SHIMANTO, Kochi Prefecture--A “yakatabune” leisure boat operator here is taking a unique way to make up for a drop in sightseers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: letting passengers bring their ...

SHIMANTO, Kochi Prefecture--A beloved heart-shaped stone standing beside the Shimantogawa river now has a family. Two more stones shaped like hearts but in different sizes were placed beside the ...

It was appointed by the prefecture because of its image as a character that might be found living peacefully in the clear waters of Kochi's Shimanto and Niyodo rivers. The light-blue character ...