Nakatsu Gorge — Attraction in Niyodogawa

This is a stunning spot. I highly recommend it. The hike is easy though there are a few rocky places where you’ll want to have good shoes. Hike is short—maybe a 20 minute brisk walk each way, but I recommend budgeting more time to enjoy the scenery.

Access: you CAN get here by bus, contrary to what I was told at the tourist desk at Kochi station. The buses are very limited, but spaced out quite well for a day or half-day trip.

You’ll want to take the train first to Sakawa station. From there, take the bus bound for Nanokawa 名野川 (the final destination might display as 川渡). In some cases you might need to change buses at Osaki 大崎. I asked the folks at the Sakawa tourist info center for help and was told that buses past Osaki do not run on weekends. Nonetheless, once I got on the bus, it ran all the way to Nanokawa. If there is no bus past Osaki, you should call a taxi. It is technically possible to walk (about 3km) but as the road is a highway I don’t think it would be very...

Probably one of the best nature spots to visit in Japan. I went in the springtime in mid May and there were basically only several people on the trail. There are 5 spots that you will want to see which is depicted on the map on the left hand side when you go in. I went during a bright sunny day and there are quite a bit of stairs, some made of rocks so it could be quite slippery if it's wet or rainy.

I took my time and went to all 5 spots while taking a ton of pictures which took 2 hours total, including walking from and back to Nanokawa bus stop.

It is possible to get here with public transportation, just do your research first as busses do not run frequently in this area. Timetables also change depending if it's holiday or if it's the weekend.

Warning: The only washroom is at the entrance to Nakatsu Gorge so do your business first before heading in. There are also no vending machines along the hike so get a drink while...

There's plenty of walking trails around the gorge, and my family spent up to 1 hour here just exploring the area. Not crowded with tourists and there's a nice little waterfall deeper in the gorge. Parking can be quite limited, try not to park at the first parking lot you see (with a steep incline) as you need to walk 5-10 minutes to reach the entrance. There are lots beside the entrance, over the bridge...