The Niyodo River has been evaluated as the cleanest river in Japan eight times for these nine years. The river is so clear and blue that people call the color of this river “Niyodo Blue”. Now this phrase is very popular all over Japan. There are some spots to witness the surreal Niyodo Blue color of the river. The participants of this tour can enjoy two of the top spots, Yasui Gorge and Nikobuchi, a waterfall plunge pool.
At your hotel or the place of your convenience
You will watch and cross this bridge.
You will watch Nikobuchi, a waterfall plunge pool and relax there.
Lunch
A hike through Yasui Gorge
See you off at the place of your convenience.
At your hotel or the place of your convenience
As soon as you get to the waterfall plunge pool called “Nikobuchi”, you will be at a loss for word to express its very clear and beautiful color of the plunge pool. The color is sometimes emerald green or sometimes turquoise blue. Surprisingly you can see the bottom of the pool very clearly. Furthermore, the pool is surrounded by trees and huge rocks, so the atmosphere is quiet and sublime. In Yasui Gorge you can enjoy walking on the trail along the river. On the mountain side you see various flowers and plants. And on the riverside you see huge and green rocks. After you walk for about fifteen minutes you will finally come across Suishobuchi, a basin known to have the most transparent waters along the Niyodo River. One of my friends sometimes comes to the basin to relax when he feels stressed because of his hard work. He says that he can relax and receive some energy after staying there. I’m sure you can relax and receive enough energy to continue the journey. And Yasui Gorge is featured in the popular animation film,”Dragon and a princess with a freckled face” But, the tourists are supposed to be careful what they do in these spots. Especially, local people think that Nikobuchi is a sacred place where a water god dwells, so they avoid visiting the place. We have to behave respectfully in this area. As a local guide, I know these places well and some rules we have to keep.
guide fee
The followings are paid in cash on the day of the tour.
transportation fee: a taxi about 44800 yen ( round-trip, Kochi city to Yasui Gorge)
( 5600 yen per hour 5600 yen × 8 hours = 44800 yen )
( In this area there is no public transportation. So we will take a taxi. )
lunch (you and the guide) : about 1500 yen per person
I can guide you in any place of Kochi prefecture if you pay my transportation fee.
In Kochi city the public transportation system is not well-developed, so it is better to use a private taxi. Please be sure to wear appropriate footwear and clothing, for your own safety and comfort. In Kochi, there are many places where you can’t use your credit cards, for example, some ticket windows or shops, so please exchange your dollars for Japanese yen before coming to Kochi. Travel insurance is not included in our tours. I would recommend you take out your own travel insurance just in case of any unexpected accident, loss, or damaging others' property. You can find the counter of a few insurance companies at the airport when you arrive.
Yes, we can . As long as time allows.
Kosuke was an excellent guide and I wouldn't hesitate to book another tour with him. He's someone who really loves to guide and it shows. Hopefully we'll be back and he can show us around some new places. We enjoyed Kochi Castle, an amazing lunch, the botanical garden (even though it was fall and not in full bloom, it was still beautiful) and the Chikurinji Temple where the teens got to ring a bell and pray at a Buddhist shrine. Kosuke was an excellent resource for learning the differences between Buddhist and Shinto. Thank you so much, Kosuke! From the oranges to the beautiful papers, you really spoiled us by going above and beyond, and we'd love to tour with you again.
Thank you so much for your wonderful, thoughtful and warm review! You are the youngest group that I have ever guided before. You are very active, for example, all members walked faster than I. So, I think that if I were ten years younger, I could have taken your family to more places. However, I am relieved to know that you enjoyed the tour in Kochi. And thank you very much for listening to my explanations about the sightseeing spots eagerly. I respect the elder daughter, because she has learned Japanese language and cultures with enthusiasm. And I really enjoyed talking with her in Japanese. Please continue to learn them! The younger daughter is very kind, because she was worried about me when I coughed so much. Thank you! If your family will visit Kochi again in the future, I want your husband to drink other local sakes. And I have to apologize to you, because I couldn’t find a wonderful rice bowl for you. I will get more information about it until you visit my hometown again. Then, I will be able to tell you where to find delicious rice bow. Therefore, please be sure to visit my hometown, Kochi, again in the future. Thank you again and have wonderful Christmas holidays!
