Yosakoi Dancing and Local Markets: A Weekend in Kochi

But don't let that description deter you from visiting Kochi, because in fact, it is one of Japan's true hidden gems. Kochi has something for everyone: markets packed with incredible food stalls, cool rivers running with the purest waters in the country, elegant temples connect by pilgrimage trails, and one of Japan's most energetic forms of dancing, yosakoi. 

Below, let us provide a buffet of top attractions in Kochi Prefecture from which you can choose from. 

Table of Contents 

• Kochi City – A Historic Castle, Lush Garden, and Amazing Foods
• Kochi City’s Natural Attractions
• Where to Enjoy Food and Drink in Kochi City
• Where to Watch Yosakoi Dancing in Kochi
• Attractions in Kochi Beyond the City
• Shimanto – Japan’s Last Clear Stream
• Yusuhara – The Town Kengo Kuma Built
• Niyodogawa – Kochi’s River of Adventure

Kochi City - A Historic Castle, Lush Garden and Amazing Foods 

A trip to Kochi Prefecture should always include its lively capital, Kochi City, whether or not you arrive by the city via Kochi Station or Kochi Ryoma Airport. Not only will you find the largest selection of hotels here, but there are plenty of things to see in this region.

Kochi Castle - One of Japan’s Original 12 

For starters, Kochi Castle is a must-see for everyone visiting Kochi. Even if you have visited castles in other cities, the relatively small Kochi Castle is still worth seeing as it is one of only 12 original castles remaining in Japan. Situated on a small hill overlooking the city, it has a panoramic view of Kochi from the mountains to the sea. The grounds are immaculately kept and springtime at Kochi Castle is unforgettable when the cherry blossoms view all around it and the castle is lit in a soft pink glow in the evenings. 

Kochi City's Natural Attractions - Beach, Garden, and Pilgrim Temples 

Kochi City isn't really the place to enjoy the prefecture's natural attractions, but there are some pleasant surprises within the city limits. You could go for a stroll on peaceful Katsurahama Beach, for example, although Kochi has much better beaches elsewhere down its long coastline, famous for surfing.

Photo: Todd Fong

Makino Botanical Garden - Honouring Japan’s Famous Botanist 

The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden, however, is a wonderful place to enjoy the enormous variety of flora native to Kochi and other parts of Japan. It's named for Japan's most famous botanist, Tomitaro Makino, who collected 400,000 botanical specimens and discovered over 1,500 new subspecies in his lifetime. The garden is divided into distinct zones including a large greenhouse, ensuring there is something to see year-round. Part of the garden once belonged to Chikurin-ji Temple, a beautiful temple a few steps from the garden that is the 31st of the 88 temples of the Ohenro Shikoku Pilgrimage circuit that circles the island of Shikoku. 

Photo: Todd Fong

Chikurin-ji Temple - A Stop on the Shikoku Pilgrimage 

Many other temples of the Ohenro are in Kochi, but taking part in that 1,200 kilometres long pilgrimage is more than a weekend visitor's activity, so we won't cover it here. However, as long as you are in the vicinity of Chikurin-ji Temple, it wouldn't hurt to visit this lush and peaceful place to enjoy a moment of quiet introspection. You might even enjoy a Zen meditation session or sutra copying with a Buddhist priest. 

Photo: Todd Fong 

Where to Enjoy Food and Drink in Kochi City - Markets and Local Specialties 

But when in Kochi City, you should do what the locals do, and that is thoroughly enjoy their food and drinks. No place is this more evident than Kochi's community markets, both the permanent Hirome Market and the Sunday Morning Market that takes place on the streets near Kochi Castle.

Hirome Market - Kochi’s Social Dining Hall 

Hirome Market is full of stalls, most of them selling food and beverages which you can eat in the public area full of large picnic tables inside the market. Sharing tables with strangers is an unusual custom in Japan, but Kochi people are known for their friendliness, so it's common to sit with someone you don't know at Hirome Market. Just greet them with a smile and perhaps share a "Kampai!" cheer over a drink, and perhaps you'll leave the market with a new group of friends. 

