Kōchi Prefecture

Kōchi Prefecture (高知県, Kōchi-ken, pronounced [koːtɕi ꜜkeɴ]) is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku.[1] The capital is the city of Kōchi.[2]

Kōchi Prefecture

高知県
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
 • Japanese高知県
 • RōmajiKōchi-ken
Flag
Symbol
Coordinates: 33°26′N 133°26′E
CountryJapan
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)

History
Sakamoto Ryōma
See also: List of historic sites of Japan (Kōchi)

Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was 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.

Municipalities
See also: List of cities in Kōchi Prefecture by population
Map of Kōchi Prefecture
     City      Town

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]

Skyline of Kōchi City

Cities

Eleven cities are located in Kōchi Prefecture:

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers
Main article: List of mergers in Kōchi Prefecture

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
Yosakoi

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. 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
  • Kōchi United SC

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.

References

Media related to Kōchi prefecture at Wikimedia Commons

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