Niko Buchi deep water is a waterfall basin where a mystical blue color can be seen depending on the time of day the sunlight comes in, and the angle and strength of the light.
Local people apparently never used to go near the basin because it was originally believed to have been the sacred place where a monster serpent, a manifestation of the god of water, lived.
Niko Buchi deep water is the place where Nobuyuki Takahashi, a nature photographer who had been taking pictures of the local scenery, described the color as only being expressible as “Niyodo Blue”, and it instantly became a popular place to visit after many pictures were posted on social media.

To get to Niko Buchi deep water, it is recommended to take a taxi or drive there using a private or rental car.

It takes about 70 minutes from Kochi City and about 50 minutes from Ino Station by taxi.

Since taking a taxi on a meter basis is expensive, it is recommended to reserve a charter taxi on an hourly basis from a taxi company in advance. The Niyodo Blue Tourism Council can also arrange a taxi for you. Please feel free to contact us.

If you are used to driving, it is convenient to go there by rental or private car.

Search for “Niko Buchi deep water” if you are using an application such as Google Maps, or “Green Park Hodono” located behind Niko Buchi deep water if you are using a car navigation system.

A free parking lot is located in front of the entrance of Niko Buchi deep water.

Please refrain from parking on the street as it causes inconvenience to local residents.

You can get to Niko Buchi deep water using a fixed route bus service, but the problem is that the number of buses is limited and you need to walk a long way from the nearest bus stop.

You can take a bus from Kochi or Ino Station and get off at the nearest bus stop (Hodono Iriguchi).

It takes about 30 minutes on foot from the bus stop to the entrance of Niko Buchi deep water.

However, not many buses go to Hodono Iriguchi. Therefore, you may consider getting off at Doi, one stop before Hodono Iriguchi. The entrance of Niko Buchi deep water is about 40 minutes’ walk from Doi.

Niko Buchi deep water is located about 50 meters down from the signboard along the road.
Make sure you wear walking shoes because the stairs are steep and there are many slippery rocks around the waterfall basin.

◎Niko Buchi deep water is a sacred place for local people. Please never enter the water, eat and drink, or urinate here.

◎Please take your trash with you.

◎You will go down a slippery, steep path and go back along the same path. Please visit the site wearing shoes with a good grip and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

◎Please give way to each other in the crowded seasons.

◎There are no toilets at Niko Buchi deep water. There are two public toilets. One is located one kilometer before the site, and the other is in Green Park Hodono.

◎The landowner, Ino Town, Green Park Hodono and the Niyodo Blue Tourism Council are not liable for any accidents. Please be careful on your way there.

From here, we will introduce recommended neighboring places to visit.

We will start with a campground called Green Park Hodono, which is about five minutes’ drive behind Niko Buchi deep water.

In addition to a well-kept tent site, the campground contains cabins and other accommodations, making it easier for camping beginners to enjoy.

As there is almost no artificial light in its surroundings, stargazing from the site is absolutely fantastic.

It offers workshops during the daytime, and baumkuchen-making is popular.

https://niyodoblue.jp/en/sight/detail.php?id=SP214&lang=en

Here, we will introduce two roadside stations around Niko Buchi deep water.

The first one is Roadside Station Musasabi no Sato, which offers popular local fresh vegetables.
It contains Restaurant Hachikinya, which serves tasty local dishes, and Mori no-Chiisana Okashiyasan, which offers desserts. It is situated in a good location about 15 minutes’ drive south from Niko Buchi deep water.
https://niyodoblue.jp/en/sight/detail.php?id=SP143&lang=en

The second one is Roadside Station Konoka, which is about 30 minutes’ drive north from Niko Buchi deep water.
The natural landscape of the beautiful Yoshino River and majestic mountains opens out in front of you.
The restaurant serves popular pheasant ramen noodles at the restaurant where you can eat while viewing the river.
https://niyodoblue.jp/en/sight/detail.php?id=SP072&lang=en

Finally, we will introduce Tosawashi Kogeimura Qraud located beside the Niyodo River, where there is a comfortable restroom and a large parking lot, and where you can buy local products.

The facility also offers the following various experiences:
◎Activities: canoeing, rafting, and stand-up paddle boarding
◎Tosa washi papermaking by hand: Papermaking, paper fan making, and orizome and shiborizome paper dyeing
◎Handloom weaving

It is also a comfortable hotel equipped with a restaurant and large public bath.
We recommend staying for two or more nights and experiencing the natural and cultural environment of the Niyodo River to the fullest.
http://www.qraud-kochi.jp/