Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
Shikoku's only full-scale botanical garden, 8 hectares of hillside holding over 3,000 kinds of plants.
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Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
SaveShikoku's only full-scale botanical garden, 8 hectares of hillside holding over 3,000 kinds of plants.
Its greenhouse keeps about 300 tropical species growing year-round, so even a winter visit walks through green.
MoreWhat kind of place
The garden opened on Mount Godaisan in Kochi in April 1958, the year after the botanist Tomitaro Makino died, as a memorial to his work.
It is the only full-scale botanical garden in Shikoku, and its 20 or so acres of hillside hold more than 3,000 kinds of plants, wild and cultivated, many of them tied to Makino himself.
The memorial hall that carries his name was designed by the architect Hiroshi Naito. A clearing called Konkon-yama Hiroba opens out around 430 feet above sea level, with a long view.
The garden shares its parking lot with Chikurin-ji temple, which stands a two- or three-minute walk away.
Sources and evidence (24)
- It is the only full-scale botanical garden in Shikoku.source
- Ramps are built in around the garden, but slopes, level changes, and narrow spots remain.source
- There are eight multipurpose restrooms between the garden and the parking lot.source
- The multipurpose restrooms are on the second floor of the main building, at the exhibition hall, at Konkon-yama Hiroba, on the third, second, and first floors of the plant research and exchange center, and at the first parking lot.source
- Diaper-changing sheets are in the multipurpose restroom of each restroom block, except in the plant research and exchange center, where only the second-floor restroom has one.source
- Each ticket window has coin lockers that take a 100-yen coin and give it back.source
- The lockers are about 75 cm high, 30 cm wide, and 45 cm deep (roughly 30 by 12 by 18 inches), enough for a travel bag.source
- The rest area in the exhibition hall and the common space on the first floor of the plant research and exchange center are air-conditioned, with chairs where you can sit down, rest, and eat.source
- The spots marked with a rice-ball symbol on the garden map are the picnic areas, where you may spread a blanket and eat; anywhere else, blankets stay packed.source
- Eating and drinking on the garden's benches is fine.source
- Trash from packed lunches goes home with you.source
- Meals are served at CL Garden, the restaurant on the third floor of the plant research and exchange center, which can fill up at lunchtime.source
- Cafe Arbre in the main building is where you stop for cake and coffee.source
- Drink vending machines are outside the exhibition hall restrooms, at the exhibition hall stair plaza, at Konkon-yama Hiroba, in front of the south greenhouse, and on the first floor of the plant research and exchange center.source
- Another suggested route covers the garden in about an hour and a half on a rainy day.source
- The indoor buildings you can tour in the rain are the main building, the exhibition hall, the greenhouse, and the plant research and exchange center.source
- The greenhouse shows about 300 kinds of tropical plants all year round.source
- The exhibition hall holds a permanent display on Tomitaro Makino and a theater, and its courtyard lets you look at plants connected to him from under the eaves.source
- That theater, inside the permanent exhibition room, screens in 4K.source
- Konkon-yama Hiroba is an open clearing with a wide view, around 131 meters (430 feet) above sea level.source
- The Makino Tomitaro Memorial Hall was designed by the architect Hiroshi Naito.source
- The Makino QR Guide on a smartphone gives explanations of the plants and exhibits along with a map of where you are standing.source
- The Makino QR Guide reads in English, Chinese, and Korean as well as Japanese.source
- A map of what is in bloom right now is handed out at the ticket windows.source
With kidsThe part that matters
The garden climbs a hillside, but the main paths and the greenhouse take a stroller; what to watch for elsewhere is stone steps and some sharply sloped stretches.
Strollers, wheelchairs, and umbrellas are lent free at the ticket windows, first come first served with no reservations, so coming early is how you get one; diaper-changing sheets are in the multipurpose restrooms.
About 300 kinds of tropical plants grow in the greenhouse year-round, so a rainy day still has green to walk through, and two indoor spaces are air-conditioned with chairs where you can sit down and eat.
