Kochi, 12.05.24

Kochi is very much off the beaten track. It meant crossing the island of Shikoku on a train from Takamatsu, a journey of 3 1/2 hours with the Limited Express. Once the train leaves the coastal plains it becomes very mountainous and the line winds its way through gorges and forests, through many tunnels and over bridges with the occasional stop at small villages. I did not expect so much wilderness and untouched landscapes. 

I soon realized that doing a walk in these mountains, which was my intention, was almost impossible without a car and with the short time we had. But Kochi proved to be a lovely and quite lively little town with a modern centre just outside the railway station. 

Koch lies on the southern side of Shikoku Island facing the Pacific Ocean. A bit more than 300000 people live here. The city itself is rather flat with the castle high on a hill. There are forests all around it and two rivers cross the plain. 

Kochi Castle

Once we checked into our hotel, a fairly new one called the Comfort Hotel, we were on our way to discover more of Kochi. It was pouring down with rain but we still made our way to the castle, one of the major attractions in Kochi. It did not disappoint and it was a delight strolling around the ramparts and the gardens. We got the attention of a Japanese family with their kids as they had hardly ever seen a European tourist and the girl wanted to have her photograph taken with us. Not something that happens in Tokyo at all. We obliged and I talked to the girl a bit in Japanese, like asking what her name was or how old she was and where she lived. That made them all laugh as my Japanese pronunciation was probably very strange but they all understood. It was a delightful encounter and a nice memory now.

Our friend in Japan

The rain eased off a bit and we walked back to the hotel where in the railway station we found a cosy restaurant, more like a pub really. It was humming with people but we could only hear them as all tables are hidden in booths. The menu was in pictures and I picked Kaarage chicken which is a Japanese version of KFC! Delicious it was too. Christine went for the tempura vegetables. But to our astonishment on drinks list was a wine from New Zealand: Allen Scott Merlot Malbec. We ordered a bottle for the occasion. Jolly good it was too.