A short flight from Tokyo or Osaka brings you to Kochi Prefecture and the Shimanto River known as Japan's Last Clean Stream. There are no majors cities out here, just small towns full of delicious food and loads of sports and adventure! That's right, I've escaped the city and rented a car to travel from sea to mountain along this mythical river.

Up in the mountains of Yusuhara is where you'll find Rogier Uitenboogaart, a Dutch guy preserving the tradition of Traditional Tosa Washi Paper making. At his studio and Japanese inn, I got a chance to study washi paper making with him, collecting the nature of the Shimanto and adding it to the paper. See what we make!

The Shimanto River is the only major river in Japan without a dam, the water flowing from the origin in the mountains to the Pacific Ocean 200km away.
Sustainable logging and business is one reason the area remains as it did centuries ago.

Episode Table of Contents:
Intro (Drone shots) 00:20 ▶︎ Kochi Airport Rent-a-Car / Hotel 2:06 ▶︎ Adventure Sports (Kayak & Mountain Bikes) 03:06 ▶︎ Lunch 05:08 ▶︎Yusuhara mountain town 6:38 ▶︎ Washi Paper Studio 8:02 ▶︎ Making Washi 10:21 ▶︎ Finishing Washi Paper Design 13:33 ▶︎ Washi Paper Master Interview 15:25 ▶︎ Kochi Waterwheels 17:03 ▶︎ Ending 17:43

Where is the Shimanto River 四万十川 ?
▶︎ https://goo.gl/maps/2xAcDRHLrEgqG1579
It's located in Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku Island

Resources:
★ Official Kochi, Japan Tourism YouTube channel and website for more info
▷ https://www.youtube.com/channe....l/UCNEeqgoIWACp1hSck
▷ http://visitkochijapan.com/

★ Take a tour of this area - the route is famous!
http://beauty-of-japan.com/tou....r/2-days-yusahara-cy

★ Visit Rogier's Washi Paper Studio
https://kamikoya-washi.com/