Blankets come out only at the picnic spots marked on the map, and balls and other play equipment cannot be brought in.
The main areas take about two hours to walk, and the garden's parent-and-child route is a four-hour loop of the whole place.
Sources and evidence (4)
- About 30 min by bus from Kochi station, six and a half hours there. No fixed route; kids stall at Fumufumu Hiroba.source
- Strollers are lent free; six changing tables in the accessible toilets and two nursing rooms.source
- Parking at Chikurin-ji temple meant a 15-minute walk to the gate with a 6- and an 11-year-old.source
- A weekday in Golden Week, short sleeves: a 5-month-old stayed in the stroller, hot water in the nursing room.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1You can push the stroller along the garden's main paths and right through the greenhouse. The greenhouse holds about 300 kinds of tropical plants all year round, so even a winter visit walks through green. There is a lawn on the north side of the Exhibition Hall, and Konkon-yama Plaza, around 131 meters above sea level, opens onto a wide view.Strollers are lent free — ask at the ticket window in the Main Building or at the Middle Gate, and either window will take it back. They cannot be reserved and numbers are limited. Diaper changing sheets are inside the multipurpose restrooms, of which there are eight across the garden and the car park (in the Plant Research and Exchange Center, only the 2F multipurpose restroom has one). The grounds include stone steps, staircases and some steep gradients, so keep to the main paths and use the elevators linking the Main Building 1F and 2F, the greenhouse and the Plant Research and Exchange Center. The rest space in the Exhibition Hall and the exchange space on 1F of the Plant Research and Exchange Center are air-conditioned, with chairs where you can sit, rest and eat.
- Ages 2-3Fumu-fumu Hiroba is made up of areas such as the Tosa Field and the Field of Learning. You can eat on the lawn north of the Exhibition Hall or on any bench in the garden, and the spots marked with a rice-ball symbol on the garden map are picnic areas where you may spread a leisure sheet and have a packed lunch.Admission is 850 yen for adults and free for high-school age and under. Sheets may only be spread on the marked spots, and parasols and tents are not allowed in. Balls, badminton sets, frisbees and similar play equipment may neither be brought in nor used, so leave them in the car. Any rubbish from a packed lunch goes home with you.
- Ages 4-6One of the model courses is a four-hour "Enjoy it together! A full loop of the botanical garden," which covers the whole hilly 8-hectare site on your own feet. The Makino QR Guide on a smartphone gives commentary on the plant or exhibit in front of you plus a you-are-here map, in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean. The Exhibition Hall has the permanent display on Dr. Tomitaro Makino and a 4K cinema, the Exhibition Hall Theater.The main areas take about two hours, and last admission is 16:30. Collecting plants or insects is not allowed, and that includes taking home fallen leaves, twigs, fruit or acorns. On a wet day there is a 90-minute "Botanical garden in the rain" course, with the Main Building, Exhibition Hall, greenhouse and Plant Research and Exchange Center all under cover. Umbrellas, for rain or sun, are lent free at the ticket windows (no reservations, limited numbers). The garden closes for maintenance a few days a year — in 2026 on 8/31, 9/28, 10/26 and 11/30.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayYou walk about 8 hectares of hillside garden, but the main building, the exhibition hall, the greenhouse and the Plant Research Center are named as the indoor places you can still tour in rain, and there is a 90-minute model course called The Garden on a Rainy Day. Umbrellas are lent free at the ticket counter.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2–6.5 h
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Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
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* Other not checked (2)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
About 30 min by bus from Kochi station, six and a half hours there. No fixed route; kids stall at Fumufumu Hiroba.
A parent-and-child trip to the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Strollers are lent free; six changing tables in the accessible toilets and two nursing rooms.
Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden: free for high-school age and under
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Parking at Chikurin-ji temple meant a 15-minute walk to the gate with a 6- and an 11-year-old.
