Kochi (Shikoku)

Kōchi (高知) is the eponymous capital of Kochi prefecture on the Japanese island of Shikoku.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. Clicking on "Multilingual Information" link leads to the prefecture's tourism website.

By plane
Pint-sized Kōchi Ryōma Airport has flights from Osaka-Itami, Tokyo-Haneda, Nagoya-Komaki and Fukuoka. Buses to Kochi station (35-45 min, ¥700) leave roughly twice an hour.

By train
The JR Dosan Line (土讃線) 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 2½ hours.

By bus
Highway buses depart for Kochi daily from Fukuoka (¥9200), Hiroshima (¥7500), Okayama (¥4100), Osaka (¥6000), Kyoto (¥6500), Nagoya (¥6600), and Tokyo (¥10200). From within Shikoku, there are buses from Tokushima (¥4000) and Matsuyama (¥4000).

By car
You can easily visit Kochi by car.
 * Enterprise Car Rental

By bus
The My-Yu Bus (MY遊バス) service runs from the north side of JR Kochi Station. Day passes are ¥1000. The bus stops at 3 locations on Mt. Godaisan (Chikurinji, Makino Botanical Garden, and the Godaisan Lookout Point) and continues on to Katsurahama.

By tram
Kochi has trams running south from Kochi Station and east-west along Route 32. Within the downtown area, it costs ¥200 per trip.

By bicycle
The streets are wide and traffic fairly light compared to most Japanese cities. Watch out for cyclists riding the wrong way into traffic.

See




Godaisan
Godaisan is a mountain in Kochi city between the downtown area and Katsurahama. It is the holy mountain where Chikurin-ji Temple was built and is also now home to one of Japan's best botanical gardens. The look-out area at the top provides scenic views over the surrounding area.

Katsurahama
Katsurahama (桂浜) is Kochi's famous coastal beach. Swimming is prohibited, but it is famous for the beautiful coastal view. Historically, it was a popular place for moon-viewing.



Buy

 * Katsuo Bushi - Bonito flakes. This is a staple of the Japanese diet and is best in Kochi. It is used as a topping for many dishes and will surely be appreciated by a Japanese friend.

Eat

 * Katsuo no tataki - This is Kochi's specialty dish and does not taste as good anywhere else! Katsuo is a type of tuna fish which in English is called Bonito. Tataki is the style in which it is prepared. The tataki style means that the fish is held over a fire and cooked only on the outside layer (3 mm to 1 cm deep), leaving the inside of the fish red and raw. After the firing it is cut into thick juicy slices that look like oversized sashimi, and served with sliced garlic and onions, shiso (a Japanese leaf with a distinct and delicious taste), some other garnish, a special sauce that may vary, and of course some fresh wasabi. Once it is at your table clutch a slice with your chop sticks along with a generous portion of the garlic, onions, wasabi etc. Take it all in one bite. Katsuo is best during the Summer and early Fall when the fish arrive off the coast of Kochi after fattening up in the tropics during the winter. Katsuo no tataki can be found in many, many restaurants throughout Kochi Prefecture, but for the cream of the crop go to Kuroson in Kochi City.
 * Kuroson (黒尊) is a small sushi restaurant near Ohashi Dori, nestled in a narrow alley just behind the Mos Burger on the East West Densha Dori. On most nights you will need a reservation booked well in advance, but if you are on your own or as a couple, you might get lucky and find a spot on a week day. Ask for Shio Tataki, a specialty of Kuroson. It a variation of katsuo no tataki prepared in salt (shio), giving it an even more unforgettable taste. For the bolder among you, ask for  chichiko (Katsuo hearts) as an appetizer.

Drink
Denizens of Kochi drink a lot; see the prefecture article for the full scoop.

Gokkun-Umajimura (ごっくん馬路村) is a famous non-alcoholic drink. It is made of yuzu which is a kind of citrus fruit and is well-known product in Umajimura, Kochi. It tastes sweet-and-sour so that is easy to drink for everyone, from little children to old people. It is sold in every place in Kochi, for example supermarkets, stations and airport. It's fantastic when mixed with shochu on the rocks.

Go next

 * Ino
 * Nankoku - home of the prefecture's airport and the famous long-tailed roosters
 * Kami - location of the famous Ryugado Cave
 * Aki - birthplace of Mitsubishi founder Iwasaki Yatarō
 * Hidaka - site of the historic Omura Shrine, Saruda Cave, and ruins of Kashiwai Castle
 * Sakawa - home to one of Japan's oldest archaeological excavation sites, the Sakawa Basin
 * Shimanto - home to Japan's last undammed river, the Shimanto River
 * Miyoshi - just north in Tokushima Prefecture, home to Oboke and Koboke and the Iya Valley
 * Muroto