Kochi’s Shio no Michi:
A Guided Walk Through 400 Years
Come walk with us and learn the fascinating history of the Shio no Michi or Salt Road. A small path cuts through the mountains heading toward the sea. For hundreds of years the Salt Road was a busy thoroughfare for merchants, travelers and locals heading to market. Charcoal, miso, and all manner of goods came down out of the mountains and were exchanged for salt made at the seaside. Mountain bandits and robbers hid themselves among the trees and bushes and travelers made prayers for safety at the many shrines along the way. In the 20th century railways and asphalt roads took the place of the salt road and it soon became an overgrown path carrying only memories. As the millennium came to a close, those memories spurred the locals into action. Thanks to them, the Salt Road is once again passable.
Meeting Time
8:30 a.m.
Meeting Place
Kochi New Port or your accommodation in Kochi City
Details of Tour / Activity
Meet your English speaking guide at the Kochi New Port or at your accommodation in Kochi city. We’ll take a taxi up the mountain to our start point. After a brief video explaining the history of the road and its restoration, it’s time to walk! On this tour we’ll see about 5 kilometers (3 miles) of the restored Salt Road. Step outside and choose a walking stick, say a prayer to the mountain gods for safety, and off we go.
This is a beautiful hike through the mountains and forests of Kochi. With your guide’s help, it will also be a journey through history. A rock on the side of the trail carved with inscrutable ancient words will reveal its meaning. Your guide will show you the god housed inside a shrine along the way. You will learn the stories of the lovers and parents and children and bandits who made their lives along the salt road.
An hour or so into our hike and we’ll come to a pavilion surrounded by cherry trees. It is almost time for lunch, but we still need chopsticks and cups! A local mountain man will lead us in making our own from newly cut bamboo from the woods around us. Utensils created and appetites whetted, we settle in for lunch. A bamboo bento box opens to reveal crisp green leaves, bright edible flowers and the scent of citrus. All local, all fresh and so delicious.
The tales of the salt road are fascinating and endless, but unfortunately our time together is limited. Another hour will bring our hike to an end. A taxi will take you back, but your heart will linger along the salt road.
Details
Availability
All year around
Regular holidays
Undecided
Required time
6 hours
Price
39,000 yen per person
Included
- English speaking guide
- Taxi from Kochi City to the Salt Road
- Taxi from the Salt Road to Kochi City
Min./Max. participants
Min. 3 people
Max. 8 people
Cancellation Policy
-Up to 7 days before the start of the trip: 20%
-6 days before, to the day before: 50%
-Cancellation on the day of the trip or after the trip has started or no contact or non-participation: 100%