Nahari Onsen

Nahari Onsen lies on the Pacific coast of eastern Kochi Prefecture, where the rugged coastline of Cape Muroto's dramatic headlands transitions to the gentler bays and coves of the Aki district, a surf-friendly coast where consistent Pacific swells have nurtured a distinctive surfing culture alongside the traditional fishing communities that have worked these waters for generations. The Nahari area is associated with the yudofu tradition — a simple but deeply satisfying preparation of silken tofu simmered in kombu broth that has been developed to particular refinement in the cold-water fishing communities of Kochi's Pacific coast. The onsen's siliceous geothermal waters complement the maritime character of a coastal community whose relationship with the Pacific — expressed through fishing, surfing, and the straightforward pleasures of seafood eaten close to the place of its capture — defines an approach to the good life distinctively Kochi in its simplicity and directness.