We had so much fun with Kosuke as he shared the heart of his home town with us. We took our time wandering through the Sunday Market, at more than 300 years old the oldest in Japan. Kosuke helped us interact with the stall owners and negotiated a lot of free tastes of their products. He particularly concentrated on the foods that we native and unique to Kochi so that we could begin to appreciate the sources of the local cuisine. He had also done some investigation ahead of time and found a vendor of high-quality chefs’ knives for me. We toured Kochi castle, learned an enormous amount and laughed a lot. Kosuke has a ready sense of humour and uses his imagination to keep things fresh and interesting. Maybe most enjoyable was having lunch in the food court at Hirome Market. There were all sorts of foods on sale - different tastes and textures. Some featured things we’d seen at the Sunday Market, others were from the sea. But it’s the food court itself that Kosuke wanted us to experience. It’s noisy and boisterous, full of people talking and laughing - exactly the sort of thing you don’t see anywhere else in Japan. As Kosuke said, “This is the real Kochi City”. We’d do it again with him in a heartbeat.
Thank you so much for the nicest and prompt review! During the second day of the tour I really enjoyed talking, laughing and eating with you. It is your curiosity to know anything about Japan that motivated me to guide you happily. First, I worried about the noisy food court, but I’m so relieved to know that you enjoyed eating some local foods. And I was really surprised to know that you were a professional chef and you have much more knowledge about cutting knives than I do. I should have studied more about cutting knives, so I’m sorry for that. Anyway, have a wonderful journey in Japan! And I wish you will return to Canada safely. And, I want to add one more comment. I really enjoyed your very witty jokes. Thanks! And take care!
It is difficult to imagine a better guide than Kosuke. My wife’s grandfather came from a very small town outside Kochi City. In making this booking, we asked Kosuke to take us to this town so we could form an impression of the place where her grandfather grew up. Kosuke did so much more. Beforehand, he found the temple my wife’s grandfather attended. He contacted the priest and the priest confirmed , through old temple records, that this was indeed the family temple. Kosuke was also able to find the family tomb and ancestral house. Kosuke arranged for us to meet with the priest to discuss the family and life in the village. Our visit was so much richer than we had imagined all because of the work Kosuke had done. It brought a large, missing portion of the family history back to life and gave us a direct connection to our ancestor. My wife feels that Kosuke and the priest were able to give her her history and her place in Japan.
Thank you so much for the nicest and prompt review! I’m very happy to know that you could have a direct connection to your ancestors after finishing this tour and your wife could have her history and place in Japan. I will never forget the scene where your wife and you earnestly listened to what the priest talked about your ancestors. It is your eagerness to know your roots that brought you to the real area where your ancestors had lived. I have respected your earnest attitude. When you want to feel the existence of your ancestors’ homeland, please touch the rosary which the priest gave to you. And I will never forget that I enjoyed walking with you in Sunday Market while talking, laughing and eating on the street together. Finally your homeland, Kochi of Japan, is always ready to accept you whenever you want to visit Kochi again. Have a wonderful journey in Japan! And I wish you will return to Canada safely. And, I want to add one more comment. I really enjoyed your very witty jokes. Thanks! And take care!
Great communications. The ship was delayed 5 hours due to technical issues, but Kobayashi-san adjusted his tour. We still got to do the things we wanted to do. Very highly recommended!
Thank you so much for the nicest and prompt review! I really enjoyed talking with six guests of your group. And I’m very happy that you enjoyed eating “Katsuo-no-tataki”, grilled bonito in the bustling market called “Hirome Ichiba”. Next time you visit my town, I want you to eat other delicious local foods in that market. And in the botanical garden, I’m happy to see you taking photos and smelling flowers. Did you feel relaxed and refreshed in the garden? I hope so. Have a wonderful journey in Japan! And please return to US safely! I will never forget our happy memories while I watch the photo of you. Thanks again!