Decide on a theme and enjoy your trip. A healing and purifying trip around the power spots of Kochi Prefecture

This tour offers six model courses to choose from according to your preferences. By setting a travel theme, you can enjoy a deeper and more fulfilling sightseeing experience.

The course contents include all the standard spots such as Katsurahama Beach, a must-visit spot when visiting Kochi, and the delicious bonito tataki, while also adding special dishes that you can't normally experience.

For more information on all tours and to apply, please see this page.

Kochi City Monitor Tour Application Page

A journey to discover the charms of Kochi Kochi City Monitor Tour

We have six model courses to choose from, including nature, history, and activities to suit your tastes.

In this article, we will introduce a course called "Enjoy the city! A spiritual tour seeking healing," where you can fully enjoy the natural beauty, history, and delicious cuisine that Kochi boasts. Now, let's go on a journey of healing and purification.

Enjoy a spiritual tour in the city to find healing

<First day>
Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden: The only comprehensive botanical garden in Shikoku where you can receive the power of nature

The first place we visited was the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden.

This facility is the only comprehensive botanical garden in Shikoku, and is a tribute to the achievements of Dr. Tomitaro Makino, the "father of Japanese plant taxonomy," born in Kochi. There is plenty to see, including the "Tosa Botanical Ecological Garden," which recreates Kochi's rich natural environment, the "Konkonyama Square," where you can enjoy spectacular views along with the plants, and the "Makino Tomitaro Memorial Museum Exhibition Room," where you can see the doctor's life and 4K video using VR.

As you stroll through the garden, which takes advantage of its vast eight hectare site, you can feel refreshed and receive the power of nature from the plants.

There is also a restaurant on-site where you can enjoy dishes made with ingredients from Kochi. The "Chef's Random Lunch" has a main dish that changes with the seasons, and comes with soup, rice (or bread), and coffee. While filling your stomach with a delicious meal on the terrace, you can also enjoy the soothing seasonal flora.

Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden

The temple that has been watching over Kochi for 1300 years has hints for relaxing your mind: "Chikurinji Temple"

"Chikurinji Temple" is located near "Makino Botanical Garden". It is the 31st temple of the Shikoku Pilgrimage and is dedicated to Manjusri Bodhisattva. Since its founding in 724, it has been watching over the city of Kochi and its residents for about 1,300 years.

Manjusri Bodhisattva is the Buddha of wisdom. For that reason, many students come here to pray for success in exams. There is also a Jizo statue called "Ichigoto Jizo" on the premises, which is said to often grant wishes.

By making a reservation in advance, you can listen to sermons from the renowned chief priest, Mr. Ebitsuka, and other monks.

Take a deep breath while watching the scenic garden change with the seasons. The word "sermon" may make you tense, but at Chikurinji Temple you can sit in a chair and relax while listening to a sermon. When you feel anxious or lose sight of your surroundings, come here and you may find some realizations or hints to ease your mind.

If you are collecting goshuin, head to the donation office on the east side. Just watching them carefully write each stroke is soothing.

Bamboo forest temple

All your wishes will be granted! "Ushioe Tenmangu Shrine"

From Chikurinji Temple, we head west to Tenmangu Shrine on the south side of Kagami River. The shrine enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, the god of learning, Takami Ason, the lord of the north, as its main deity, and Ame-no-hohi no Mikoto and Owatatsumi no Mikoto as its co-deities. It is said to grant benefits for all kinds of wishes, and it boasts the largest number of first shrine visits in Kochi Prefecture.

The shrine grounds are also bustling with activity during the "Nagoshi Festival," commonly known as "Wanuke-sama," a seasonal event in the summer. This festival is held to ward off the last six months of misfortune and to pray for good health for the next six months. It is a Shinto ritual in which people purify themselves by passing through a large ring made of thatched grass in an eight-shape.

You can receive a goshuin at the shrine office inside the shrine grounds. The original goshuin notebooks of Tenmangu Shrines across Japan have cute floral patterns.

Ushioe Tenmangu Shrine

Auberge Tosayama: Escape from the everyday and listen to the sounds of nature and the flowing river

After about a 30-minute drive up the mountain roads of Tosayama, the hotel surrounded by greenery comes into view.

"Auberge Tosayama" is an inn where you can feel close to the rich nature, such as Mt. Kuishi, the source of the Kagami River, and the prefecture's three major limestone caves. The rooms, which are made with plenty of cedar, cypress, Tosa washi paper, and Tosa plaster, are popular as "a healing space where you can forget about everyday life."

Another attraction is the villa suite building, which can be found just beyond the red suspension bridge. The cottage-style rooms blend in with the greenery, and you can spend a relaxing, comfortable time listening to the babbling brook that runs in front of you.

If you're lucky, you might even be able to see some fireflies in the summer.

Auberge Tosayama

<the 2nd day>
A nationally important cultural property, Tosa Shrine is affectionately known as "Shinane-sama."

Tosa Shrine is affectionately known to locals as "Shinane-sama" after the famous Tosa summer festival, "Shinane Festival." The current building was rebuilt in 1570 by Chosokabe Motochika, a warlord from the Muromachi period, and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

The deities enshrined are Ajisukitakahikone no Kami and Ichinomoto no Nushi no Kami. Ajisukitakahikone no Kami is revered as the god of agriculture and development, while Ichinomoto no Nushi no Kami is a god of harmony and cooperation, with a special belief that "things can be solved with a single word."

