The image of the Seto Inland Sea’s waves, extending from the walls of the station’s free passageway stairs down to the sidewalk, has been connected conceptually to the monument at the center of the rotary. The dynamically framed gate has long symbolized a gift from the waves. Ako, historically prosperous as a land of salt, sees this gate as both a departure point and a passage toward a new future—symbolically aligned with the passage of time, which is integrated into the design like a clock.