3-day/2-night trip to Ashizuri Onsenkyo, Kochi and Dogo Onsen, Ehime

The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden is home to more than 3,000 varieties of plants throughout the year. It is one of the most comprehensive botanical gardens in Japan, exhibiting the achievements of world-renowned botanist Dr. Tomitaro Makino in an easy-to-understand manner. In addition to the permanent exhibition room with handwritten botanical drawings, there is a jungle-like greenhouse and the 50th anniversary garden where visitors can view oriental garden plants. There is also a store with original goods and a popular restaurant that serves lunch using Kochi ingredients.

Chikurin-ji Temple is a historically significant site renowned for its stunning gardens. In autumn, the maple and ginkgo trees transform into vibrant hues, creating a striking display along the stone-paved path leading through the temple gate. The temple grounds are adorned with lush autumn foliage, highlighting features like the serene moss garden and the imposing five-storey pagoda. Another key attraction is the Treasure House, which preserves numerous Buddhist statues and important cultural artifacts.

Known as the "Monju of Tosa," Chikurin-ji is the 31st temple on the Shikoku pilgrimage route. Legend holds that the temple was founded by the monk Gyoki, who sought a mountain reminiscent of Mount Gotai in Tang China. The main hall has been designated a national Important Cultural Property, while the five-storey pagoda, completed in 1980, is the only one of its kind in the prefecture. Standing 31.2 meters tall, it is built entirely from hinoki cypress and follows the architectural style of the early Kamakura period.

The temple’s garden, attributed to the revered priest Muso Kokushi, is celebrated as one of the three most famous gardens in Kochi Prefecture and is officially recognized as a national scenic beauty spot.

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The Kure Taisho Town Market, which consists of a shopping arcade and street stalls, has been popular with local residents for more than 100 years as their main source of food. The market becomes crowded with many shoppers at around 11 a.m. when fish just landed by local fishermen are put on sale. Not only fresh fish but also vegetables and fruits are available at the market, along with a variety of side dishes prepared by fishermen’s wives. Special "kaisendon" (Kuredon), a bowl of rice topped with fresh sashimi (sliced raw fish) of one’s choice, is particularly popular.

Chinkabashi are submersible bridges designed without side rails to reduce the risk of the bridge being washed away during floods. These low, stocky-looking bridges have become a symbol of the Shimanto area, and even seem to blend into the scenery better than a traditional bridge. Though there are many chinkabashi along the river, the Sada Chinkabashi is the longest and closest to the mouth of the Shimanto. You will recognize it by its cute blue “feet.”
Crossing a bridge without balustrades is a thrilling experience and allows visitors to sit on the edge, take in the scenery and dangle their feet over one of Japan's most important rivers. One of the best ways of experiencing the area is renting a bike from the closest train station (Nakamura Station) and then cycling around toward the bridge.

There is also a camellia tunnel and a promenade that leads visitors to the Seven Wonders of Ashizuri. Ashizuri Hot Spring Town, the southernmost hot spring in Shikoku, is dotted with lodging facilities. You can enjoy the Pacific Ocean from the open-air baths and baths with a view. You can also drop in for a hot spring bath.
Also, Ashizuri Peninsula is surrounded by the sea on three sides and has few street lights or private houses, making it an ideal place for star watching throughout the four seasons.

Cape Ashizuri, located at the tip of the Ashizuri Peninsula jutting out into the azure Pacific Ocean, is the southernmost cape in Shikoku. An observatory on the cape commands a view of more than 180 degrees, allowing you to truly feel that the earth is round. You can see spectacular landscapes created by nature, and certainly feel the grandeur of the earth. Along trails in this area there are many mysterious places associated with Kobo Daishi, an ancient Japanese Buddhist monk also known as Kukai, and tours aimed at making you feel the so-called “seven wonders” in these locations are organized. You can also ride a glass-bottomed boat to view underwater scenes, such as coral and tropical fish, off the Tatsukushi and Minokoshi beaches near Cape Ashizuri.

