Kochi · City
Shimanto
四万十市しまんとしShimanto-shiSinking bridges on Japan's last clear river
Shimanto is a city in western Kochi Prefecture on the lower reaches of the Shimanto River, often called Japan's last clear stream. Its centre, Nakamura, was laid out on the model of Kyoto by a noble family in the fifteenth century, and the city is the gateway to Cape Ashizuri.
Overview
The Shimanto River rises in the mountains of central Shikoku and meanders for 196 kilometres, looping back on itself through forested valleys before reaching the Pacific at Shimanto city. Its main stream has no large dam, and its clear water, fish and riverside villages have earned it the name "the last clear stream in Japan". The city of Shimanto, formed in 2005 from the town of Nakamura and the village of Nishitosa, covers the river's final stretch.
The river is crossed by chinkabashi, low concrete bridges without railings designed to be submerged during floods rather than washed away. Visitors cycle between them, paddle canoes, or ride traditional flat-bottomed boats, and fishermen still catch sweetfish, eels and river prawns and harvest green river laver.
Nakamura has a history unusual for rural Tosa. In 1468 Ichijō Norifusa, a former regent's son fleeing the Ōnin War in Kyoto, settled here and laid out the town in a grid named after the capital's streets, and a Daimonji bonfire burns on the hillside at Obon. Today Nakamura is the rail terminus for western Kochi and the base for trips to Cape Ashizuri and the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park.
Landmarks
Shimanto River
四万十川Shimanto-gawaThe 196-kilometre river whose lower course winds through the city, with pebble beaches and clear pools.
Sada Chinkabashi
佐田沈下橋Sada chinkabashiThe longest and most downstream of the sinking bridges on the main stream, a classic view of the river.
Iwama Chinkabashi
岩間沈下橋Iwama chinkabashiA slender sinking bridge in the upper part of the city, set in a bend of forested hills.
Ichijō Shrine
一條神社Ichijō JinjaShrine to the Ichijō family on a hill in the centre of Nakamura.
Shimanto River Dragonfly Park
四万十川学遊館・トンボ自然公園Shimantogawa Gakuyūkan, Tonbo Shizen KōenA wetland reserve and museum where dozens of dragonfly species breed, established as one of the first of its kind.
Yakatabune boats
屋形船YakatabuneRoofed wooden boats offering trips on the river, some with meals of river fish.
Districts
Nakamura
中村NakamuraThe grid-planned town centre, the Little Kyoto of Tosa, with the station and shops.
Nishitosa
西土佐NishitosaThe upper river district bordering Ehime, with canoe bases and the Yodo Line.
Gudō
具同GudōThe west bank across from Nakamura, with the dragonfly park.
River mouth
河口KakōThe brackish estuary where the river meets the Pacific, known for aonori harvesting.
History
The Ichijō family, among the highest-ranking court nobles, held estates in the Hata district of western Tosa. When Kyoto was devastated by the Ōnin War, Ichijō Norifusa moved to Nakamura in 1468 and founded a small court culture there. His descendants ruled western Tosa until they were overthrown by Chōsokabe Motochika in the 1570s.
Nakamura became a town in the Edo period under the Yamauchi of Tosa and a city in 1954. The anarchist Kōtoku Shūsui, executed in 1911 after the High Treason Incident, came from Nakamura. In 2005 Nakamura merged with Nishitosa to form Shimanto city, taking its name from the river.
1468
Ichijō Norifusa leaves Kyoto during the Ōnin War and settles in Nakamura.
1575
Chōsokabe Motochika defeats the Ichijō at the battle of Shimantogawa (Watarigawa).
1871
Kōtoku Shūsui, later a leading socialist and anarchist, is born in Nakamura.
1954
Nakamura is incorporated as a city.
1985
A dragonfly nature park, one of the first of its kind, is established in Gudō.
2005
Nakamura and Nishitosa merge to form Shimanto city.
2013
Ekawasaki in the city records 41.0 °C, then the highest temperature measured in Japan.
Culture
Shimanto's culture is shaped by the river: traditional fishing methods such as torch fishing and fixed traps survive, and the chinkabashi are cherished as symbols of living with floods rather than fighting them. Nakamura keeps traces of its Kyoto heritage in street names, the Ichijō Shrine and the Daimonji bonfire. The riverside is a centre for canoeing, cycling and nature education.
Festivals
Daimonji no Okuribi
大文字の送り火Daimonji no okuribiAt Obon a bonfire in the shape of the character 大 is lit on the hillside, a custom inherited from Kyoto via the Ichijō.
Ichijō Festival
一條大祭Ichijō TaisaiThe Ichijō Shrine's late-November festival, the largest in Nakamura, with stalls through the town.
Food
Ayu
鮎AyuSweetfish grilled with salt on skewers, the taste of summer on the river.
Tenaga-ebi
手長えびTenaga-ebiLong-armed river prawns, deep-fried whole.
Shimanto aonori
四万十川の青のりShimantogawa no aonoriFragrant green river laver harvested in winter at the river mouth and dried on lines.
Unagi
うなぎUnagiWild and farmed eel from the Shimanto basin, grilled kabayaki style.
Katsuo no tataki
鰹のたたきKatsuo no tatakiStraw-seared bonito from the ports of western Tosa.
Getting around
- Nakamura Station on the Tosa Kuroshio Railway is served by limited expresses from Kōchi, taking about one and three-quarter hours.
- The JR Yodo Line follows the upper Shimanto through Nishitosa towards Uwajima in Ehime.
- Rental bicycles and canoes are available along the river; a car or bike is the best way to reach the sinking bridges.
- Buses run from Nakamura Station to Cape Ashizuri and to Tosashimizu.
Day trips
- 足摺岬Ashizuri-misaki
Cliffs, a lighthouse and Henro Temple 38 at Shikoku's southern tip, about an hour by bus.
- 柏島Kashiwajima
Crystal-clear waters for snorkelling and diving in Ōtsuki.
Tatsukushi
竜串TatsukushiSandstone rock formations shaped by waves on the coast of Tosashimizu.
- 高知Kōchi
The Tosa capital, with its castle and Sunday market.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
What is a chinkabashi?
A low bridge without railings designed to be submerged when the river floods, so that water and debris pass over it instead of destroying it; dozens cross the Shimanto and its tributaries.
Can you canoe on the Shimanto?
Yes. Several operators in the city rent canoes and run guided trips on calm sections, mainly from spring to autumn.
How do you get to Shimanto?
By limited express from Kōchi to Nakamura, about one and three-quarter hours, or by car; the sinking bridges are best reached by bicycle or car from there.
Why is Nakamura called the Little Kyoto of Tosa?
The noble Ichijō family, who fled Kyoto in 1468, laid out the town on the model of the capital and brought customs such as the Daimonji bonfire.
Related
Sources
- 1.四万十市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 四万十市
- 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 3.高知県庁ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 高知県
- 4.足摺宇和海国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省