It is widely believed to bring good luck and prosperity, and many people visit the shrine to pray for safety in the home, prosperity in business, protection from misfortune, and more.

The recommended way to tour the shrine is to go around the grounds in a counterclockwise direction, going around the Shinane Forest. The grounds are beautiful with cherry blossoms in spring, fresh greenery in summer, and autumn leaves in autumn, and one of the attractions is being able to feel the rich nature and history.

In the northeastern part of the temple grounds, there is a "pebbles" that is enshrined as "stones thrown by the god," and the shrine is popular as a power spot.

Tosa Shrine

It looks like it's about to fall, but it doesn't! A mysterious rock in the mountains. "Gotogoto Rock"

We headed back to Tosayama and finally reached our destination after climbing a narrow and steep path. This rock, called "Gotogoto Stone" in the Kuwao district, is known as a mysterious rock that is said to "sway even with the strength of a child, but never fall even when pushed by a sumo wrestler!"

At some point, it became known as a power spot for good luck for students taking exams, with the idea of not failing appearing.

If you actually push the rock at the edge of the cliff, it shakes and sometimes shakes so much that it seems like it might fall, but it definitely doesn't fall!

This stone has been there for a long time, but it is unclear why it is in this location or when it started to be called "Gotogoto Stone." The mysterious and mystical "Gotogoto Stone." If you want to pray for success in exams or receive unwavering power, be sure to visit.

Rumbling Stone

Enjoy freshly grilled, piping hot seared sashimi that you've cooked yourself! "Katsuo-bune"

From the mountains to the port. When you think of Kochi, you can't leave out the bonito tataki. There are four dining areas inside the restaurant "Katsuo-sen," and the "Tosa Tataki Dojo" is particularly popular for its experience of making your own straw-grilled tataki. I ordered the "Bonito Straw-grilled Tataki Set Meal" (1,600 yen), which allows you to enjoy both the experience and the meal.

The meat is removed from the fresh raw bonito, which has been carefully butchered and already skewered, and then it is taken to the grill.

We put in a lot of straw from Kochi Prefecture, which is the specialty of the shop, and then light the fire! The fat of the bonito crackles as the fire roars high. Following the advice of the staff, once the bonito is browned, we flip it over and it's done in about a minute.

Cut it into thick slices, top with plenty of seasonings and it's done.

If you add sun-dried salt and homemade ponzu sauce to your taste, the aroma of straw will fill your mouth, making it truly delicious.

The fresh, freshly caught bonito is in season in spring, while the fatty, returning bonito is in season in autumn. Please come and experience the deliciousness of freshly seared bonito.

Bonito Boat and Tosa Tataki Dojo

Katsurahama: Relax and unwind with the Pacific Ocean right in front of you

After a five-minute drive from the "Katsuo Boat," you will arrive at the tourist spot, "Katsurahama Beach."

After climbing the stairs from the parking lot, a magnificent view of the beautiful sandy beach and rough waves crashing into the shore will unfold before your eyes.

At night, you can sometimes see a beautiful moon, and the Tosa folk song "Yosakoi Bushi," which is used at Kochi's most famous summer festival, the Yosakoi Festival, goes on to say that "Katsurahama is a famous spot to view the moon."

Climbing the dazzling stairs bathed in sunlight filtering through the trees, you'll come across the bronze statue of Sakamoto Ryoma, a patriot from Kochi during the end of the Edo period. It's impressive to see him gazing out at the Pacific Ocean! If you're lucky, there are events such as "Get Up Close and Personal with Ryoma" where you can enjoy the view from the same perspective as the statue of Ryoma.

Come experience the feeling of your mind being opened by the magnificent scenery that only the Pacific Ocean can offer.

Katsurahama Park

Katsurahama Park website QR code

Be careful not to get too close! Katsurahama Aquarium, a small aquarium on the beach

On the beach of Katsurahama, there is the Katsurahama Aquarium, which has a history of over 90 years. While the old building remains intact, the aquarium is run with a local touch, with explanations provided by staff using hand-made panels and hands-on experiences with sea creatures. The aquarium has gained a reputation for being "relaxed!" and has over 230,000 followers on Twitter.

The best thing about Katsurahama Aquarium is how close you can get to the animals. You can often see the animals jumping out of their tanks and wandering around the corridors. If you're lucky, you might even get to see them perform their special skills under the supervision of the staff, and you can even see the sea lion Nadeshiko-chan's signature smile from up close.

It was a healing power spot where you could relax and interact with the creatures.

Katsurahama Aquarium

Ryuo Cape: A power spot that overlooks Katsurahama Beach and the Pacific Ocean

Ryuo Cape, located west of the Katsurahama Park Promenade, is a spectacular viewing spot where you can not only get a panoramic view of Katsurahama, but also, on a clear day, see the coastline that stretches all the way to Cape Muroto, the eastern tip of Kochi Prefecture.

The shrine at Cape Ryuo is Watatsumi Shrine, where Owatatsumi-no-kami resides. This is a power spot that is said to bring blessings for safe voyages and success in love.

It is usually unmanned, but on holidays and other special occasions, priests will come and give out amulets and goshuin (temple seals). It is also a recommended spot for watching the sunrise and sunset, so we recommend timing your visit accordingly.

Cape Ryuo

The "Enjoy the city! A spiritual tour seeking healing" was a very satisfying course that was a journey of healing and purification while also taking in a number of attractive tourist spots.

Here we will introduce some other tours in brief.