The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden

The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden honors the late Kochi-born botanist Dr. Tomitaro Makino, known as the father of Japanese botany. Take a stroll through gentle winding paths blooming with over 3,000 plant species, from rare exotic flowers to wild endemic varieties discovered by Dr. Makino.
The garden covers 8 hectares, with a variety of different zones to explore. One of the highlights is the large Greenhouse, a whimsical structure filled with tropical and jungle plants that create a rainbow of color year round. Visitors can check out local flora in the Kochi Ecology Garden, which is home to wild plants from all across Kochi Prefecture. The North Garden offers panoramic views of the plains and mountains of eastern Kochi, while the South Garden was once part of nearby Chikurin-ji Temple and still maintains the serenity of the temple grounds. Flower lovers are sure to enjoy the orchids in the Tosa Kanran Center (including a variety named after Dr. Makino) and the wild azaleas that bloom on Ketsumo Hill and Konkon Hill.
During his life, Dr. Makino collected approximately 400,000 botanical specimens and named over 1,500 new species and subspecies. He is perhaps best known for publishing “Makino’s Illustrated Flora of Japan” in 1940, which remains an essential reference work for both professional botanists and enthusiasts today. There are various reports indicating that Dr. Makino tirelessly devoted every waking minute to studying plants, and his passion blooms in his original botanical drawings on display in the permanent exhibition.
The restaurant and cafés in the botanical garden make the most of the lush surroundings and are a popular spot to take a break while exploring.