The observation deck was packed, but the lawn behind it was empty.
Golden Week in Kochi wasn’t about the castle tour. We wanted breakfast on grass with a view, and we found it.
Pan to Espresso to Tosa Kissa: The Takeaway Breakfast That Started It All
Pan to Espresso to Tosa Kissa is a bakery-café in central Kochi. We picked up takeaway instead of sitting in. The six of us spent around ¥3,000. Sitting down for their morning set would have cost closer to ¥1,200 per person.
We bought their signature Mū loaf, a corn-sausage sandwich, a pizza sandwich, and a chocolate melon pan. The Mū looks like plain white bread but it’s dense with butter. One piece fills you. They also do savoury versions with toppings.
Kochi Castle in the Morning: Skipping the Crowds and Finding the Quiet Lawn
We drove to Kochi Castle Park straight after. The observation deck area near the keep was busy. Families, tour groups, people lining up for photos. We walked past all of it.
There’s a lawn area just below the castle view. No one was using it. We spread out our bags, unpacked the bread, and had our Kochi Castle picnic with kids sitting on grass instead of standing in a queue.
The castle sat above us in full sun. I flew the drone for a few minutes and got a clean shot of the six of us with the keep in the background. The kids ate. We didn’t rush.
The toilets were close, and there’s a convenience store within walking distance if you need drinks. We left our things on the lawn while we walked up to the viewpoint later. No concerns.
We had the lawn to ourselves while the viewing platform stayed full.
One thing: parking fees can jump during Golden Week. We saw signs showing ¥1,000, but some drivers were charged ¥2,500. If you’re visiting on a holiday, budget extra or arrive early.
Niikyo Ryokuchi Park: A Seaside Playground in Kochi That Most Tourists Miss
After the castle we drove south toward the coast. Niikyo Ryokuchi Park sits by the water. It has large climbing structures that work for younger and older kids both.
There’s a trampoline-style play piece that bounced all four of ours at once. They stayed on it for twenty minutes without stopping. The park also has a grass area where we laid out homemade onigiri and ten from Matsuoka Kamaboko, a long-running shop near Hirome Market. The dai-ten and gobō-ten held up well as portable lunch.
Haruno no yu: A Low-Key Hot Spring Stop with Families in Mind
We stopped at Hoshi no Mori on the way out of Kochi. It’s south of the city centre. The baths weren’t busy. Two indoor pools and one large outdoor bath. There’s a dining hall we didn’t use.
The outdoor deck is wooden and doesn’t get slippery, which mattered with the kids moving in and out. There’s a pool next door. If you’re travelling in summer it’s worth knowing about.
It feels more like a leisure centre than a traditional onsen, but that worked for us.
Michi-no-Eki Utazu Rinkai Park: Sleeping by the Seto Ohashi Bridge in a Campervan
We drove into Kagawa and overnighted at Michi-no-Eki Utazu Rinkai Park in Marugame. The car park stays open, but the inner section gets locked from night until 7 a.m. Park in the front two rows near the road or you won’t be able to leave early.
The area stayed lively until around 10 p.m. with people visiting the aquarium and restaurants nearby. After that it was quiet. The toilets stay lit all night and the lighting felt safe.
In the morning we walked along the coast. The Seto Ohashi Bridge sits in the distance. There’s a small playground for kids and the facilities are clean.
Even during Golden Week there were free spaces. It’s not on the usual campervan circuit yet.
We didn’t plan the lawn picnic in advance. It just turned out to be the better option than waiting in line. Sometimes the quietest part of a famous place is the part no one’s using.
