[8] A rotational lightcurve of Ako was obtained for the first time from photometric observations made at the U.S. Ricky Observatory, Missouri, in November 2008.
It gave a well-defined rotation period of 4.085±0.001 hours with a relatively high brightness variation of 0.90 in magnitude (U=3), indicative of a non-spheroidal shape.
[3] This minor planet was named for the city of Akō in the Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and for its ancient castle on the Seto Inland Sea.
[2] Known for its salt production, Ako is the birthplace of the fictional account of Chūshingura, a tale about the forty-seven Ronin who committed seppuku after avenging their master.
The city is also the home of the second discoverer's private Minami-Oda observatory, where Kōyō Kawanishi observes small Solar System bodies.