The sea around Kashiwa Island, which is connected to the town of Otsuki by a bridge, and around the inhabited islands of Okinoshima and Uguru off the city of Sukumo is relatively warm thanks to the Kuroshio Current that flows into the area. Over 1,000 kinds of fish inhabit the sea and there is a large coral reef colony in the area. A unique culture and lifestyle have taken root on these islands blessed with a mild climate. The islands boast beautiful landscapes, such as stone walls to protect houses from sea breezes and seasonal winds as well as terraced fields on slopes. The islands are also known as spots for marine sports including surf fishing and scuba diving.

The largest Japanese garden in Shikoku, Nanrakuen Garden is more than four times the size of the Koshien Stadium, and was built using the best of modern landscaping technology. Selected as one of the “100 Best Urban Parks in Japan,” Nanrakuen Garden offers beautiful landscapes based on the theme of “Mountain, Village, Town, and Sea,” and visitors can deeply experience the beauty of Japan through nature in each of the four seasons. Around May each year, 30,000 irises begin to bloom in a variety of colors, and the flowers are so stunningly beautiful that visitors are compelled to stop and pick up their cameras to take pictures in front of them.

Located on a scenic bend of the Hijikawa River, Garyu Sanso features the architectural style of the Sukiya-zukuri (a type of traditional tea house) and is known as the “Katsura Rikyu of Ozu”. The building abounds in sumptuous designs throughout. The great architect Kisho Kurokawa summed it up when he said, “Garyu Sanso is every bit as good as Katsura Rikyu. I would be willing to fall into debt to take ownership of it!” The building is an architectural masterpiece combining Japanese elegance and the beauty of ancient times. Come and let the fresh air cleanse your mind and escape from the everyday in these peaceful surroundings!

This theatre has been a centre of amusement for people in Uchiko from the Taisho period. The old building was saved from demolition and restored by dedicated local residents and today has become a versatile and well-used local venue. The inside of the theatre and backstage area can be explored on the days when there are no performances. Experience the life of a star actor standing on the main stage or Hanamichi (platforms running behind and through the audience) or have a seat in the Masu-seki (box seats) and appreciate the history of this prosperous theatre.

* The image is for reference only.

Matsuyama Castle, in the style of the Momoyama period, is one of Japan’s few original surviving castles. Its 21 buildings are listed as Important Cultural Properties, and the castle is regarded as one of the three best ‘Renritsu-shiki Hirayama-jiro’ (Renritsu-shiki: an architectural style where the top castle tower is in the centre with smaller towers on either side; Hirayama-jiro: a castle built on a hill on a plain). The towers are all connected to defend the main castle building. The castle is a well-known symbol of Matsuyama and is written about in the prologue of the novel, “Clouds Above the Hill” by Ryotaro Shiba. It has been and will be guarding the city of Matsuyama for centuries!

The ropeway is located on the route from Saijo City to Mt.Ishizuchi.
Visitors can enjoy an approximately 8-minute aerial journey from Shimotani Station (455 meters above sea level) at the foot of the mountain to Seijo Station (1,300 meters above sea level) at the summit of the mountain.
The view from the ropeway, which climbs steeply up the mountain face, is magnificent, and the temperature difference between the two stations is astonishing.
There is a walking trail that is ideal for hiking and an observatory with a 360-degree panoramic view, and in winter, a ski resort is open.
This is a great place for beginners to enjoy mountain climbing.

The roadside station is located along the Bessi-Suiha-hana-Kaido Road, Prefectural Road No. 47.
There is a mining theme park, a mining railroad and sightseeing tunnel that restored Japan's first dedicated mountain mining railroad, a gold mining experience park, a hot spring facility with open-air baths and bedrock baths, and an indoor children's play facility. There is also a restaurant ideal for taking a break.
The regular sightseeing buses to Tohei, the Machu Picchu of Japan, depart from and arrive at Myntopia Besshi.