5 min).
- Walk the arcade to the tamagoyaki shops mid-street; take a counter seat and eat the dumplings with dashi.
- JR Kobe Line (Special Rapid) — one train, no transfer
- From Osaka Station, take the JR Kobe Line 'Special Rapid' (Shin-Kaisoku) toward Himeji or Nishi-Akashi to Akashi Station (~40 min, no transfer). It stops at Sannomiya (central Kobe) on the way. Special Rapid trains run several times an hour, about 6:00 to 23:00. Fare about 960 yen.
- Return the same way — trains run late
- Return from Akashi Station on the JR Kobe Line Special Rapid back to Osaka (~40 min). Trains run frequently until about 23:00, so there is no early cut-off. The market itself closes in the early evening (see hours), so plan to leave the arcade before then.
Before you go
- Cash
- Many small stalls take cash only. Carry some coins and 1,000-yen notes to be safe.
- Closing days
- Arcade shops open roughly 8:00 to 18:00, and most close on Thursdays (this varies by shop). The midday-catch selection is best on weekdays; on Thursdays and in bad weather the fish choice can be thin.
- Another way
- The arcade is in central Akashi and connects toward Akashi Port. From the arcade you can also walk on to the fish market building near the port for a wider look.
- After you get off
- From the south exit of Akashi Station, walk south about 5 minutes on the shopping street to reach the arcade entrance. It is flat, paved, and well signposted.