What are the fun places in Kochi?

Of course, among the attractions in Kochi Prefecture, we must introduce the "Shimanto River", the last clear stream in Japan. The "Shimanto River" is also the second largest river in the Shikoku region, with a total length of 196 kilometers, second only to the Yoshino River. The Shimanto River originates from Mount Fuji in the Shikoku Mountains and flows across the Shimanto River City into the Pacific Ocean. Because there are no barrages upstream, the flow of water is very large. There are 21 bridges in the entire basin, and these bridges are called "sinking bridges". Because whenever the water increases, the water will submerge the bridge, and the landscape is very unique. During the tour, you can take a sightseeing boat and slowly enjoy the green trees and clear river water on both sides. Because the water of the Shimanto River is clear, it is also a famous sweetfish breeding ground in Japan. You can also taste the Shimanto River's specialty "Grilled Ayu" here.

Secondly, the most famous thing in Kochi Prefecture is the "Sunday Market". It originated from the Edo period 300 years ago. In the 3rd year of Genroku, more than 600 stores were opened in Aozora City, about 1 kilometer east of Kochi Castle's Otate Gate. The number of people in one day was 40,000, ranking first in Japan in terms of scale and history. Since then, other than Sundays, various markets have been held in various parts of the city, which have been loved by local residents and tourists from all over the world.

Harimayabashi: In the tune of "Yosakoi", the song is sung about the place where Junnobu, the monk of Chikurinji Temple, bought a hairpin for the welder's daughter, Koma, which is Harimayabashi. It was first built in the early Edo period by private individuals on the trusses of Harima House and Cabinet House, the royal merchants across the canal. During the feudal period, Harimaya Bridge was located in the center of the town's merchants

Harimaya Bridge

Nowadays, the Daiko Bridge on the west side of Harimaya Park has been reproduced, and the east side is still used A bridge with large pillars from the Meiji period. It is the number one tourist attraction in Kochi Prefecture and is located in the center of the city.

Tosayamauchi Family Treasures Archives: A database displaying arts and crafts and ancient documents owned by the 16th generation of Tosa Domain lords. The *** has collected about 30,000 ancient documents and about 2,500 pieces of paintings, calligraphy, weapons and other arts and crafts. In addition to the red seals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), daily utensils such as dolls and props painted with gold paintings are also worth seeing.

Old Yamauchi Ishita Yashiki Nagaya Exhibition Hall: It is presumed to be a building in the late Edo period built here by the 15th generation feudal lord, Yamauchi Toyo. It has two floors. It is also a data library that restored the samurai courtyard (an important cultural property) built by the mother's house. On the first floor, kitchen utensils from the late feudal period and props for singing Joruri are displayed, and on the second floor, a model of the Tosa sailing ship Yuugao Maru is displayed.

Kochi Prefectural Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Hall: Sakamoto Ryoma was active during the Tokugawa period. Ryoma, who rewrote the script of the times, was born as the second son of a low-level samurai family at the foot of Kochi Castle on November 15, 1835 (Tenpo 6th year). He studied navigation skills under Teng Haizhou and participated in the Kobe Naval Training Center. Together with Shojiro Tokai of Tosa Domain, he promoted the return of the Taishō, but one month after the return of the Taishō, he was assassinated in Omiya, Kyoto, on November 15, 1867 (the third year of Keio).

The Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum

The life and characters of Ryoma are divided into 7 scenes and introduced with illustrations or reproduced videos. The reference room on the 2nd basement floor also displays a screen stained with blood when Ryoma was assassinated, a certificate of identification (copied) made by Ryoma of the Sacho Alliance Covenant, etc.

Sakamoto Ryoma Statue: On a slightly elevated hill at Cape Ryuto, stands a bronze statue of Ryoma staring at the distant Pacific Ocean. The bronze statue was completed in 1928 (Showa 3). It stands dignifiedly in a kimono with its hands in its arms and long leather boots. The height of the bronze statue including the pedestal is approximately 13.4 meters.

