Kōchi Prefecture

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Kōchi Prefecture
高知県
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese高知県
 • RōmajiKōchi-ken
Flag of Kōchi Prefecture
Official logo of Kōchi Prefecture
Location of Kōchi Prefecture
Coordinates: 33°26′N 133°26′E / 33.433°N 133.433°E / 33.433; 133.433Coordinates: 33°26′N 133°26′E / 33.433°N 133.433°E / 33.433; 133.433
Country Japan
RegionShikoku
IslandShikoku
CapitalKōchi (city)
SubdivisionsDistricts: 6, Municipalities: 34
Government
 • GovernorSeiji Hamada
Area
 • Total7,103.93 km2 (2,742.84 sq mi)
Area rank18th
Population
 (December 1, 2011)
 • Total757,914
 • Rank45th
 • Density106.68/km2 (276.3/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeJP-39
Websitewww.pref.kochi.lg.jp/english/
Symbols
BirdFairy pitta (Pitta nympha)
FlowerYamamomo (Myrica rubra)
TreeYanase Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica)

Kōchi Prefecture (高知県, Kōchi-ken, /ˈki/; pronounced [koːtɕi ꜜkeɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku.[1] Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 757,914 (1 December 2011) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and Tokushima Prefecture to the northeast.

Kōchi is the capital and largest city of Kōchi Prefecture, with other major cities including Nankoku, Shimanto, and Kōnan.[2] Kōchi Prefecture is located on Japan's Pacific coast surrounding a large bay in the south of Shikoku, with the southernmost point of the island located at Cape Ashizuri in Tosashimizu. Kōchi Prefecture is home to Kōchi Castle, considered the most intact Japanese castle, and the Shimanto River, one of the few undammed rivers in Japan.

History[]

Kōchi Prefecture was historically known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chōsokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi clan during the Edo period.[3]

Kōchi city is also the birthplace of noted revolutionary Sakamoto Ryōma, who became one of the main instigators of the Meiji Restoration.

Geography[]

Kōchi Prefecture comprises the southwestern part of the island of Shikoku, facing the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Ehime to the north-west and Tokushima 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 and Nakamura 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 an altitude of 1,506 meters above sea level.

As of April 1, 2012, 7% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park; Ishizuchi, Muroto-Anan Kaigan, and Tsurugisan Quasi-National Parks; and eighteen Prefectural Natural Parks.[4]

Map of Kōchi Prefecture
     City      Town      Village
Skyline of Kōchi City

Cities[]

Eleven cities are located in Kōchi Prefecture:

Flag Name Area (km2) Population Map
Rōmaji Kanji
Flag of Aki, Kōchi.svg Aki 安芸市 317.34 17,810 Aki in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Kami Kochi.JPG Kami 香美市 537.95 26,526 Kami in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Kochi, Kochi.svg Kōchi (capital) 高知市 309.22 332,059 Kochi in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Konan Kochi.JPG Kōnan 香南市 126.75 32,786 Konan in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Muroto, Kōchi.svg Muroto 室戸市 248.25 14,006 Muroto in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Nankoku, Kochi.svg Nankoku 南国市 125.35 47,776 Nankoku in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Shimanto, Kōchi.svg Shimanto 四万十市 632.42 34,433 Shimanto in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Sukumo Kochi.svg Sukumo 宿毛市 286.11 21,097 Sukumo in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Susaki, Kōchi.svg Susaki 須崎市 135.46 22,508 Susaki in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Tosa Kochi.JPG Tosa 土佐市 91.59 27,602 Tosa city in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Tosashimizu Kochi.JPG Tosashimizu 土佐清水市 266.54 14,666 Tosashimizu in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg

Towns and villages[]

