The remote prefecture of Kochi was referred as "Tosa no Kuni Takeyoriwake" in the Kojiki, then just as Tosa in feudal times.
The Hosokawa clan ruled over the region from the end of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333 to 1507, when Chosokabe took over the region. In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu assigned Yamanouchi Kazutoyo as new daimyo. Yamanouchi built a new castle between 1601 and 1611, which was named Kochi, meaning "between two rivers" (河内). After being plagued by numerous water-related disasters, the kanji was changed to "高知", meaning "high knowledge", in the hope it would improve its fortune.
Kochi, as the city became known, played an important role in the Meiji restoration. Kochi's most famous son is undoubtly Sakamoto Ryoma, who helped forge the alliance between the Choshu and Satsuma samurai, who were to lead the revolution against the Tokugawa shogunate.
Sightseeing
Kochi Castle (￥350, open 9am-5pm) is the prime attraction of the town. It is one of the few authentic castles left in Japan, although it is not the original built in 1611, which burnt down in 1727, but its 1753 reconstruction. The interior is consequently cosier than castles built during more tumultuous periods before the long Tokugawa peace (1600-1866).
Overlooking Kochi's port is the Godai-san-koen Park (五台山公園), a few kilometers south-east of the city center. Chikurin-ji Temple (竹林寺), 31st of Shikoku's 88 temples circuit, is perched on a hilltop in the middle of the park. Chikurin-ji was founded in 724 and is said to contain a bone of Buddha from Bodhgaya in India. Although the relic is not displayed to the public, the treasure house (￥400, open 9am-5pm) has some interesting Tantric statues which are very Indian in feel.
If you happen to be in Kochi on a Sunday, don't miss the colourful street market along the palmtree-lined avenues.
13km south of Kochi, Katsurahama beach is a popular excursion. The beach itself is not really impressive, and people come more for the Tosa dog fights or the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum (￥400, open 9am-5pm). The museum retraces the life of the local hero, who died just 32 years old. The eccentric building in which it is housed is as much worth it as the inside.
From 9 to 12 August, the Yosokoi Matsuri shouldn't be missed if you are in the area. Some 14,000 dancers in bright attire make up for one of Shikoku's liveliest festivals.
How to get there
The JR Nampu Limited Express connects Kochi to Okayama in 2 hours 30 minutes (￥3,180). Okayama is on the main shinkasen line running through Hakata, Osaka, Tokyo and Sendai.
Kochi Ryuma airport is about 40 minutes by bus (￥700) from Kochi, and has flights to Tokyo (Haneda), Nagoya, Osaka (Itami and Kansai), Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Miyazaki and Okinawa.
