Waterwheels and beautiful hydrangeas bloom at Yasunami in Shimanto-city,Kochi
Along a channel about 1 km, you see 15 waterwheels go around and make a noise “GATTANGOTTON”.
Here, so many Hydrangeaa bloom in June every year.
It’s called “Yasynami Suisha no Sato”(Yasunami waterwheels ｖillage),famous place in Shimanto-city.
The best time of a hydrangeas, from the beginning to the middle of June.
I went to high school in Shimanto-city,although I didn’t know waterwheels existed in Yasunami at that time。
Those waterwheels have a deep connection with the time of the Edo period in the past 400 years ago.
Location of “Yasynami Suisha no Sato”
| Address | Yasunami Shimanto-city,Kochi-prefecture |
| Access from Nakamura station | about 10 minutes by car , 40 minutes by walk, 20 minutes by bicycle |
| Parking | Available |
| Restroom | Available |
※ Rental cycle is convenient at Shimanto-shi Kankokyokai（Shimanto Tourist Information Center）
It’s located 6 minutes by walk from Nakamura station.
Shimanto Tourist Information Center
| Address | Uyama 383-15 Shimanto-city,Kochi prefecture |
| Phone | 0880-35-4171 |
| Bicycle rental | Electric assist bicycle, City cycle and Mountain bicycle type |
| HP | Shimanto Tourist Information Center |
History of Waterwheelsin Yasunami
I was wondering,
Why those waterwheels are in Yasunami?
The answer was on the guide sign in the parking lot.
Nonaka Kenzan ,Samurai of Tosa clan
It says, Nonaka Kenzan who was samurai of Tosa clan,made these diversion canals to change the poor land for rich rice field about 400 years ago.
There were 50 waterwheels until the Meiji period.
But it becomes less.
Some local persons manages in this way for sightseeing.
TV drama “Osozaki no Himawari” “late-blooming sunflower-my life and renewal-” (遲開的向日葵)、Mr. Ikuta Toma and Ms. Maki Yoko were the cast, was filmed here.