Akkeshi Town thrived on herring, salmon, and trout fishery from the Edo period (1603-1868) and saw local livelihoods supported by good catches of Pacific saury, whaling, and other relationships between local residents and the sea. Akkeshi continues to be blessed with the bounties of the sea, such as Pacific saury, oysters, salmon, trout, short-necked clams, and kelp. To showcase the close relationships between the townspeople and the sea, the Maritime Museum opened on October 1, 1988, across from the Akkeshi Town Office building. On the second floor of the museum is the easternmost planetarium in Japan, popular as a learning facility to spark children’s interest in space.