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Kochi · Japan
The city on Shikoku’s south coast, with a castle that preserves its original keep and palace, the Sunday street market, bonito seared over straw, and Katsurahama Beach facing the Pacific.
In the photo: Katsurahama Beach, in Kochi.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
On Shikoku’s south coast, facing the Pacific Ocean, Kochi is the capital of the province of the same name, separated from the rest of the island by high mountains. The isolation gave the region its own character: plentiful food, lively festivals, a taste for sake and pride in Sakamoto Ryoma, a Tosa samurai who played a central role in ending the shogunate in the 19th century and is remembered in statues and museums.
In the city center, Kochi Castle preserves the keep from the Edo period and, uniquely in the country, also the lord’s palace in the main courtyard. At the foot of the castle, Otesuji Street hosts a Sunday street market that has existed for more than three hundred years, with hundreds of stalls selling vegetables, fruits, plants and tools. Nearby, the covered Hirome Ichiba market gathers food stalls and shared tables.
The signature dish is katsuo no tataki, bonito quickly seared over straw fire and served in thick slices with salt or a citrus sauce. In August the city holds the Yosakoi festival, with groups dancing through the streets to their own music while holding wooden castanets.
Outside the center, Katsurahama Beach lies in a cove of pines and rocks, with a statue of Ryoma looking out to sea, and the Makino Botanical Garden occupies Mount Godai, beside Chikurin-ji Temple, part of the Shikoku pilgrimage. Kochi is a base for the southern coast, the Shimanto River and Cape Ashizuri, which are farther away.
This destination brings together 1 city: Kochi.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Dados cartográficos: © OpenStreetMap contributors, via Wambacher / geoBoundaries (ODbL 1.0). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Aeroporto de Kochi (KCZ), in Nankoku · 17 km to Kochi
The Nanpu express connects Okayama, on the shinkansen line, to Kochi in about 2 hours 40 minutes, crossing the mountains through the Oboke valley. Kochi Airport is about 17 km from the center, with flights from Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. Express buses link Kochi with Matsuyama, Takamatsu and Osaka.
The local experience
A castle atop Otakasa Hill in central Kochi, with the original main keep from the 18th century and the only original lord’s palace still standing in a main castle compound in Japan.
A sandy cove with pine trees south of Kochi, between two rocky capes, featuring the statue of Sakamoto Ryoma facing the Pacific, a shrine on a rock, and the Ryoma museum on the hill.
A botanical garden on Mount Godai dedicated to botanist Makino Tomitaro, a Kochi native, with Shikoku plants, a tropical greenhouse and wooden buildings integrated into the forest; Chikurin-ji Temple is next to it.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
March to May and October to November usually bring the most pleasant weather. Summers are hot and humid, and Kochi’s coast is among the rainiest in Japan, with typhoons commonly arriving from August to October. The Yosakoi festival takes place in August. In winter the coast is sunny and mild.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two days: one for the castle, possibly the Sunday market, and Hirome Ichiba; another for Katsurahama, Mount Godai and the botanical garden. With three days, add the Iya Valley, en route by train to Okayama.
The center, between the station, the castle and Obiyamachi Street, concentrates hotels, restaurants and Hirome Ichiba, and is walkable or served by tram. The station area is convenient for trains. On the coast, near Katsurahama, there are few hotels with sea views.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Two days cover the castle, the center, Katsurahama and the Makino Botanical Garden. If your trip falls on a Sunday, include the Otesuji street market.
Yes. The Nanpu express, between Kochi and Okayama, stops at Oboke, the gateway to the valley, about 1 hour from Kochi. Many people visit Kochi and Iya on the same trip.
Not for the city, which has trams, nor for Katsurahama and Mount Godai, served by the tourist bus. A car helps for the southern coast and the Shimanto River.
It is a dance festival held in Kochi in August, with groups parading through the streets dancing with wooden castanets, the naruko. The dance has spread to other cities in Japan.
Katsuo no tataki, bonito seared over straw fire; Pacific fish; citrus fruits like yuzu; and local sake, enjoyed at festivals and at the counters of Hirome Ichiba.
Beyond the guide
