Kōchi Prefecture

{{See also|List of historic sites of Japan (Kōchi)}}

In the Kujiki, first recorded governments in Kōchi Prefecture were Hata (in the west) and Tosa (in the center). Hata was established first, so it is thought that it had more influence and contact with the Yamato court. Written records from this time period are sparse, however it is believed that the first governors of Hata and Tosa were from the Kamo clan based in modern Osaka.

In the Nihon Shoki, the first report from an official in the Kōchi region described the damages caused by the 684 Hakuhō earthquake. From this report, it can be inferred that by 684 at the latest, the Tosa Province (a predecessor to modern-day Kōchi Prefecture) had been established. The first report from a named official was written by Hiketa no Mushiro in 743.

Up until the Genpei War, 106 governors were appointed to govern the Tosa Province. Eventually, like many other provinces Tosa also was appointed absentee governors, given additional rights, and began amassing wealth. Due to being located far from the capital, many prisoners were exiled to the Tosa Province.

The Kamakura Shogunate was established at the end of the 12th century. Since Tosa Province was allied to the winning Minamoto Clan in the Genpei War, it quickly fell under the influence of the shogunate. Kajiwara Tomokage was appointed as the first military governor of the Tosa Province. Eventually, the Hōjō Clan began serving as the military governor for the province.

After the fall of the Kamakura Shoguante, Ashikaga Takauji was defeated in battle and forced to retreat to Kyushu. Shikoku Island later fell under the control of the Hosokawa Clan.

Kōchi Prefecture was historically known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chōsokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi clan during the Edo period.Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at {{Google books|p2QnPijAEmEC|p. 780|page=780}}.

Kōchi city is also the birthplace of noted revolutionary Sakamoto Ryōma, who became one of the main instigators of the Meiji Restoration.

{{see also|List of cities in Kōchi Prefecture by population}}

Kōchi Prefecture comprises the southwestern part of the island of Shikoku, facing the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Ehime to the north-west and Tokushima to the north-east. It is the largest but least populous of Shikoku's four prefectures. Most of the province is mountainous, and in only a few areas such as around Kōchi and Nakamura is there a coastal plain. Kōchi is famous for its many rivers. Inamura-yama in Tosa-cho is the highest peak in Kōchi prefecture with an altitude of 1,506 meters above sea level.

Kōchi Prefecture has the highest percentage of land covered in mountains out of all Japanese prefectures at 89% with the national average being 66%. The highest peak in Kōchi Prefecture is Mt. Miune at 1,894 meters (the highest peak in Kōchi Prefecture is Tebakoyama at 1,806 meters). Due to its location in the Shimanto Group geological area, Kōchi Prefecture has many sedimentary rocks and is prone to landslides. Kōchi Prefecture has many rivers such as the Shimanto River in the western part of the prefecture, Niyodo River flowing from Mount Ishizuchi into the Tosa Bay, and Yoshino River flowing into Tokushima Prefecture.

Historically, Kōchi Prefecture has not suffered from a lack of water, however river management has been a consistent issue. In the early Edo Period, samurai Nonaka Kenzan oversaw large scale improvements to the Tosa Domain's major rivers. Modern Kōchi Prefecture is known for its river management and minimal water damage despite receiving a large amount of rainfall.

The Kuroshio Current flows by Kōchi Prefecture's coast. The climate of Kōchi Prefecture is heavily influenced by the Kuroshio Current. Even during the winter the water is still warm, and causes frequent typhoons. Kōchi Prefecture experiences the 2nd most typhoons out of all the Japanese prefectures after Kagoshima Prefecture. The 1934 Muroto Typhoon was especially notorious, with the lowest central pressure of any recorded typhoon in Japan at 911.6 hPa when it made landfall on the Muroto Cape. The Ashizuri and Muroto capes are known for their strong winds.

As of April 1, 2012, 7% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park; Ishizuchi, Muroto-Anan Kaigan, and Tsurugisan Quasi-National Parks; and eighteen Prefectural Natural Parks.{{cite web |url=http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/doc/files/np_6.pdf |title=General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture |publisher=Ministry of the Environment |access-date=19 August 2012}}

File:Map of Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg

File:高知城 天守からの景色3 Kochi Castle - panoramio.jpg]]File:Sakamoto Ryoma.jpg]]

Eleven cities are located in Kōchi Prefecture:

