When I’m travelling or sightseeing, I prefer places without the crazy crowds (looking at you, Kyoto). This is especially true for areas that I consider myself more of a local—who sightsees in their own hometown? I often visit my husband’s parents in Akashi, and they take us around to places that only locals would know, meaning I now know of some pretty good eats in the area. Last time I visited in late fall, which means: oyster season. And trust me, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried oysters in Japan.

My husband had been begging to go out for oysters for weeks, and he finally got his wish. We woke up early and headed an hour west to Ako (赤穂)—a town famous for its oysters.

Ako city

Ako was an important port town in Edo times that was (and still is) famous for its high-quality salt. It borders Hyogo and Okayama, giving the people there a strong accent (播州弁, Banshu-ben) difficult for even natives to understand. Though you won’t find many tourist attractions, interest in Ako has increased thanks to its being the setting of the 47 ronin, a thrilling tale immortalized in theater, cinema, and festivals.

The gentle and nutrient-rich waters of the bay help grow plump, juicy oysters. In fact, Ako oysters take half as long as other species to grow to market size, and their subtle sweetness make them popular with many first-time oyster eaters.

All-you-can-eat oysters in Japan

The port town of Ako city is called Sakoshi (坂越). Plenty of restaurants specializing in oysters line the bay, and, unlike most places in Japan that only serve oysters in winter, here you can find them year-round! Many of these restaurants close rather early though, so plan on eating around lunch time.

If you’re unsure of where to go: one of the most popular restaurants is Kuidouraku. You can try all kinds of different dishes—raw, deep-fried, steamed in sake (a personal favorite)—that change throughout the year. The best part is, you can order buckets of all-you-can-eat oysters that you grill yourself, right at your table! Trust me, you’ll want to order this. These oysters truly are among the tastiest I’ve eaten, and man they are big. At 3500 yen (~$35), it’s a pretty good deal.

The historical district of Sakoshi

When you’re done gorging yourself on oysters, you can head over to the old main street. The atmosphere makes you feel like you’re in an old Edo-style movie. Just a few blocks long and lined with traditional wooden buildings, it makes for a nice afternoon stroll. There you will find a sake brewery, a few hipster-style cafes, and a pastry shop famous for aragosta, a traditional dessert of Naples, Italy.

At the end of the main street, there’s an old building that has been converted into a free museum. Built in the early 1800s mainly for administrative and commercial uses, it also uniquely served as a town hall and as a tea house for the feudal lord’s guests. The higher the room, the higher your status; the feudal lord had a special room upstairs with a perfect view of the bay. The house is huge—8 rooms downstairs (including a 200-year-old kitchen), 10 rooms upstairs, and 5 gardens—and the tour guide does a great job at painting you a picture of what life was like back then. It’s definitely an interesting end to a long day of stuffing your face with oysters in Japan.

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