|
Perched on the wooded mountain-top overlooking Kochi's harbour is Godai-san-koen , an attractive park 2km south of the city centre. Alongside this are the equally pleasant grounds of the temple Chikurin-ji and the Makino Botanical Gardens. Several buses run to the park from Kochi Station, a journey of around twenty minutes. The bus first stops at the Godai-san Tembo Service Centre, the main park building housing a cafe and souvenir shop, before turning around further along opposite the temple to return to town. It's a good idea to get off at the service centre and admire the panoramic view of Kochi and its port from the platform above the cafe. From here you can walk towards the temple's five-storey pagoda, visible through the trees. Chikurin-ji was founded in 724, making it one of oldest temples in the prefecture and its atmospheric main building, decorated with intricate carvings of animals, dates from the Muromachi period. The pagoda, built in the 1970s, is said to contain a bone of Buddha from Bodh Gaya in India, but there's no way of verifying this since the tower is closed to the public. The Treasure House (daily 9am-5pm; Y400), to the right of the temple's main entrance gate, is worth seeing for its tranquil traditional gardens overlooked by an Edo-era villa and the small collection of Tantric statues and Buddhas. Opposite the temple lies the large Makino Botanical Garden (daily 9am-5pm; Y500), which has lovely views out to the coast and is dedicated to celebrated local botanist Dr Makino Tomitaro, who died aged 95 in 1957. Apart from the large greenhouse and a fossil gallery, easily spotted since it has a giant model of a tyrannosaurus rex outside, there's the rather more tasteful Makino Museum of Plants and People , crafted from wood and opened in 1999. While you're out here, the garden's restaurant, Arbre , is worth trying - you don't need to pay entrance to the garden to eat here.
Your Tip for Godai-san-koen and Chikurin-ji
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Godai-san-koen and Chikurin-ji - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Godai-san-koen and Chikurin-ji - visit the main Godai-san-koen and Chikurin-ji forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Godai-san-koen and Chikurin-ji webguide section below! Thanks.
| 