Must-Try Dish - Katsuo Tataki 

Foodwise, all the local delicacies are represented here, from fresh seafood to grilled chicken and pork, to tempura fried vegetables and much more. But if there is any dish you simply cannot pass up, it's the Katsuo tataki, sliced bonito tuna seared over a straw-fed fire, served with condiments like sliced garlic, ginger, ponzu (a citrusy soy sauce), and sea salt. Mix and match your favourite condiments and enjoy the soul food of Kochi; you'll never have it this fresh anywhere else in the world. 

Kochi locals also love their alcohol, so you'll find a wide variety of sake, highballs, and craft beers available at various stalls around Hirome Market. 

Sunday Morning Market – Japan’s Longest Outdoor Market 

The Sunday Morning Market in Kochi is the longest outdoor market in Japan, with 300 stalls stretching over a kilometre from the Otemon Gate of Kochi Castle. Stalls open early and close mid-afternoon, selling everything from fresh vegetables to handmade crafts. No street market worth its salt would be without street food, so come with an appetite to enjoy local delicacies like inaka-sushi (vegetable-based sushi from the Kochi countryside) and a tangy yuzu cider made from the prefecture's most famous citrus fruit. 

Of course, one of the seasonal attractions in Kochi is the Yosakoi Festival, one of Japan's top ten dance festivals and perhaps the most enjoyable time to visit Kochi. Yosakoi is such a major event that it deserves its own section. 

Where to Watch Yosakoi Dancing in Kochi 

Yosakoi is a style of dance that was established in Kochi Prefecture. Unlike many dances that have long standing traditional roots in Japanese culture, yosakoi is fairly young, created in 1954 to revitalize the economy after WW2. The energetic style and colourful costumes, along with relatively few guidelines defining yosakoi, have led it to grow rapidly in popularity, not only in Japan but in other countries, too. 

Yosakoi Festival - August’s Main Event 

The Yosakoi Festival happens once a year from August 9th to 12th in Kochi City. With about 20,000 dancers participating in the event from all over Japan and many from other nations, no single venue can host the Yosakoi Festival, so there are multiple venues scattered throughout the city. This makes it much easier for spectators to enjoy this large-scale event. 

Photo: Todd Fong

Yosakoi Year-Round - Encore Performances and Local Shows 

Still, it might be difficult to plan a trip to Kochi that coincides with the Yosakoi Festival. Fortunately, the city hosts several other yosakoi events throughout the year. A few weeks after the festival is Yosakoi Encore, a weeklong event where yosakoi is performed nightly at the Ohashidori Shopping Arcade. Various other events scheduled on Sundays from April to early June and mid-August to December are other opportunities to see yosakoi dancing. And if none of those dates work with your schedule, visit the Otesuji Enbudo izakaya restaurant where the staff performs two dances every night around 8:00pm. 

Attractions in Kochi Beyond the City 

While Kochi City is a great start to visiting Kochi, there are still many more things outside of the city to see and do. You can take the train from JR Kochi Station to many of Kochi's smaller towns, but it is far more convenient to reach most destinations if you rent a car. This is a rural prefecture, and trains run far less frequently than you would be used to if you are visiting from Japan's major cities. 

Shimanto – Japan’s Longest Undammed River 

One intriguing destination is Shimanto, the area to the south and west of Kochi City. Home to the Shimanto River, Japan's longest natural river (no dams or artificial constructs to guide it), Shimanto is a lush wilderness full of outdoor activities and beautiful scenery. There are many chinkabashi bridges along the Shimanto River, designed so that when the river swells during periods of heavy rain, they can go underwater and not be washed away. 

Tosa-Kure - A Port Town for the Freshest Katsuo 

Whether travelling by train or car, one place you should stop on your way to Shimanto is Tosa-Kure, a small port town famous for its regular catch of katsuo tuna. Even if you tried Kochi's famous dish, Katsuo tataki at Hirome Market, try it again here at Kure Taishomachi Market, just a few minutes from the port on foot. The fish is so fresh here it practically melts in your mouth, and the locals say you can simply eat it with sea salt to enjoy the full flavour. 

Shimanto Town – Cafes, Pilgrimage Temples, and Shimanto Pork 

Continuing south, you'll reach Shimanto Town, not to be confused with larger Shimanto City which is still another hour's drive further. This little town is experiencing a bit of a revival with several new restaurants and cafes opened by innovative young business owners in recent years.

