Starting from Katsurahama

The second day began in Nankoku City. The clear skies remained as usual. I had planned to get up early and take a morning stroll along Katsurahama, but I overslept.

Hurriedly got ready and checked out.

First, I drove the 911 to Katsurahama. After previously visiting the Kaizumi Shrine (Ryuo-gu) there, I felt my luck improved, so this was a thank-you visit.

Though the sun was already high, the Pacific Ocean viewed from Katsurahama remained magnificent. I managed to slip into the parking lot just before it got crowded, took a walk along the beach, and while tourists were mostly taking photos of the scenery without paying respects, I went into serious mode and prayed at Ryuo-gu alone.

After expressing gratitude for a safe journey and daily blessings, I left Katsurahama.

Yokonami Kuroshio Line

Next, I drove along the coast on Prefectural Route 14. I had driven this early morning before in a 964, and I vividly remember the sea fog rolling over the ocean being breathtakingly beautiful. Then I entered the Yokonami Kuroshio Line and enjoyed the day’s first winding road. The western side of this road has many speed bumps making it tricky, but the side closer to Kochi City is relatively enjoyable.

When I put the 911 into Sport mode but kept it in automatic transmission, everything was handled comfortably below 4000 rpm. That’s already fast enough. Without revving to high RPMs, the characteristic mechanical noise and turbocharger sounds of the 992 are pleasantly engaging, making it fun in its own right.

Even on uphill corners, the front end responds instantly, and you can feel the front tires gripping firmly in every situation, making you forget it’s a rear-engine car.

That’s how well the 992 drives without needing to consciously think about the classic 911 traits.

Taking the Famous Higashitsuno-Jogawa Forest Road to Shikoku Karst

Passing through Susaki City, I headed next for the Shikoku Karst. There are several ways to approach the Karst, but many are narrow and difficult to drive. You can easily get stuck on extremely tight, hard-to-drive roads, so caution is necessary.

Therefore, I usually ascend to the Shikoku Karst via the Higashitsuno-Jogawa Forest Road.

However, this time I took a wrong route and went up via Route 439 and Prefectural Route 304. Although I could merge onto the Higashitsuno-Jogawa Forest Road later, I regretted bypassing most of the fun sections. Hoping to enjoy them on the return trip, I climbed the altitude toward the Shikoku Karst.

As expected in the middle of Golden Week, there were many cars and people, but this is truly a famous spot. The overwhelming scale and stunning karst plateau scenery stretched out, and naturally, I drove the 911 with the roof down along the ridgeline.

Since there were many people, I didn’t linger long and hurried toward the main goal, the Higashitsuno-Jogawa Forest Road. I had driven this before in a GT3, and I remember it being so fun it felt like ‘ascending to heaven.’

Switching to Sport Plus mode and controlling the paddles manually, I enjoyed a nearly traffic-free, superb driving road. It’s one of the best driving roads in Shikoku. In Sport Plus mode, the 992 hardly makes any burbling sounds. The engine control is purely focused on fast driving without unnecessary theatrics.

Listening to the raw engine sound, I sped down the mountain in 3rd and 2nd gears. I resisted the urge to do another lap and entered Route 197.

Routes R197, K35, and R441

From here, I cruised west on the enjoyable Route 197, flowing smoothly to the Michi-no-Eki Hiyoshi Yumesanchi roadside station. Although I couldn’t fully understand the explanation, the roadside station is notable for a large female statue called Boshi Oni.

I took a short break here. I tried to have lunch, but the restaurant had already closed. So I nibbled on some bread while opening the touring map to decide the next route.

I headed north on Route 197 for a while, then turned right onto Prefectural Route 35, another great mountain driving road. Then I entered Route 441 heading toward Ozu City. This Route 441 was quite nice—a comfortable two-lane winding road through the mountains with light traffic. I was able to pick up the pace and enjoy the drive.

Since I would board a ferry early the next morning to cross to Kyushu, I headed early to today’s accommodation. I drove south to Seiyo City and arrived at the hotel, but check-in was from 4 p.m., and it was still about 10 minutes early.

While wandering near the entrance, a hotel staff member noticed me and let me in. It was a budget hotel, but since I only needed it for sleeping, it was perfectly fine.

I carefully reviewed the route for the upcoming Kyushu leg and wrapped up the second day of touring.

Route Map for This Trip

(Added to the previous route map)