The Niyodo Blue Tourism Association is bringing back the Niyodo Blue Experience Expo for a sixth year, running from September 26 (Sat) to November 29 (Sun), 2026, across six municipalities along the Niyodo River in Kochi Prefecture — Tosa City, Ino Town, Niyodogawa Town, Sakawa Town, Ochi Town, and Hidaka Village.
This year's edition offers a record-tying lineup of 57 programs, spanning river activities that showcase the Niyodo River's famously clear blue waters, dining experiences featuring Tosa tea, local sake, and a suspension-bridge buffet with sweeping views, outdoor pursuits like fishing, trekking, and town walks, cultural traditions such as washi papermaking nurtured by the river, and hands-on craft experiences. The expo brings together nature, food, culture, and encounters with local people to highlight the appeal of a region visitors will want to linger in.
Full program details are available on the official website at niyodoblue.club.
Niyodo Blue Experience Expo 2026 Schedule
- August 28 (Fri), 12:00 PM — Reservations open on the official website (niyodoblue.club)
- August 29 (Sat), 10:00 AM — Phone reservations open
- September 26 (Sat) – November 29 (Sun) — Niyodo Blue Experience Expo 2026 takes place
Highlights from the 57 Programs
One program from each category is introduced below.
Immersed in Niyodo Blue: A Leisurely Paddle on the Water
"Niyodo River at Your Own Pace: A Walk on the Water"
Scene from the 2025 Niyodo Blue Experience Expo
This program combines two ways to enjoy the Niyodo River: ZAB, an original activity found only here that blends SUP and canoeing, and SUP, a popular way to paddle freely across the water. Float on the surface and take in the sky, linger at a favorite spot to enjoy the scenery — how you spend the time is entirely up to you, surrounded by the Niyodo River's natural beauty.
- Dates: September 26 (Sat) or October 10 (Sat), both days 10:00 AM–11:30 AM and 1:30 PM–3:00 PM
- Price: ¥3,000
- Capacity: 17 people per session
Savoring Niyodo: A Suspension-Bridge Buffet Beneath the Autumn Leaves
"Tsuribashi Cafe, Floating in Autumn Brocade"
A dam lake turning autumn colors below, with the Ishizuchi mountain range including Heikedaira in the distance
A special 90-minute meal served on a suspension bridge, where guests can enjoy a limited-time buffet as if floating above the water in their own private space. The menu features Kochi-grown game meat and local ingredients, vegetables from their own garden, freshly made pasta, and cake, for an autumn experience found nowhere else.
- Dates: November 3 (Tue, holiday) or November 4 (Wed), with seatings at 11:00 AM–12:30 PM, 12:00 PM–1:30 PM, 1:00 PM–2:30 PM, and 2:00 PM–3:30 PM
- Price: ¥12,000 (for a group of 2)
- Capacity: 2 groups per seating
Outdoors and Town Walks in Niyodo: Have You Seen the Jade-Colored River From the Sky?
"Zip-Lining Over the Crystal-Green Iwayagawa Gorge, With Hospitality From a Tea Farming Family"
The remote Iwayagawa Gorge and the hospitality of a local tea-farming family
A journey through Japan's first thrill suspension bridge leads into an extraordinary aerial adventure: a zip-line ride soaring above a jade-green river. Lunch is a special bento made generously with tea, followed by a gentle walk through the untouched Iwayagawa Gorge with a tea farmer from Niyodogawa Town, with breaks for Sawatari tea along the way. Guests take home fond memories and a souvenir shaped by the tea farming family's hospitality.
- Dates: October 4 (Sun), October 17 (Sat), November 7 (Sat), or November 15 (Sun), all 10:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Price: ¥9,800
- Capacity: 10 people per session
Culture Nurtured by the Niyodo River: Deities Dance in a 300-Year-Old Farmhouse at the Foot of Mount Ishizuchi
"Dance, Drums, and an Irori Hearth Meal: A One-Day-Only Kagura Experience"
Winner of last year's Best Overall Award among all 57 programs, and a rare, one-day-only experience
Honkawa Kagura, a 500-year tradition in the Honkawa district of Ino Town — once known as Shikoku's Tibet — is performed at the Yamanaka Family Residence, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property, a pairing of tangible and intangible cultural heritage that earned last year's Best Overall Award. The kane (a small gong) is played in time with the dance and drums, and during the performance break guests gather around an irori hearth to enjoy grilled amego (river trout), mushroom soup made with maitake and nameko, and a countryside bento.
- Date: November 3 (Tue, holiday), 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Price: ¥15,000
- Capacity: 16 people
Art and Hobbies in Niyodo: Harvest a Rare Salt and Make Your Own Fresh Bath Salt
"Fresh Bath Salt Making With Salt Master Ginzo"
Salt made from "underground seawater" found nowhere else in the world
This fully sun-dried salt is crystallized using only sunlight and wind from a one-of-a-kind underground seawater source, taking at least two months to mature. The Niyodo Blue Experience Expo is the only place to try the final harvesting step of this process. After working up a sweat harvesting salt, guests blend their own herbs to create a personal batch of fresh bath salt, ready to take home and enjoy.
- Date: November 22 (Sun), 1:00 PM–3:00 PM
- Price: ¥8,000
- Capacity: 10 people
All 57 programs, shaped around the character of the Niyodo River region, are listed on the official website.
Ahead of the expo, local businesses and community members have held repeated workshops together, reflecting an effort by all six municipalities along the river to bring the region's charm to visitors as a shared experience.
