Chikurinji & The Makino Botanical Garden 　竹林寺、牧野植物園

Nov. 10th. 2025

Michi no eki Mima no sato　みまの里

Mima no Sato is a good place to stay. Parking is flat and the toilets are modern if a little small for the size of the place. A lot of available space is taken up with special kids’ toilets and so on. There is also a dog run but it is not free which surprised me. There are no rubbish bins which no longer does.

Chikurinji

We leave heading for Kochi to visit a temple or two. In the event we visit Chikurinji. Henro number 31. This is high on a mountain, Godaisan, and a twisty, one way road leads to the top.

The temple itself is reasonably interesting. There is a lot of moss in the garden, you can ring the bell, a pleasing pagoda and higgledy piggledy gravestones.

The Makino Botanical Garden

Chikurinji has also a garden and treasure house with very old statues but we did not pay the extra to view these. Instead, we pay the 500 yen (senior citizen discount) to visit the adjoining Makino Botanical Garden. This garden established in 1958 is dedicated to Tomitaro Makino who was the father of Japanese Botany.

The gardens cover an extensive area, a good opportunity to walk and enjoy the diversity of vegetation. There are a North Garden, a South Garden, a museum and the research studio. Just wandering around may take a couple of hours.

The modern buildings are architecturally interesting plus a large tropical greenhouse. A good spot to visit.

＊The Makino Botanical Garden ; 850 yen / adult

Michi no eki Konoka　　道の駅木の香

We then take the long drive out of Kochi to our michi no eki Konoka. This place, we are pleased to note, has reopened. It was closed for a while for whatever reason, but is back in business. It has an hotel, restaurant  and an onsen and more importantly flat parking near the facilities and away from the road.

The onsen is very pleasant. The indoor bath is a little tepid but the outside bath, the opposite. Altogether a good place and very quiet.

＊Konoka Onsen ; 800 yen / adult