I’d only planned one night in Akune(阿久根). But this quiet port town has been holding onto my thoughts for a while now.
To be fair, there isn’t much here to keep you entertained on your own, so not stretching it into an awkward two nights was probably the right call. Still, it’s the kind of place that makes me want to come back some summer, stay near the water, and do nothing for a few days.
So this post is a lot of street scenes from around Akune, put together with that mix of regret and longing.
There are a lot of photos.
Take your time.
:: From Akune Station to the Guesthouse
The sky stayed clear and bright for two straight days, and the sun beat down hard.Not the best weather for walking with a big suitcase in tow.Barely a few minutes out of the station and there it was. Takemiya fish shop, the spark for this whole trip.Partly because it’s a small town, but mostly because it was so hot there wasn’t a soul on the street.And through all of it, the sky was impossibly blue.Standing in the shade, though, it was bearable.
:: From the Guesthouse Along the Shore to Akune Port
Gari Gari Kun, soda flavor. Saying it tasted like the blue sky would be pushing it.The little alleys of a small town keep making you stop the bike and take a photo.Is that the sea at the end of this alley?Ride along the Takamatsu River and you reach the sea you can see off in the distance.The Takamatsu River, cutting across Akune.Across the river I could see one big building covered in ivy.Breakwaters stretching long across the water, the way you’d expect in a port town.
:: Around Akune New Port
Follow the well-paved road along the sea and you arrive at Akune New Port.An unloading dock for the fishing boats? Maybe there’s some kind of wholesale market here at dawn?The water in front of the port is full of breakwaters. Which is why the sea is so calm.Nothing like the sea you’d see at a tourist spot.I rode through the alleys just to get a cup of coffee.A road running straight out to the mountains and the sky in the distance.
:: Around Akune Old Port
This time I rode south of the guesthouse.Akune Old Port, where the Takamatsu River meets the Ohashi River.I had lunch at a French restaurant looking out over this quiet port.The sea at Akune, which stayed with me.
:: Akune Streets as the Sun Goes Down
The backyard of a small cafe, right in front of the guesthouse.Warm afternoon light settling in.On the way back from shooting the sunset at Sunset Road. The dark is starting to settle in now.A small cat I ran into on the street.The back alleys of a quiet residential area might be what shows you a town best.Across the Takamatsu River and into the town center.The Takamatsu River after dark.
:: Akune’s Nights Aren’t Flashy
Izakayas and bars are tucked all over the alleys of what looks like a residential area.A place that doesn’t even show up on Google Maps. Apparently the yakitori is good.Akune at night, much quieter than the scorching day.