File:Kochi Japan.jpg|Kōchi City

File:Okouzyou02.jpg|Nankoku City

File:SHIMANTO CITY.jpg|Shimanto City

File:Susaki city view.jpg|Susaki City

File:手結漁港 - panoramio.jpg|Kōnan City

File:Sukumo-Station-square-rotary.jpg|Sukumo City

File:Kochi prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg

These are the towns and villages in each district:

File:いの町新町付近 - panoramio.jpg|Ino Town

File:くろ鉄奈半利駅からの眺め・南向き - panoramio.jpg|Nahari Town

File:Irino no Matsubara, enkei.jpg|Kuroshio Town

File:土佐あかうしの放牧.jpg|Motoyama Town

File:Yokokurayama07.jpg|Ochi Town

{{main|List of mergers in Kōchi Prefecture}}

File:Cape Ashizuri - 足摺岬 - panoramio (11).jpg

File:Cape Muroto 2011.jpg

File:Spring in Shimanto River.jpg

• Aki Castle and samurai's residence district called Doi Kachū
• Anpanman Museum
• Godaisan
• Katsurahama
• Katsurahama Aquarium
• Kōchi Castle, one of only 12 original castles left in Japan
• Kōchi Prefectural Museum of History, Historical Museum located on Okō Castle
• Muroto Schoolhouse Aquarium
• Okō Castle, Chōsokabe clan's prime castle ruins.
• Ryūga Cave, one of Japan's top three caves
• Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum
• Shimanto River, the only undammed river in Japan

Various movies have been set in Kōchi. These include the following:

The 1993 Studio Ghibli movie Ocean Waves (Umi ga Kikoeru).

The 2009 movie The Harimaya Bridge starring Danny Glover.{{cite book|author1=Matt Alt|author2=Hiroko Yoda|author3=Melinda Joe|title=Frommer's? Japan Day by Day|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yBBOgbFI47sC&pg=PA532|date=27 March 2012|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0-470-90826-6|pages=532}}{{cite book|author=Iris-Aya Laemmerhirt|title=Embracing Differences: Transnational Cultural Flows between Japan and the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHqiBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA254|date=March 2014|publisher=transcript Verlag|isbn=978-3-8394-2600-5|pages=254}}

The 2013 movie Hospitality Department (Kencho Omotenashi Ka),{{cite web|url=http://otakumode.com/news/5174b304bec5fa0972002de6/Yukiyo-Teramoto-Makes-Short-Insert-Anime-for-ldquo-Prefectural-Office-Hospitality-Department-The-Movie-rdquo|title=Yukiyo Teramoto Makes Short Insert Anime for "Prefectural Office Hospitality Department: The Movie" - Tokyo Otaku Mode News|website=otakumode.com|date=May 2013 }} which shows views of Kōchi Prefecture.

The 2021 movie Belle (Ryū to Sobakasu no Hime).

File:Yosakoi Performers at Kochi Yosakoi Matsuri 2008 40.jpg]]

Like most areas of Japan, Kōchi advertises itself as specializing in a major food item, often known as meibutsu. Kōchi's is katsuo no tataki – skipjack tuna or bonito which is lightly seared.{{cite web | last = Lafferty | first = Jefferey | title=Japan's delicious fire-seared delicacy|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20201015-is-this-the-single-best-food-in-japan| publisher=BBC|date=2020-10-16}} Traditionally this is done over the straw generated as a by-product of the rice harvest.

Sawachi is a term which refers to "a style of meal" in Kochi prefecture, according to Kochi-City Tourism Association. It says that the characteristic of the style of eating is "its freeness in the arrangement of food on a large dish" People eat Sawachi in the situation of "Enkai" which refers to a gathering of family, friends and relatives. They surround "Sawachi", feasts on large dishes, and take own portions by themselves. The style represents the cultural climate of Kochi Prefecture, which dislikes formal arrangements and respects freedom.

;Festival

• Yosakoi Festival - Yosakoi (よさこい) is a unique style of dance that originated in Japan and that is performed at festivals and events all over the country.

The sports teams listed below are based in Kōchi.

;Baseball

• Kōchi Fighting Dogs

;Football

• Kōchi United SC

• Tosa Domain

{{Reflist}}

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=p2QnPijAEmEC Japan encyclopedia.] Cambridge: Harvard University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-674-01753-5}}; [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/58053128?referer=di&ht=edition OCLC 58053128]

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• {{Official website|http://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/english/}} {{in lang|en}}

{{Kōchi Prefecture}}

{{Regions and administrative divisions of Japan}}

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Category:Shikoku region

Category:Prefectures of Japan