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Name Area (km2) Population District Type Map
Rōmaji Kanji
Flag of Geisei Kochi.JPG Geisei 芸西村 39.63 3,846 Aki District Village Geisei in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Hidaka Kochi.JPG Hidaka 日高村 44.88 4,896 Takaoka District Village Hidaka in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Ino Kochi.svg Ino いの町 470.71 22,155 Agawa District Town Ino in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Kitagawa Kochi.JPG Kitagawa 北川村 196.18 1‚328 Aki District Village Kitagawa in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Kuroshio Kochi.svg Kuroshio 黒潮町 188.38 11,559 Hata District Town Kuroshio in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Mihara Kochi.JPG Mihara 三原村 85.35 1,627 Hata District Village Mihara in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Motoyama Kochi.JPG Motoyama 本山町 134.21 3,605 Nagaoka District Town Motoyama in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Nahari Kochi.JPG Nahari 奈半利町 28.32 3,359 Aki District Town Nahari in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Nakatosa Kochi.JPG Nakatosa 中土佐町 193.19 7,156 Takaoka District Town Nakatosa in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Niyodogawa Kochi.JPG Niyodogawa 仁淀川町 332.96 5,676 Agawa District Town Niyodogawa in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Ochi Kochi.JPG Ochi 越知町 111.58 5,847 Takaoka District Town Ochi in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Okawa Kochi.JPG Ōkawa 大川村 95.28 521 Tosa District Village Okawa in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Otoyo Kochi.JPG Ōtoyo 大豊町 314.94 4,950 Nagaoka District Town Otoyo in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Otsuki Kochi.JPG Ōtsuki 大月町 103.03 5,719 Hata District Town Otsuki in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Sakawa Kochi.JPG Sakawa 佐川町 101.21 13,223 Takaoka District Town Sakawa in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Shimanto-town Kochi.JPG Shimanto 四万十町 642.06 18,269 Takaoka District Town Shimanto town in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Tano Kochi.JPG Tano 田野町 6.56 2,644 Aki District Town Tano in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Tosa-town Kochi.JPG Tosa 土佐町 212.11 3,997 Tosa District Town Tosa town in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Toyo Kochi.JPG Tōyō 東洋町 74.09 2,598 Aki District Town Toyo in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Tsuno Kochi.JPG Tsuno 津野町 197.85 5,680 Takaoka District Town Tsuno in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Umaji Kochi.JPG Umaji 馬路村 165.48 737 Aki District Village Umaji in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Yasuda Kochi.JPG Yasuda 安田町 53.03 2,614 Aki District Town Yasuda in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg
Flag of Yusuhara Kochi.JPG Yusuhara 梼原町 236.51 3,640 Takaoka District Town Yusuhara in Kochi Prefecture Ja.svg

Mergers[]

Tourism[]

Cape of Ashizuri
Cape of Muroto

Media[]

The 2013 movie Hospitality Department (Kencho Omotenashi Ka) is set in Kōchi.[5] The film shows views of Kōchi Prefecture.

The 2009 movie The Harimaya Bridge starring Danny Glover was set in Kochi.[6][7]

Culture[]

Food[]

Like most areas of Japan, Kōchi advertises itself as specialising in a major food item, in this case, katsuo no tataki. Katsuo no tataki is skipjack tuna or bonito, lightly seared.[8] 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 hates formal arrangements and respect freedom.

Festival and events[]

Festival
  • 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.

Sports[]

The sports teams listed below are based in Kōchi.

Baseball
Football

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kōchi prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 538, p. 538, at Google Books.
  2. ^ Nussbaum, "Kōchi" at p. 538, p. 538, at Google Books.
  3. ^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
  4. ^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  5. ^ "Yukiyo Teramoto Makes Short Insert Anime for "Prefectural Office Hospitality Department: The Movie" - Tokyo Otaku Mode News". otakumode.com.
  6. ^ Matt Alt; Hiroko Yoda; Melinda Joe (27 March 2012). Frommer's? Japan Day by Day. John Wiley & Sons. p. 532. ISBN 978-0-470-90826-6.
  7. ^ Iris-Aya Laemmerhirt (March 2014). Embracing Differences: Transnational Cultural Flows between Japan and the United States. transcript Verlag. p. 254. ISBN 978-3-8394-2600-5.
  8. ^ Lafferty, Jefferey (2020-10-16). "Japan's delicious fire-seared delicacy". BBC.

References[]

External links[]

Media related to Kōchi prefecture at Wikimedia Commons

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