- 2024.01.01
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Happy New Year and bon appetit…Kochi style!
We hope that the start of 2024 finds you and your loved ones well! How did you kick off the new year?
You may have heard of the Japanese tradition called hatsumode, when people make their first visit to a shrine or temple in early January. All are welcome to participate in the ritual, no matter where you are from or your religious (or non-religious) affiliation
Ushioe Tenmangu Shrine in Kochi City, located next to the serene Kagami River is one of our most popular hatsumode spots. It’s always exciting to join the community for a collective experience, pick up an omikuji (fortune) or omamori (amulet), and sample some tasty street food from the stalls that pop up near the main hall
The real star of the New Year’s table is, of course, osechi. It’s a selection of traditional foods with auspicious ingredients and backstories, which are meticulously prepared in the days running up to the holiday. Here in Kochi, traditional New Year’s dishes are added to sumptuous sawachi–basically a full banquet, featuring the bounty of Kochi from land, river and sea–beautifully presented on a single plate and shared among family and friends
Sawachi is usually reserved for special occasions, but there are restaurants that will prepare it for visitors on request at any time of the year. One such place is Tosanokuni Nijuyonmangoku in Kochi City, where you can enjoy the full sawachi experience with a group, or a smaller tasting version perfect for one person, without prior reservations
Vegan diners can also get a taste of sawachi culture in Hidaka Village, which is just a short train ride from Kochi City. Check out Vacation Rental MEI (linked below) for more details!
Ushioe Tenmangu Shrine
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Csf4L9zvydNwnYnN6
Tosanokuni Nijuyonmangoku
https://maps.app.goo.gl/D25jA63H375mwtYD6
https://hayakawa.group/niju.html
Vacation Rental MEI
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ysbt2nrZZX82DGN77
https://www.yadoya-mysato.com/en
Learn more about Kochi’s food culture: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/taste-of-kochi
You may have heard of the Japanese tradition called hatsumode, when people make their first visit to a shrine or temple in early January. All are welcome to participate in the ritual, no matter where you are from or your religious (or non-religious) affiliation
Ushioe Tenmangu Shrine in Kochi City, located next to the serene Kagami River is one of our most popular hatsumode spots. It’s always exciting to join the community for a collective experience, pick up an omikuji (fortune) or omamori (amulet), and sample some tasty street food from the stalls that pop up near the main hall
The real star of the New Year’s table is, of course, osechi. It’s a selection of traditional foods with auspicious ingredients and backstories, which are meticulously prepared in the days running up to the holiday. Here in Kochi, traditional New Year’s dishes are added to sumptuous sawachi–basically a full banquet, featuring the bounty of Kochi from land, river and sea–beautifully presented on a single plate and shared among family and friends
Sawachi is usually reserved for special occasions, but there are restaurants that will prepare it for visitors on request at any time of the year. One such place is Tosanokuni Nijuyonmangoku in Kochi City, where you can enjoy the full sawachi experience with a group, or a smaller tasting version perfect for one person, without prior reservations
Vegan diners can also get a taste of sawachi culture in Hidaka Village, which is just a short train ride from Kochi City. Check out Vacation Rental MEI (linked below) for more details!
Ushioe Tenmangu Shrine
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Csf4L9zvydNwnYnN6
Tosanokuni Nijuyonmangoku
https://maps.app.goo.gl/D25jA63H375mwtYD6
https://hayakawa.group/niju.html
Vacation Rental MEI
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ysbt2nrZZX82DGN77
https://www.yadoya-mysato.com/en
Learn more about Kochi’s food culture: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/taste-of-kochi
