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Walk along the Yuzu Road in Kochi, Japan’s largest producer of yuzu
Kochi Prefecture
The production and use of products made with yuzu – like juice – remain deeply rooted within the food culture of Kochi. Even overseas, Kochi Prefecture is well-known as one of the best producers of yuzu in Japan.
The Chugei area in eastern Kochi was once famous for its flourishing forestry industry, which produced sugi, a type of Japanese cedar. However, with the decline of the industry, the area turned to yuzu production as an alternate source of income and is currently the largest producer of yuzu in Japan.
The forest railway that once ran through groves of sugi is now surrounded by fields of yuzu, which has become known as the “Yuzu Road” of Kochi Prefecture. Even within the Chugei area, Umaji Village and Kitagawa Village, which are well-renowned as ‘Villages of Yuzu,’ have ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) and onsen that you can visit. During autumn, the vast yuzu fields running alongside the riverbanks and mountains cast golden hues across the land as the gentle scent of yuzu wafts in the breeze, making for great sightseeing.
How to get there
From Haneda Airport, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to Kochi Ryoma Airport, followed by a 1 hour and 20-minute car ride.
3564-1 Umaji-mura, Aki-gun, Kochi-ken
