[Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] Feel secure with this! A Directory of Shimanto River River Activity Operators!

★The Appeal of River Activities★
You can enjoy the Shimanto River with your whole body in 360°, and nothing captures that feeling better than river activities!
The Shimanto River has a gentle current, so beginners and children can take part. On canoe tours you can sometimes go where no man-made structures are visible, offering a true escape from everyday life.
Shimanto City is home to many river activity operators, with a variety of options that let everyone from small children to seniors enjoy themselves with peace of mind. Take this chance to find an operator that interests you♪


1. Shimanto Canoe and Camp Village Kawaracco
Shimanto Canoe and Camp Village Kawaracco sits beside the Shimanto River, surrounded by rich natural scenery.
In addition to campsite facilities, the site includes well-equipped bungalows and a Shimanto hinoki cypress house. It also serves as a terminal for the Rinrin Cycle rental service.
Operating season: Year-round
Closed: Mondays (if Monday is a public holiday, closed Tuesday) *Open during the period around Golden Week and from July 1 to September 30
Pets allowed to ride together (tandem kayaks). *Please bring a life jacket for your pet. Depending on size, joint riding may be unavailable.

2. withRIVER
withRIVER is located at the foot of a Shimanto River chinkabashi (submersible bridge).
The current is gentle here, so beginners and small children can feel safe. At the end of the tour you can even try jumping from the chinkabashi.
In addition to canoe and SUP experiences, withRIVER offers horseback riding. Besides ordinary rides, there is a course that lets you ride within the Shimanto River. Because the horse stands where you can touch the bottom, children and non-swimmers can participate safely.
Operating season: March to mid-November
Dogs may ride along (on SUP or two-person canoe). Dog life jackets are available to rent (500 yen per jacket).
Free photo sharing available

3. Shimanto River Lodge Yuubetei
Shimanto River Lodge Yuubetei is a rented villa-style accommodation on a hill overlooking the Shimanto River, available to one group per day. Families, groups, and couples can relax here. Rooms include a terrace where you can barbecue while watching the sunset.
River SUP experiences are available from Yuubetei. The owner customizes courses to match guests. SUP board rentals are also offered. Please request when booking your stay. *SUP experiences operate only in the summer season.

4. Okera Adventures Shimanto
Okera Adventures Shimanto centers on “bikerafting,” a combination of cycling and packraft (inflatable boat) river descent. They are the only operator in Japan to run regular guided bikerafting tours. (*Survey by Okera Adventures, March 2022)
They operate by private-group bookings only, so you and your group enjoy the tour alone. One appeal is that guides tailor the tour to participants, weather, and conditions.
Operating season: Year-round
Dogs may ride along (dog life jackets available for rent).
Free photo sharing available

5. Shimanto – River Station Canoe Center
Shimanto – River Station Canoe Center is known for the spectacular natural scenery in the latter part of its tours. The attached Shimanto Hiroba Auto Campsite offers toilets and barbecue sites so you can camp beside the Shimanto River. (Advance reservation required)
There is a beginner-friendly canoe school where instructors lead basic half-day and full-day courses.
You can paddle an 8 km canoe touring course to the famous Iwama Chinkabashi Bridge featured on TV and in magazines; the latter 4 km of the course shows almost no man-made structures, letting you fully enjoy the Shimanto River’s wilderness.
The Canoe Center also serves as a river station exhibiting canoes from around the world and as a terminal for the Shimanto River Rinrin Cycle rental service.
Operating season: Year-round
Free photo sharing available

6. Shimanto Rakusha
Shimanto Rakusha is a former school repurposed into a place where you can stay and play. The lodging uses spaces such as the school infirmary as bedrooms, and classrooms have bunk beds. You can even stay in the broadcasting room that still runs the school PA system or in the principal’s office.
Because canoe experiences here do not involve long downstream runs, you can set your own experience time. Families can take turns, play in the river, and enjoy canoeing freely.
In addition to canoeing, you can try stream trekking (shower climbing), raft play, and relaxed fishing in the Shimanto River.
Closed: Every Wednesday *Open daily in July, August, and September
Free photo sharing available

7. Canoe Shimanto Base
Canoe Shimanto Base runs tours using sit-on-top canoes that you sit on the deck rather than inside. You can choose a half-day course with a 3 km downstream stretch (morning or afternoon) or a shorter course without downstream paddling. All canoes are single-person, and two sizes are available so you can pick the right fit.
The half-day course is available from third grade elementary school and up; the short course is available from first grade elementary school and up.
The short course is a private booking for groups of 1–10 people.
Operating season: March to November
Dogs may ride along. *Please be sure to bring a life jacket that fits your dog’s body size.
Free photo sharing available

8. Good River Shimanto
At Good River Shimanto you can enjoy a full Shimanto River canoe tour. They instruct you from canoe boarding and paddle technique to how to enjoy canoeing. The downriver course follows the river current and reveals little in the way of man-made structures, letting you relax in expansive nature. You can take commemorative photos at the popular Iwama Chinkabashi Bridge.
They also run rafting tours, letting you drift downstream in a raft boat on the gentle Shimanto River in relaxed comfort. Guests from age three through seniors can participate.
Operating season: Mid-March to early November
Children and dogs may ride along
Free photo sharing available

How was it?
Try experiencing Shimanto City’s river activities!