Kochi Shimanto City Tourism Association
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Kochi Shimanto City Tourism Association

Oct. 4, 2025
[Image1][Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] A complete introduction to must-try pleasure boat cruises on the S
[Image2][Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] A complete introduction to must-try pleasure boat cruises on the S
[Image3][Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] A complete introduction to must-try pleasure boat cruises on the S
[Image4][Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] A complete introduction to must-try pleasure boat cruises on the S

[Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] A complete introduction to must-try pleasure boat cruises on the Shimanto River!

Do you associate the Shimanto River only with summer? That image isn’t quite right. In fact, plankton declines in winter, and the river’s clarity improves dramatically. You can see the riverbed in winter when summer visibility doesn’t allow it.
Why not experience the Shimanto River’s winter charm aboard a sightseeing boat that brings you closer to the water…?

〇 Want a discount on cruise tickets? Stop by Shimanto City Tourism Association
Visitors to the Shimanto City Tourism Association can buy sightseeing boat tickets at a 10% discount. The staff can also help make reservations on your behalf. They can assist foreign visitors too!
🛅🆓 Free baggage storage [8:30–17:30]
🛜🆓 Wi‑Fi available
🚶 Located inside Nakamura Station rotary
If you want to buy sightseeing boat tickets cheaply, please stop by the Shimanto City Tourism Association!

1. Sada Chinkabashi “Sakoya”
This yakatabune (traditional roofed pleasure boat) departs from the downstream-most, longest sinking bridge on the Shimanto River, Sada Chinkabashi.
The route passes under both Sada Chinkabashi and Sanri Chinkabashi. The tour lasts about 50 minutes.
*Reservation required; operation starts from two people.*

There is a period when the engine is stopped and the boat glides forward using only hand‑rowed oars, letting you escape the bustle of daily life and fully enjoy the Shimanto River’s peaceful atmosphere. During the yakatabune cruise you will also be served karintō (deep‑fried sweet sticks) seasoned with Shimanto River blue‑nori.
During firefly season, a special firefly boat operates so you can enjoy the river’s swirling fireflies from the deck. (Reservation required)
🍽️ Onboard meals (boxed lunches) available. *Reservation required; available only for private bookings.*
🚗 About 20 minutes by car from Nakamura Station. 🚲 About 50 minutes by bicycle.

2. Sanri Chinkabashi “Shimanto no Ao”
This yakatabune is based at Sanri Chinkabashi, the second sinking bridge from the river mouth. The course goes under Sanri Chinkabashi and runs toward the area near Sada Chinkabashi. The tour lasts about 50 minutes.
Scheduled sightseeing yakatabune service [Operating hours 9:00–16:00], departing on the hour.

Bring friends or family and drop in to enjoy the Shimanto River at your leisure. You can board without advance reservation, but it can get crowded, so booking ahead is recommended. (Open year‑round)
During firefly season, a special firefly boat operates so you can enjoy the river’s swirling fireflies from the deck. (Reservation required)
🍽️ Onboard meals available. *Reservation required by 12:00 the day before.*
🚗 About 25 minutes by car from Nakamura Station. 🚲 About 1 hour by bicycle.

3. Takase Chinkabashi “Nattoku”
This yakatabune is based at Takase Chinkabashi, the third sinking bridge from the river mouth. The route goes under Takase Chinkabashi and travels the most upstream section among the three locations that retain the Shimanto River’s original scenery. The tour lasts about 50 minutes.
Scheduled service [Operating hours 9:00–16:00], departing on the hour.

Among the Shimanto River sightseeing boats, this one uniquely offers seating with tables and chairs. It’s suitable for passengers with limited mobility and wheelchair users. You can board without advance reservation, but it can get crowded, so booking ahead is recommended. (Open year‑round)
During firefly season, a special firefly boat operates so you can enjoy the river’s swirling fireflies from the deck. (Reservation required)
🍽️ Onboard meals available. *Reservation required by the day before.*
In addition to scheduled and meal courses, there is a private gourmet charter. Meal courses and the private gourmet charter require reservation by the day before. The private gourmet charter is available from three people.
🚗 About 30 minutes by car from Nakamura Station. 🚲 About 1 hour 40 minutes by bicycle.

