[Kochi Travel Guide] Set Off on a Journey Through Spectacular Scenery and the Hometown of Sakamoto Ryoma

If you plan to get around Kochi City, the Bus and Streetcar One-Day Pass from Tosaden Kotsu Co., Ltd. is recommended.
As the name suggests, it offers unlimited rides for one day on nearly all bus and streetcar lines, and also includes perks you can use at sightseeing spots along the routes.
At 2,000 yen for adults and 1,000 yen for children, it covers almost all sightseeing spots in Kochi City.
If you are sightseeing in Kochi City, this is a pass you should definitely make use of.

The Central Area lies in the middle of Kochi Prefecture and is the center of the prefecture’s administration, commerce, and tourism.
Kochi Airport and Kochi Station, the gateway and transportation hub of Kochi, are also located in the Central Area.
It has one of the best transportation networks in Kochi, making it easy to sightsee.
This area is home to iconic sightseeing spots such as Katsurahama, a scenic area known for its beautiful pine grove, sandy beach, and sea, and Kochi Castle, one of Japan’s 12 original castle keeps, with a tenshu that has remained since the Edo period.
Ryugado Cave, a huge limestone cave designated as both a National Historic Site and a Natural Monument, is another popular attraction in the Central Area, where you can enjoy fantastical scenery.

The Eastern Area, made up of four cities and towns, Muroto City, Aki City, Toyo Town, and Umaji Village, is home to Muroto UNESCO Global Geopark, where you can experience not only natural beauty but also the movement of the earth itself.
Here, you can enjoy the valuable experience of encountering landforms created by tectonic uplift and the wisdom of people living in ways adapted to this rising landscape.
Among the highlights, Cape Muroto at the easternmost tip of Kochi Prefecture is a popular sightseeing spot where you can enjoy diverse and dramatic scenery shaped by tectonic uplift and wave erosion.
Kongofukuji Temple, where you can look out over Cape Muroto and the Pacific Ocean beyond from halfway up the mountain, also attracts many visitors every day.
Kitagawa Village "Monet’s Garden" Marmottan, the only garden in the world officially permitted to use the name "Monet’s Garden," is another highlight of the Eastern Area.
Take your time strolling through this garden, modeled after the one in Giverny, France, which Monet deeply loved.

The Western Area is made up of six cities and towns, including Susaki City and Shimanto City and Yusuhara Town.
It is an area where you can enjoy vast and beautiful natural scenery, with the Shimanto River, the longest river in Shikoku, and Shikoku Karst, one of Japan’s three major karst landscapes.
Other highlights include Cape Ashizuri, a spectacular scenic spot awarded two stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japon, and Tatsukushi, where a series of strangely shaped rock formations carved by ocean currents creates an extraordinary landscape.

When it comes to Kochi specialties, katsuo no tataki is the classic choice.
It is a type of sashimi, but what makes it distinctive is that the surface is seared. Searing removes the fishy smell and brings out a savory aroma. It is a technique that has been used since the days before food preservation technology existed.
After searing, it is generally chilled, sliced, and served with condiments and sauce.
Katsuo no tataki is eaten all over Japan, but the version in Kochi is even more fragrant, with the rich flavor of bonito concentrated into an impressive taste.
This is because it is prepared using a method called wara-yaki, in which straw is used to sear it all at once over very high heat.
To enjoy that flavor more directly, a popular local style in Kochi is to eat it with salt instead of sauce, commonly known as shio tataki.

When people think of tataki, bonito is the usual choice, but in Kochi, moray eel is also served as tataki.
Since it is not generally a commonly caught fish, it is treated as a luxury fish, but in Kochi you can enjoy it casually.
The inside of the skin has a springy, gelatin-rich texture, while the flesh is firm and pleasantly chewy.
Because it is cooked thoroughly through to the center, it can be eaten without any fishy smell.
It pairs perfectly with alcohol, so if you are drinking in Kochi, be sure to give it a try.

Nabeyaki ramen is a specialty of Susaki City in southwestern Kochi Prefecture.
Unlike ordinary ramen, it is served in an earthenware pot or similar vessel while still bubbling hot.
You can enjoy the changing texture as the thin, firm noodles gradually soften in the boiling pot.
The noodles have been specially developed not to get soggy easily, so they keep a pleasant bite even if you eat slowly. They also pair perfectly with the soup.
There are many places in Susaki City where you can eat nabeyaki ramen, including specialty shops.
When visiting Kochi, head out to Susaki City and give this piping-hot nabeyaki ramen a try.

The Niyodo River flows from Mount Ishizuchi, the highest mountain in western Japan, cutting across central Kochi Prefecture from northwest to southeast.
This clear river is said to have the best water quality in Japan, and its crystal-clear deep blue surface is known as Niyodo Blue.
The Niyodo River basin is home to many mystical scenic spots, including Niko-buchi, a waterfall basin that captivates visitors with its mysterious blue color, Yasui Gorge, known for some of the most beautiful autumn foliage in the prefecture, and Hiryu Falls, a two-tiered waterfall with a 30-meter drop that resembles a dragon twisting its body as it takes flight.

Spanning Ehime and Kochi prefectures, this karst plateau stretches Approx. 25 km from east to west and sits in a highland area at an elevation of Approx. 1,400 meters.
Counted among Japan’s three major karst landscapes, it offers the beauty of a wide-open plateau throughout the four seasons, with flowers and fresh greenery in spring, deep green and alpine plants in summer, and pampas grass spreading across the landscape in fall.
The scenery unique to a karst plateau, with white limestone rocks scattered across the highland, is also not to be missed.
It is also a grazing area for dairy cows, and the sight of many cows relaxing there creates a peaceful pastoral scene.
Hakuryuko Lake at the foot of the plateau is another scenic highlight, known for its mysterious blue color and remarkable clarity.
Be sure to enjoy it together with the views of the karst plateau.

Deep in the mountains of Niyodogawa Town in Kochi Prefecture, along the middle reaches of the Niyodo River, lies the Kamikuki district.
In railway terms, it is located Approx. 30 minutes by taxi from JR Sakawa Station.
Here you will find a village with the atmosphere of a true hidden retreat, where old houses and traditional Japanese scenery remain.
In this Kamikuki district, local residents have planted and carefully nurtured Approx. 1,000 peach trees.
In spring, red, white, and pink blossoms burst into bloom, filling the mountainsides, fields, and the spaces between the scattered houses in the village. The beauty is so striking that it is called a peach blossom paradise.