Tosa Dog Fighting Center: This is a place where you can watch the fighting skills of Tosa fighting dogs produced by mating pure Tosa dogs with foreign dogs such as tiger dogs. On a fenced field, the battle will continue until one of the parties cries or loses their fighting spirit. It is very heroic. There is also a place where you can play with puppies that are less than a year old.

Ryukawa Cave: One of the few stalactite caves in Japan created over 175 million years. Here you can admire the beauty of natural shapes such as stalactites and stalagmites.

Ryoma History Museum: Sakamoto’s life is divided into 26 scenes. Following the epochal sequence from birth to assassination, Ryoma’s life is composed using characters or short stories related to Ryoma. It is very exciting. . Wax figures of world greats such as J.F. Kennedy are also displayed.

Muroto Cape Lighthouse

Aki Municipal History and Folklore Museum: Located at the ruins of Aki Castle, it is divided into exhibition areas for the Goto family, industry, folklore and literature, and introduces Aki’s history and folklore. history. Among them, there are also many exhibits including weapons, armors, arts and crafts, and other items passed down to the Goto family, who served as the head of the retainers of the Tosa Domain. In addition, information about Yataro Iwasaki, who was born in Aki, and Ryutaro Hirota, the composer of "Hama Chidori" are also displayed.

Muroto Cape Lighthouse: The lighthouse completed in 1899 (Meiji 32) is still in operation today. The height from the ground to the top of the lampstand is 15.4m. The 2.6m diameter lens boasts one of the largest sizes in Japan and has a light irradiation distance of 56km. The interior is open to the public free of charge for one day during the Lighthouse Festival (November? January? February).

Usually you can only see the outside, but the white lighthouse standing with the turquoise sea as the background is also popular as a tourist spot.

Whale Observation in Dafang: Dafang is a base for observing whales swimming. In the sea area 1 to 2 kilometers away, you can see pods of 10-meter-long baleen whales and dolphins. It is advisable to leave the port from the end of April to the end of October, especially when the weather is good in May, July and August. If you are lucky, you can also see whales performing very rare actions such as jumping or standing vertically.

Shimanto River

Shimanto Sakura Festival: There are activities such as outdoor tea parties and guqin performances. At night, a cherry tree lighting event will be held, allowing you to watch the cherry blossoms in a dreamy atmosphere.

Shimanto River: Known as the last clear stream in Japan, the Shimanto River is the second largest river in Shikoku after the Yoshino River, with a total length of 196km. Funuyama flows from the mountains of Shikoku, flows through Shimanto City, and then flows into the Pacific Ocean. There is no reservoir in the upper reaches, so the water quality is very good, and it is famous for being one of the best catfish fisheries in Shikoku.

John Wan HOUSE: Nakahama Manjiro's library. Manjiro was originally a fisherman from Tosa Nakahama and was killed in 1841 (Tenpo 12). After being rescued by an American whaling ship, he began to learn surveying and navigation skills in the United States, and returned to China in 1852 (Kaei 5th year). Afterwards, he boarded the Hamlin Maru as a translator and went to the United States again in 1860 (the first year of Manyan). After returning to Japan, he became a professor at Kaisei School and contributed to Japan's modernization. Among his disciples were Fukuzawa Yukichi and Enomoto Takehi. The museum displays Manjiro's relics and a model of a sailing ship from that time.

Longchuan Coast

Longchuan Coast: Longchuan Coast is a sea erosion platform formed by sandstone erosion by sea water and wind. It is located about 8km west of Tosashimizu City. The large bamboos and small bamboos look as if huge bamboos have been overturned on the ground, and there are even cracks like bamboo knots everywhere. There are also many traces of ancient organisms, excrement, coprolites, etc. that remain in the strata, which are very valuable to geology.

Ashizuri Cape Lighthouse: Lighting began in 1914 (Taisho 3), and it was a white lighthouse that was renovated in 1960 (Showa 35). It is the symbol of the headland. The height of the ground to the summit is 18.1 meters, and the height of the water surface to the lights is 60.6 meters. The luminosity of 2 million new candlepower is the largest in Japan, and the light irradiation distance reaches 38 kilometers.