Kōchi is the capital and largest city of Kōchi Prefecture, with other major cities includingNankoku,Shimanto, andKōnan.[4] Kōchi Prefecture is located on Japan'sPacific coast surrounding a largebay in the south of Shikoku, with the southernmost point of the island located atCape Ashizuri inTosashimizu. Kōchi Prefecture is home toKōchi Castle, considered the most intactJapanese castle, and theShimanto River, one of the fewundammed rivers in Japan.
In theKujiki, 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 theYamato court. Written records from this time period are sparse, however it is believed that the first governors of Hata and Tosa were from theKamo clan based in modern Osaka.
In theNihon Shoki, the first report from anofficial in the Kōchi region described the damages caused by the684 Hakuhō earthquake. From this report, it can be inferred that by 684 at the latest, theTosa 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 theGenpei 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.
TheKamakura 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 theHosokawa Clan.
Kōchi Prefecture comprises the southwestern part of the island ofShikoku, facing thePacific Ocean. It is bordered byEhime to the north-west andTokushima 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 andNakamura 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 analtitude of 1,506 metersabove 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 isMt. 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 theShimanto River in the western part of the prefecture,Niyodo River flowing fromMount Ishizuchi into theTosa Bay, andYoshino River flowing intoTokushima Prefecture.
Historically, Kōchi Prefecture has not suffered from a lack of water, howeverriver management has been a consistent issue. In the earlyEdo Period, samurai Nonaka Kenzan oversaw large scale improvements to theTosa Domain's major rivers. Modern Kōchi Prefecture is known for its river management and minimal water damage despite receiving a large amount of rainfall.
TheKuroshio 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 frequenttyphoons. Kōchi Prefecture experiences the 2nd most typhoons out of all the Japanese prefectures afterKagoshima 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.
Like most areas of Japan, Kōchi advertises itself as specializing in a major food item, often known asmeibutsu. Kōchi's iskatsuo no tataki – skipjack tuna orbonito which is lightly seared.[10] 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.
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.
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