Kochi

Kōchi (Kōchi-shi) is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan. Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 341,860 and a density of 1,110 persons per km². The total area is 309.22 km². A symbol of the city is its most famous dish, katsuo tataki, made by lightly searing and seasoning tuna.

The area of Kōchi has three distinct geographic sections. The major settled part of the city lies at the head of Urado Bay, in a narrow alluvial plain crossed by several rivers, notably the Kagami River and Kokubu River. The plain is bounded by mountains to the north and a range of hills to the south and west. The northern mountains form the least densely populated part of the city, with the only settlement being along narrow river valleys. The highest point in Kōchi is Kuishi-yama at 1176 m.

To the south of the city centre, Urado Bay cuts through the hills to its outlet into the Pacific Ocean. The land surrounding the bay and a small strip of the coastline form the third part of the city. This area, although hillier and lense dense than the plain, is nevertheless a major location of housing and port-related industry.

Pint-sized Kōchi Ryōma Airport has flights to Osaka-Itami, Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Haneda, Nagoya-Komaki and Naha (Okinawa). Buses to/from Kochi station (35-45 min, ¥700) leave roughly twice an hour. The JR Dosan Line runs down from Okayama on Honshu via Takamatsu and the Oboke gorge, passing through Kochi on its way to the terminus Kubokawa. The fastest way to get to Kochi from Okayama is to take the Nanpu Limited Express train, which departs every hour. It costs ¥5990 (no cost with the Japan Rail Pass) and takes 2 1/2 hours.

Kōchi Castle still exists in its pre-restoration form, and is one of the main tourist attractions. Other places of interest in the city centre are the Obiyamachi shopping arcade, the regular Sunday street markets which are close to a kilometre in length, and Harimaya-bashi, a bridge that featured in a famous Kōchi song about the forbidden love of a Buddhist priest. The mountain Godaisan  holds a public park with views of the city, and is home to stop 31 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, Chikurin-ji, as well as the Makino Botanical Garden.

Off of Museum Road (Kenritsu Bijutsukandori) is the Kōchi Art Museum, where the main collection is composed of expressionistic works related to Kōchi. At the mouth of Urado Bay, the remnants of Urado Castle (an earlier provincial seat) stand above Katsurahama, a famous beach with an aquarium and statue of the Kōchi hero Sakamoto Ryoma. Nearby on the grounds is the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum.