Nabura Tosasaga: Straw-Seared Bonito, Fifteen Minutes from Flame to Bowl — Kochi
The first time I stopped here, it was December, and I hadn’t planned to stop at all. Route 56 ducks […]
Shikoku
Dogo Onsen and Matsuyama Castle: Why the Crowds Are Still Worth It — Matsuyama, Ehime
It was Golden Week, early May, and the covered arcade of Dogo Haikara Dori had that particular kind of heat
Nakatsu Gorge: The Seven Lucky Gods a Cabinet Policy Built — Niyodogawa, Kochi
At the trailhead, mist off the Nakatsu River carries the smell of wet stone and cedar, and a shimenawa rope
Kitanada Station: Where Shimonada’s Silence Still Lives — Ehime
The train pulls away, and for a few seconds the platform at Kitanada Station is loud with its own absence
Beyond Cape Ashizuri’s Postcard Spots: Ryugu Shrine and the Stones of Matsuo — Kochi
There’s a small torii off Route 27, easy to drive past if you’re not watching for it, and past it
Shimanto River: The Bridges That Disappear on Purpose — Kochi, Shikoku
Japan’s last major dam-free river, crossed by railing-less bridges built to vanish underwater in a flood. Boat cruises, torch fishing for ayu, and 196km of Kochi’s quietest countryside.
Niyodo Blue: The Color Even Locals Can’t Predict — Kochi, Shikoku
Japan’s #1-ranked river for water quality turns an almost artificial blue at the right hour — and even locals can’t fully explain why. Here’s where in Kochi to find it, and when.
Kashiwajima: The Island Where Boats Fly Over Water — Kochi, Shikoku
From the cliff road above Otsuki Peninsula, a fishing boat crosses the bay below and, for a second, looks like