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Oct. 31, 2025
[Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] Savoring the River! Ayu, Unagi, River Shrimp, Gori! Traditional Fishing Methods That Live Alongside the Shimanto River Introducing the traditional river fishing methods passed down by river fishers on the Shimanto River. This highlights the important local culture of living close to the river and gratefully receiving its bounty. 〇Traditional Fishing Methods of the Shimanto River The Shimanto River’s traditional fishing methods have been carefully preserved by local river fishers. While their form has gradually changed with environmental shifts, they still remain part of daily life. The river’s abundant gifts—ayu (sweetfish), unagi (eel), tenaga-ebi (long-arm shrimp), and aosa nori (green seaweed)—brighten family meals with the seasons. Skilled chefs in Shimanto City also prepare them into delicious dishes for visitors, and various processed forms are enjoyed as souvenirs. 〇See the River, Taste the River A slow walk along the Shimanto River reveals traps for catching eels and long-arm shrimp seen from chinkabashi bridges, partly submerged in the water. Depending on the season, you may encounter people fishing for ayu or working from traditional river boats. Along the banks you might spot stone-lined devices for catching gori, and at the river mouth workers harvesting green seaweed. If you look closely at the Shimanto River, you’ll discover human lives intertwined with the river. In the evening, taste the very ingredients caught with the traps you saw, slowly savored at a local restaurant. It’s a distinctive, insider way to enjoy the Shimanto River. 〇Introduction to Traditional Fishing Methods ・Ayu Fire-Swinging Fishing Nets are set across the river in advance, and at night a boat swings torches from the deck. Startled by the dancing bands of flame, ayu panic and are driven into the nets. Today this practice often uses LED lights, but the principle remains the same as the traditional method. Ayu are also caught by cast nets, angling, and other methods. ・Long-Arm Shrimp Fishing From a chinkabashi bridge looking toward the water’s edge, you can see PVC pipes spaced at regular intervals. These are korobashi, traps for catching long-arm shrimp. Once made of wood, they have changed to more convenient materials over time. Long-arm shrimp are commonly enjoyed deep-fried whole, producing vibrant colors, and are treasured as a local flavor—some grow large enough to resemble cucumbers. ・Unagi (Eel) Fishing You may see pieces of styrofoam or PET bottles floating in the river without drifting away; they can mark korobashi used to catch eels. Sensitive to smell, eels avoid resin traps, so wooden korobashi are still widely used. ・Gori Fishing If stones are lined along the riverbank to dam the water, they may form the setup for gori’s noborio-toshi-ue fishing. In the Shimanto River, juvenile Numachichibu fish are called gori and are enjoyed as a spring to early-summer delicacy. They are typically eaten deep-fried or simmered in soy-based preserves. 〇Important Notices Fishing on the Shimanto River is subject to fishing rights. Purchasing an angling permit is required when you fish. Also, closed seasons are established to protect resources. Please be aware of these regulations.
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Sep. 20, 2025
[Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] Only in Shimanto City!! “Salt-Seared Bonito” (Part 2) Following Part 1, Part 2 introduces recommended ways to enjoy the bonitos seared in Shimanto City that you can taste only here. 〇 Nakamura’s one-and-only “Traditional Salt-Seared Bonito” When people think of delicious food from Kochi Prefecture nationwide, the first thing that comes to mind is the seared bonito. Sprinkling salt or pouring sauce before searing is said to be a food culture unique to Kochi. Yet within the same prefecture, the style in central Kochi City differs greatly from that in Nakamura in the southwestern Shimanto City: Nakamura’s salt-seared method stands apart. Around Kochi City, the dish is a simple one of just sprinkled salt. In Nakamura, by contrast, chefs marinate the seared fish with proud house sauces featuring salt, vinegar, citrus juice, and other flavoring, letting the flavors meld. Nakamura’s traditional salt-seared bonito piles on heaps of condiments—onions, garlic and more—until the fish is nearly hidden. Those generous toppings don’t just look appetizing; they make nutritionally balanced combinations, so the dish is also excellent as a healthy choice. Nakamura’s traditional salt-seared bonito, found only in Shimanto City, carries an unshakable local food culture and history. Each restaurant crafts and serves its own proud version of this delicious salt-seared specialty. From the searing process to the way it’s eaten, the condiments and the sauces, every establishment applies its own ingenuity and care to its salt-seared bonito. In Shimanto City, you can enjoy as many distinctive salt-seared styles as there are restaurants. Would you like to go on a salt-seared tasting tour in Shimanto City and sample Nakamura’s traditional salt-seared bonito? 〇 Perfect match for salt-seared bonito: Shimanto Bu-chu Highball A perfect companion to Nakamura’s traditional salt-seared bonito is the Shimanto Bu-chu Highball, made with the locally grown “forbidden fruit” bushukan. It’s a standard menu item at izakayas in Shimanto City. The drink is ultra-refreshing from first sip to finish, with a crisp citrus flavor and a pleasant, moderate bitterness. Popular with both men and women, it pairs beautifully with food. Try Shimanto Bu-chu Highball with salt-seared bonito—you’ll likely get hooked after one sip. 〇 Shimanto-grown “forbidden fruit”—the bushukan Why call it the forbidden fruit? Bushukan is related to yuzu and sudachi but is an entirely different fruit. Once you taste it, ordinary vinegar-citrus fruits won’t satisfy—you’ll understand why it’s called the “forbidden fruit.” Its defining features are a clean, sharp acidity and a uniquely refined aroma. That elegant scent and tartness bring out the best in ingredients from mountains, rivers, and sea. Beloved by citrus fans across Kochi, the “kingdom of sour citrus,” bushukan has long been nicknamed the “king of sour citrus.” Beyond its flavor, the tree is very vigorous: once it bears fruit, it will yield abundantly each year from late August through early October with little care. While most citrus trees live for several decades, bushukan remains healthy and productive for over a hundred years. Bushukan is also resistant to disease and pests and grows vigorously without heavy reliance on pesticides, making it a safe, reliable crop. This rare bushukan grows only in Shimanto City and is not shipped widely across Japan—why not come taste it for yourself? How did you find this? Perhaps the appeal of salt-seared bonito and bushukan has whetted your appetite. Please enjoy salt-seared bonito and a Shimanto Bu-chu Highball when you visit Shimanto City.

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