Makino Botanical Garden: the corners our children actually enjoyed
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A weekday in Golden Week, short sleeves: a 5-month-old stayed in the stroller, hot water in the nursing room.
Off to the Makino Botanical Garden
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Where it is
Before you go
- Loaners are kept at the main building and middle gate windows and can be returned to either, but they cannot be reserved and the supply is limited.source
- Rain and sun umbrellas are loaned free at the ticket windows, with no reservations and a limited supply.source
- Play equipment cannot be brought in, and balls, badminton rackets, and frisbees cannot be used.source
- Beach umbrellas and tents cannot be brought in.source
- Collecting plants or insects is not allowed, and that includes taking home fallen twigs, leaves, seeds, or acorns.source
More notes (9)
- You can come back in the same day by showing that day's ticket at the window.source
- No entry reservation is needed unless you are coming as a group.source
- Tickets are sold at the main building window and the middle gate window, and nowhere outside the garden.source
- Eating and drinking inside the buildings is generally not allowed, apart from the exhibition hall rest area and the first-floor common space of the plant research and exchange center.source
- The restaurant and the cafe do not take reservations.source
- Boxed lunches are not sold in the garden, though picnic boxes are sometimes offered by advance order in certain seasons.source
- Guided tours of the garden are for groups of 10 or more, cost extra, and must be booked in advance.source
- Pets cannot come in, not even inside a carrier, while guide dogs, hearing dogs, and service dogs may.source
- The entire garden is non-smoking.source
Basics
- Fee：¥850 for adults; free through high school. Groups of 20 or more pay ¥750, and an annual pass is ¥2,500. During the Orchid Show (6-28 February 2027) it rises to ¥1,700, or ¥1,500 for groups. Free for holders of a disability certificate plus one carer, and for Kochi residents aged 65 and over with proof. Parking is free.source
- Hours：9:00-17:00, last entry 16:30. Closed 27 December to 1 January, plus a maintenance day roughly once a month (2026: 31 Aug, 28 Sep, 26 Oct, 30 Nov). A typhoon can close it at short notice, and it may stay closed afterwards for checks and clearing up.source
- Time to allow：2–6.5 hsource2
- Booking：No entry booking is needed except for groups. Tickets are sold only at the two ticket windows — the main building and the Middle Gate — and nowhere outside the garden. Cards and e-money are accepted (JCB, VISA, Mastercard, Amex, Suica, PASMO, PayPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay and more). Keep the day's ticket and you can go out and come back in. The restaurant and cafe take no reservations.source
Basics in detail (24)
Other
Hours and closures
- The garden is open 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30.source
- It closes over the New Year period, December 27 to January 1.source
- A few maintenance closures fall each year; in 2026 they are August 31, September 28, October 26, and November 30.source
- The 2027 maintenance closures are January 25, May 26, June 30, July 28, August 25, September 29, October 27, and November 24.source
- An approaching typhoon can close the garden, and it may stay closed afterward while staff check the grounds and clear up.source
Fees
- Admission is 850 yen for adults and free for high school age and under.source
- Groups of 20 or more pay 750 yen each.source
- An annual pass costs 2,500 yen and gives free entry for one year.source
- During the orchid show, February 6 to 28, 2027, admission changes to 1,700 yen, or 1,500 yen for groups.source
- Kochi Prefecture residents 65 and over enter free by showing proof, such as a longevity card, at the window.source
- Holders of a disability certificate and one caregiver enter free by showing the certificate at the window.source
- Credit cards and cashless payments are accepted, including JCB, Visa, Mastercard, Suica, and PayPay.source
- If you only want the shop or restaurant, say so at the ticket window; walking the grounds means paying admission.source
Time to allow
- Walking the main areas of the garden takes about two hours.source
Getting there
- Parking is free, with room for 225 cars and 6 buses, plus a spot for motorcycles.source
- It is about 20 minutes on surface roads from the Kochi interchange of the Kochi Expressway, about 20 minutes by car from Harimaya Bridge, and about 25 minutes from Kochi Ryoma Airport.source
- The garden asks drivers to set the car navigation to Chikurin-ji temple, because setting Makino Botanical Garden can end the guidance before you get there.source
