Guide of Kochi English Page　Guide of Kochi Chinese Page

Kochi is a sun-kissed city lying on the south coast of the mountainous island of Shikoku. The city is the heart of Kochi prefecture which stretches along the Pacific coastline of the island, one of the most beautiful coastlines in Japan. As well as the Pacific Ocean, with its opportunities for whale-watching, scuba diving and surfing amongst other activities, Kochi prefecture is also home to the Shimanto River, famous throughout Japan for its clean flowing waters.

Kochi city itself is a relaxed and friendly place with good eating, drinking and shopping all year long. Although a small city, Kochi is not provincial and has quite a cosmopolitan feel with its rivers, wide palm-lined streets and efficient trams. The fun-loving nature of Kochi people is reflected in its surprising range of places to eat and drink, some of which offer not only excellent Japanese food but also an increasing amount of good, authentic world cuisine.

One of the greatest treasures of Kochi city is its castle, one of the few original castles left in Japan. Although not on the scale of some of the country's grander castles, it is still a beautiful and traditional symbol of Japan's history as it looks down over the city. The castle is surrounded by grounds where scores of cherry trees blossom in the spring and play host to lantern-lit blossom viewing parties.

Later on in the year Kochi city hosts the famous Yosakoi festival, a three day dancing event in which thousands of people of all ages take part. During the festival, the city is filled with an electrifying atmosphere which spectators come from near and far to enjoy. Kochi also has a weekly Sunday market - an event in itself with its abundance of produce grown and made locally, and held in all weathers. The temple of Chikurinji, one of the eighty eight temples on Shikoku's well known pilgrim trail, is also worth a visit, set as it is on top of Mt. Godaisan where there are clear views of the city. Also at Godaisan is the beautiful Makino Botanical Gardens which pay homage to one of Japan's most important botanists.

Life in Kochi is, above all, laid back and relaxed, and its inhabitants are blessed with not only spectacular scenery and places of history and interest, but also with sunny weather virtually all year round. The city is also constantly improving its access to other cities, not only in Shikoku but also to other major cities in Japan. This makes for increasingly easy and fast access to Osaka, Tokyo and Japan's international airport.

These factors all help toward making Kochi a memorable and happy place to visit, live, work or study.
(by Sam Harvey)