[ Tosashimizu City, Kochi Prefecture ] How to get to the stone-holding acou

Introduction

It's located on the coast of the Matsuo district, and I'd heard of it often, but I'd never actually been there. I'd seen a variety of information online, such as "it's difficult to access," "it's so overgrown with grass you can't even get there," and "you can get there without any problems."
This time, I actually went to the ``Stone-Hugging Ako'', so I will write an article about the current situation as of March 2026 and detailed access methods.

• Table of Contents
• What is a stone-holding acou?
• As a premise
• Access: From Prefectural Route 27 to the parking space
• Access: From the parking space to the entrance
• Access: From the entrance to the site
• summary
• Related articles

What is a stone-holding acou?

This is a rare natural formation on the coast of the Matsuo district of Tosashimizu City .
The Ako tree has grown to embrace a large rock, and you can see the unique shape that has been created over the years.
The sight of the powerful roots and trunks entwined around the rocks is known as a landscape that evokes the vitality and mystique of nature. It is one of the highlights that symbolizes the nature of the Ashizuri region, and is a popular spot for tourists.

As a premise

Shoes are important. Heels and sandals are very dangerous.
At the very least, sneakers with thick soles are best.
Also, since you will be passing under bushes, it would be a good idea to take measures against insects in the summer.

To conclude, as of March 2026, the road is as bad as its reputation suggests, but it is not so overgrown with grass that it is impossible to proceed.

Access: From Prefectural Route 27 to the parking space

The entrance is located along Kochi Prefectural Route 27, which heads towards Cape Ashizuri Misaki from Tosashimizu City .
The landmark is a white road sign.
From this point, turn right and go down the Saka. Be careful as the curve is sharp.

At the end of the Saka, turn right.
From here onwards the road becomes narrow and it is difficult for cars to pass each other.
Please also be careful as local buses pass through the area.

The convex mirror about 100m ahead will be your landmark.
Turn left here.

After walking down the Saka for about 200m, you will come to Matsuo's Ako tree, a nationally designated natural monument, and then park behind Matsuo Tenmangu Shrine.
If there are cars parked there or you cannot find parking, you can go further and park in an unobstructed space at Matsuo Fishing Port, where the Ebi-do (Blue Cave) is located.

Access: From the parking space to the entrance

Continue along the road and go down the Saka with the torii gate of Matsuo Tenmangu Shrine on your left.

You can also see Cafe 69 (Cafe Log) on ​​your right.

About 100m down from the parking space, there is a sign for "Ishidaki Ako" that is blurred and difficult to see on the curved mirror, so follow it.

The slope was steeper than I had imagined, and my body was leaning forward.
Go up the Saka for about 50m.

The small parking space you will see on your right is the landmark.
Follow the signs in the shadow of the parked car.

Access: From the entrance to the site

This is where the main route to Ishidaki Ako begins.
Please do not step inside wearing heels or sandals.

It was raining that day, so I almost slipped, but I crouched down in places and carefully made my way down.

There was a slight difference in elevation, but the distance was about 100m and we walked slowly in just under 10 minutes.
We pass through a bamboo thicket tunnel that looks just like something out of Totoro.

Once I got this far, I felt like I was on an adventure and it was fun.

I felt a little relieved when I reached the bottom of the stairs, but I still couldn't let my guard down.
Be careful as the soil here can be very slippery when wet.

If you've come this far, you're almost there.
However, the stone-holding stag beetle is not so easy to deal with.

I expected that walking would be a little easier once I got down to the coast, but I ended up on a beach covered in stones ranging in size from softballs to rice cookers.

I have large feet, size 28.5cm, but this is how it looks in comparison.
If you let your guard down, you could get caught off guard.

The first thing you see when you get down to the beach is Hakusan Cave, a sea cave made using the same mechanism as Hakusan Cave. It would be difficult to walk through, so we didn't get close that day, but it is a fairly large cavern and looks quite impressive.

If you've come this far and have the energy to spare, be sure to go and see it up close.

Then, turn your back to the path you came down and walk a little to the left, and you will finally see Ishidaki Ako.

It may not have taken forever, but it is a stone-holding acou tree that has probably grown over hundreds of years, wrapping itself around the pebbles of the coast.

I hear that many people associate it with a World Heritage Site in the remote countryside of Thailand.

summary

The "stone-hugging sea otter" has a mysterious presence, like a monster that has appeared on the seashore.

It was quite a struggle for me to get here, especially since I'm not very athletic, but I think it was worth it.
This is a highly recommended spot for those who enjoy the extremely rough roads as an adventure.

The time it took from the parking space was about 15 minutes, even for me, who is not very active.
I think you can enjoy this spot in about an hour, even if you take your time to look at the stone-hugging mantis shrimp and see the Matsuo Cave.

Related articles

This is also an article about a place that is difficult to access.