Shikoku Trip – Day 5 – Kochi to Shimanto and back

Route: Kochi > Shimanto River > Cape Ashizuri > Kochi

Drive: 300km; Walk: 5km

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• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6

The plan was to spend the morning walking around Kochi city, and then maybe drive a bit around the area. But it was raining when I woke up, so I changed the plan and decided to take a long drive to reach the southernmost point of Shikoku island. This area of Koshi prefecture is called Shimanto, and it is as spectacularly beautiful as it is remote.

Around Shimanto

On the way down south, I detoured to the town of Saga. The attraction was the Chinkabashi, or submersible bridges, over the Shimanto river. These bridges were built with no rails or balustrades, so that when the river runs high they offer no resistance to the flow of water and simply sink below water level. I braved driving across the longest one, the Sada Chinkabashi, almost 300 meters. The first crossing was a little unnerving, but the second one (I had to return) was a bit better.

Sada Chinkabashi

I then continued all the way down to Cape Ashizuri, the end of Shikoku island. The last stretch of road (about 50km) is dubbed ‘Ashizuri Sunny Road’, and the sun was indeed finally making an appearance There’s an observation deck offering nice view of the Pacific Ocean and the nearby lighthouse. Around the deck are short walking trails that crisscross a dense forest of subtropical plants, with many varieties of camellia trees (sadly, it was too early for them to flower). The trails provide occasional views of the ocean. The entrance to the cape is dominated by the statue of Nakahama (John) Manjiro, who in 1841 was rescued from a wrecked ship at the age of 14 and spent a few years growing up in America. His knowledge of English and America were instrumental when Commodore Perry showed up unannounced in Japan in 1853.

Cape Ashizuri

A short walking distance from the cape is the impressive Kongofukuji Temple (no. 38 in the 88-temple pilgrimage trail of Shikoku). The temple has buildings in various styles, and tons of statues, mainly of Senju Kannon Bosatsu.

Konkofukuji Temple

On the drive out of the cape, there’s a small building called the John Manjiro Footbath. One can soak one’s tired feet in hot water, while admiring the views of the rock formations down in the ocean below. Small towels are available for 100 yen. This provided a relaxing break before my long drive back to Kochi city.

John Manjiro Footbath

Just before turning in for the day, I stopped by Hirome Market, a lively indoor market in the center of Kochi. Most of the shops were closed by this time (early evening), but the Izakayas and other food places were doing brisk business. The Omicron variant is only now rearing its ugly head in Japan, so I guess people are making the most of it before the next wave.

Hirome Market