- The only public transportation from JR Kochi Station to the garden is the MY Yu sightseeing bus, about 30 minutes.source
- From Kochi Ryoma Airport, take the airport bus and change to the MY Yu bus, getting off at the Makino Botanical Garden main gate stop.source
- The entrances are the main gate and the middle gate, with the south gate for exit only, and the middle gate is the one closest to the greenhouse and Chikurin-ji.source
- Chikurin-ji temple is a two-to-three-minute walk from the parking lot, which the temple and the garden share.source
Contact
- The garden is at 4200-6 Godaisan, Kochi 781-8125, and the phone line, 088-882-2601, is answered from 9:00 to 17:00.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (10)
- Official: Indoor / outdoor, Stroller friendly, Nursing space
- Official: Elevator, Stroller access notes
- Official: main site
The garden sits on Mount Godai above Kochi, eight hectares of slopes where more than 3,000 kinds of plant follow the seasons. The greenhouse holds about 300 tropical species, and the exhibition hall has a 4K theater and a planted courtyard. Konkonyama Hiroba is a lookout lawn at 131 meters, and Fumufumu Hiroba holds a Tosa field and a learning meadow. Picnic mats come out where the map shows a rice-ball mark, and the QR guide on your phone reads in English, Chinese and Korean.
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | About 8 hectares of hillside garden, with four indoor buildings — the main building, the exhibition hall, the greenhouse and the Plant Research Center — to duck into. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers are lent free at the ticket windows (main building and Middle Gate, return at either; no booking, limited numbers). The main paths and the greenhouse can be walked with a stroller, but the garden sits on a hill and has stone steps, stairs and steep slopes in places. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| Nursing space | Yes | A nursing room in the Godaisan lobby on the second floor of the main building, and one in the Plant Research Center; the exhibition hall is also listed as having one. The garden map shows the current locations. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Changing mats are inside the accessible toilets at each set of restrooms (in the Plant Research Center, only the second-floor accessible toilet). | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes (8) | Eight accessible toilets in the garden and the parking lot: main building second floor, exhibition hall, Konkonyama Hiroba, the Plant Research Center (floors 1-3) and parking lot 1. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| Elevator | Yes | Elevators connect the first and second floors of the main building, the greenhouse and the Plant Research Center, and ramps run through the garden — though there are slopes, steps and narrow stretches. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Designated areas only | Picnic areas are marked with a rice-ball symbol on the garden map — spread a mat there, or eat on any bench. Mats are not allowed elsewhere. Indoors, eating is limited to the exhibition hall rest space and the first-floor lounge of the Plant Research Center, both air-conditioned. Take your trash home. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| English support | English menu & signs | The Makino QR Guide on your own phone gives plant and exhibit commentary in English, Chinese and Korean as well as Japanese, and shows where you are on the map. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | Free through high school. Fumufumu Hiroba (a Tosa field and a learning meadow), the lawn north of the exhibition hall and the hilltop Konkonyama Hiroba give children room, and one suggested route is a four-hour family circuit. Play equipment, balls, parasols and tents may not be brought in, and picking plants or catching insects is not allowed. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Free parking for 225 cars and 6 buses; set the car navigation to Chikurin-ji, since some systems end the route early on the garden's own name. From JR Kochi station the only public transport is the MY-Yu sightseeing bus, about 30 minutes, alighting at Makino Botanical Garden Main Gate. You enter by the Main Gate or the Middle Gate — the South Gate is exit-only — and the Middle Gate is nearer the greenhouse and Chikurin-ji. Coin lockers at each ticket window take a returnable ¥100 (75cm high, 30cm wide, 45cm deep). Umbrellas and parasols are lent free. The garden is entirely non-smoking; pets cannot come in, but assistance dogs can. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | makino.or.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet |
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