Meet Chuchu, our guest travel blogger. Let's delve into the enchanting world of Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden in Japan. From its diverse flora to serene landscapes, every corner offers a peaceful retreat and a feast for the senses in Kochi.

Kochi Attraction: Makino Botanical Garden

Makino Botanical Garden is unexpectedly photogenic! Initially, I thought it was just an artificial garden with flowers and plants, but it's better than I imagined. It's great for strolling around and has a natural feel. The garden is expansive, mainly divided into the South Garden and the North Garden.

In the North Garden, you can overlook the plains and beautiful mountain scenery of eastern Kochi. In spring, cherry blossoms and azaleas bloom, while in autumn, you can see the yellow Patrinia flowers. This time, I also spotted dawn redwoods and maple leaves worth photographing.

The South Garden used to be part of Chikurinji Temple. Its current design retains the temple's features and includes facilities like a greenhouse and the Tosa Hanran Center.

The 50th Anniversary Commemorative Garden is a water garden with a pond. I think there’s plenty to see, and spending two hours here is not a problem at all. Even if you don't study every plant thoroughly, just taking photos will make you feel rewarded. Moreover, it's very convenient to get there using the MY遊バスBus. I highly recommend adding this spot to your itinerary.

Transportation to Makino Botanical Garden

Makino Botanical Garden is located on Godaisan Mountain. You can take the Kochi Sightseeing Bus MY Yu Bus, which operates between Kochi Station, Godaisan, and Katsurahama. The bus ride from downtown Kochi to Makino Botanical Garden takes about 25 minutes.

You can also purchase a one-day pass for unlimited rides, which is more cost-effective. The route includes several well-known stops such as Godaisan Observatory, Chikurinji Temple, Makino Botanical Garden, Ryoma Memorial Museum, and Katsurahama Beach. The timetable is clearly written, and the buses run on time.

I highly recommend using the Kochi Sightseeing Bus MY遊バス for convenient travel while exploring Kochi.

You can get off at either Chikurinji Temple or Makino Botanical Garden. These two stops are close to each other and within walking distance. It is recommended to plan your visit to both Makino Botanical Garden and Chikurinji Temple together, as it makes for a smooth and convenient itinerary.

There is a small notice board next to the bus stop where you can check the bus schedule and status. If a bus has already come and gone, a sign will be hung up. Sometimes the bus is just a few minutes late, and you might think you missed it. Checking this notice board will let you know if you've missed the bus or not! Although it’s quite manual, it’s very reassuring. As long as the bus driver remembers to hang up the sign after each stop, there shouldn't be any issues.

Makino Botanical Garden has two entrances. Just follow the crowd after you get off the bus, and you’ll be fine. Compared to the downtown area and other attractions, the tourist density here is relatively higher. Those getting off the bus at this stop are either going to Makino Botanical Garden or Chikurinji Temple, so there’s no need to worry about getting lost.

The ticket prices for Makino Botanical Garden :

Adult: 730 Japanese Yen
Group (per person, for specified number and above): 630 Japanese Yen
Annual pass: 2930 Japanese Yen

To commemorate the lifelong achievements of Dr. Tomitaro Makino, considered the father of Japanese plant taxonomy, the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden was established in 1958 at Mount Godai in Kochi Prefecture.

For those with a keen interest in plants, further research on Dr. Tomitaro Makino can be found online. Key points about him include:

- He named the Taiwanese bamboo species Phyllostachys makinoi and the Taiwanese jelly fig species Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang.
- It is the only botanical garden in Shikoku.
- It houses over 3,000 varieties of rare flowers and plants.

From now on, it's all about capturing whatever catches my eye—beautiful light, scenery, you name it. Let's all enjoy the moments together!

There must be a statue of Dr. Makino here for sure!

Taking pictures of all sorts of flowers and plants suddenly feels like participating in a parent‘s smartphone photography contest with my (all about flowers and plants, haha).

Keep an eye out for signs with "咲" on them—it means those plants are currently blooming!

Although there are fewer flowering plants in winter, the botanical garden still looks quite beautiful and interesting when you take a look around.

The signs in the park are pretty clear, so you can stroll around without worrying about missing any area.

Entering the greenhouse is another highlight. In the dry, cool Japanese autumn, stepping into the greenhouse feels like stepping into the humid air of Southeast Asian countries.

The greenery in the greenhouse looks especially beautiful! They've carefully adjusted the humidity and temperature, so visitors can enjoy plants here year-round. After walking through the greenhouse, I feel like I might not need to visit a tropical rainforest after all...

I have to say, the plants in the greenhouse are indeed beautifully green. It just goes to show that where there's water, there's life!

Finally, visiting the souvenir shop was a rare treat for me! They had all sorts of artsy floral-themed items like bookmarks, decorations, and cards—it was quite a creative place.

Next to it is a café where you can take a break, whether you prefer something cool or hot, before continuing to explore the Bamboo Forest Temple.

Finally, here are some photos I really liked from Makino Botanical Garden:

This tree is perfect for a picnic underneath! With the cool breeze and sunny weather, sitting here, enjoying the view, and having food is just so relaxing.

This kind of deep mountain wilderness...

 Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
Address: 4200-6 Godaisan, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan
Visit Date: November 26, 2023 (Please refer to the visit date; contents are personal experiences for reference only)

• Flight：Round-trip on Tigerair Taiwan for under 5,000 NT
• Accommodation: Stayed four nights in a double room totaling around 11,000 NT, much cheaper than expected! I stayed at this place.
  SIM Card: DJB unlimited data plan | Click here to buy online
• How much did we exchange?
  We exchanged 55,000 Japanese Yen (approximately 11,800 NT) for two people this time. This covered various expenses such as local food, transportation, tickets, etc., over five days and four nights—just enough. We used credit cards for dining out and shopping, totaling around 15,000 NT. I must say, the current exchange rate of 0.21 Japanese Yen is really favorable! I managed to buy five items of clothing at Uniqlo for only about 4,000 NT—such a great deal!
• Local Delicacies: Grilled bonito and yuzu products
• Total Budget: Including flights, accommodation, food, and activities, the average cost per person was around 17,000 NT. It's very affordable! For less than 20,000 NT, you can enjoy a five-day, four-night trip to Japan.