The town's train station is Kubokawa Station, which is the starting point for several scenic trains that travel through Shimanto to Uwajima in neighbouring Ehime Prefecture. Iwamoto-ji Temple is another temple of the Shikoku pilgrimage (No. 37 if you are counting), so the town does get regular visitors who are on the pilgrimage trail.

Photo: Todd Fong 

The town features several locations serving Shimanto pork, a delicious type of pork fed on different diets of sweet potatoes, rice, or wheat, which affects flavour and texture of the meat. Oiwai Kitchen serves a delicious set meal including Shimanto pork near the station, while Mikaku near Iwamoto-ji offers an enormous bowl of garlic grilled pork over rice for hungry travellers on the pilgrimage trail.

Nearby Fumimoto Sake Brewery is also a great stop here; it was recently revived by a sake brewer who moved to Kochi from another part of Japan to create innovative new types of sake and a fashionably renovated tasting room. 

Shimanto City - Coastal Adventures and River Cruises 

Keep driving on get back on the train, and you'll eventually arrive in Shimanto City, the largest city in Shimanto but large by no means. You'll find accommodations with comfortable rooms here around Nakamura Station and in the downtown area, which has a shopping street full of bars and restaurants.

Shimanto City is a good base to explore the southwest coast of Kochi, like the rugged Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park or the glassy emerald waters of Kashiwajima Beach. Alternatively, take a river cruise along the Shimanto River, which winds peacefully between the mountains before emptying into the Pacific Ocean just outside the city. The cruise also offers seasonal experiences such as firefly sighting cruises, and traditional Japanese river fishing. 

Photo: Todd Fong 

Yusuhara - The Town Kengo Kuma Built 

World-renowned architect Kengo Kuma has designed famous buildings all over the world, but few people realize that deep in the mountains of Shimanto is a town that was virtually built by him. Kuma visited Yusuhara many years ago before he achieved international fame, and fell in love with the little logging town. He went on to design six buildings for the tiny town including a hotel, library, and public market. 

Gallery Above the Clouds and Yusuhara Town Library 

Fans of Kuma or architecture in general will love the fact that most of these buildings are within a few minutes' walk or drive of each other and all but one are open to the public. Although the latticed Gallery Above the Clouds is probably his most famous work in Yusuhara, the Yusuhara Town Library is our favourite, with its woodsy interior and wooden beams hanging down from the ceiling like pine tree needles. Best of all, you won't have to fight with tourists to see these wonderful buildings because, honestly, tourists in these parts are few. 

Mishima Shrine – Ancient Rituals in the Mountains 

Visitors to Yusuhara should not overlook the beautiful Mishima Shrine, however. A beautifully preserved wooden bridge leads to the entrance to the ancient shrine where a traditional dance called Tsunoyama Kagura has been performed for more than a millennium.

Niyodogawa - Kochi's River of Adventure 

The Niyodogawa (Niyodo River) is Kochi's other famous river, and the two siblings couldn't have more distinct personalities. While the Shimanto River flows gently throughout the year except when swollen by typhoon rains, The Niyodo River tumbles over waterfalls and rocky riverbeds through the wildest parts of Kochi, making it an attraction for adventure seekers. The Niyodo's lack of contact with modern civilization make it one of the purest sources of water in Japan and its colour is so distinctly beautiful, it is known by its name, Niyodo Blue.

Photo: Todd Fong 

Outdoor Activities - Rafting, Kayaking, and Canyoning 

Given the Niyodo River's temperament, adventure travel activities like rafting, kayaking, and canyoning are common along the river. Niyodo Adventure is one company providing these kinds of outdoor adventures, with experienced guides who put your safety above all else. Trips can be designed for both singles and families, private or shared. 

Nakatsu Gorge and Local Craft Breweries 

The purity of the river has also made it a coveted spot for businesses who use the water in their products. Craft beer brewery Blue Brew built a taproom along the river near beautiful Nakatsu Gorge while further down the river, the washi paper workshop at QRAUD uses the river water in the production of their lovely handmade paper products. 

Don’t Just Read About Kochi - Experience It 

So there it is, just a few highlights of Kochi's top attractions to help you plan a long weekend of adventure, food, and perhaps a little dancing. There is convenient access by train or airplane from many of Japan's major cities. Now that you know more about things to do in Kochi, what's stopping you from visiting?