Morning in Shimanto
Breakfast at the hotel (¥1,000 for two), then out to the river.
On the way there’s an old waterwheel turning in the rice fields.
The Sada sinking bridge
The Shimanto is called Japan’s last clear stream, and it’s known for its chinkabashi, “sinking bridges”. They’re low, narrow, with no railings, so that when the river floods, the water just goes over them instead of washing them away.
The Sada bridge is the longest. Cars drive over it too, so you step aside when one comes.
The Pacific coast
Then north-east along the Pacific coast towards Kōchi.
A cat came to say hello at the last stop.
Hirome Market
Lunch in Kōchi at Hirome Market, a big covered food hall where you buy from the stalls and sit at shared tables. It’s loud and full of people drinking at lunchtime. ¥3,300 for two, and parking ¥600.
Minmin was pregnant, so no raw fish for her. That meant I had to finish all the katsuo tataki, Kōchi’s famous seared bonito with flaky salt. Tough job. She had the karaage and kushikatsu.
Then the Obiyamachi arcade, where we bought a maneki-neko noren (¥3,300) for the door at home.
Onward to the botanical garden!
Information About the Sada Sinking Bridge
The longest of the Shimanto River's 'sinking bridges', low concrete bridges with no railings that go under water when the river floods. About 15 minutes' drive from Nakamura.