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KOCHI

When to travel?

The climate in Kochi is very comfortable.  Temperature in summer could be hot but the air is dry, in winter there are many sunny days with no snow.  A lot of rainfall.

Best season:  Feb-Dec (Jun is monsoon, Sep is typhoon)
Cherry blossoms: mid of Mar–Apr
Foliage: Nov

Events / Festivals

Feb: Akiba shrine festival (秋葉神社祭礼), Niyodo 仁淀町
Apr: Doronko festival (どろんこ祭り), Kochi
Aug: Yosakoi festival (よさこい祭り), Kochi
Aug: Omikoku festival (御神穀祭), Kure  久礼
Oct: Mikoshi arai (神輿洗い), Muroto 室戸
Nov: Ichijo festival (一條大祭), Shimanto 四万十

Touristic spots

Capital city: Kochi (高知)

Located in the center of the prefecture, Kochi is the capital city with the population of 320,000.  This number is almost the half of its entire population in the prefecture.

The city has flourished under the governance of Yamauchi family.

Kochi castle (高知城)
There is always a market held on the street, except for Mondays.
Katsurahama beach (桂浜), where stands the statue of Ryoma Sakamoto (坂本龍馬), a person who represents the prefecture.

Ryugado cave (龍河洞)

A limestone cave.  It is 4 km long but 1km is open for visitors.  One of the three limestone caves in Japan.

Tatsukushi coast (竜串海岸)

Tatsukushi coast is located at the most Southwestern part of Shikoku, facing the Pacific Ocean.

The wave from the ocean has created this amazing nature view by shaping the stratum of 17 million years ago, which impresses all the people visiting here.  Each funny shapes have their own name, but it would be enjoyable for you to imagine what they look like in your own eyes.

Shimanto River (四万十川)

The water of the river is so clean that the river is called as the last clear stream in Japan.  People come here, especially during summer vacation with their kids and enjoy catching fish, riding on the boat and so on.  Of course, you may drink the river water as it is, which contains lots of minerals.

If you would like to experience good old Japanese summer, this is the place you must visit.

The water is potable.