Kochi City

Kōchi is the capital of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku Island, Japan, with a population over 330,000. The city sits on a broad alluvial plain facing Urado Bay and takes its name from the great feudal castle at its heart. Cruise ships dock directly at the port, with the cruise terminal simply located near attractions like Kōchi Castle.

Kōchi Castle was completed in 1611 as the seat of Yamauchi Kazutoyo, a warrior who supported Tokugawa Ieyasu. Nearly 250 years later, a Kōchi native named Sakamoto Ryoma, a former samurai, played a pivotal role in bringing the Tokugawa Shogunate to an end and restoring the Emperor to political prominence, making Kōchi a hotbed of support for the Meiji Restoration. Today Kōchi Castle stands as one of the only original castles from Japan's feudal age still standing today.

The city has become known for its relaxed and authentic character. Kōchi has a well-deserved reputation for its exuberant, easy-going spirit and vibrant food scene. A symbol of the city is its most famous dish, katsuo tataki, made by lightly searing and seasoning bonito. Every Sunday there is a market that stretches from Kōchi Castle to the streets of the city, offering fresh local produce and goods.

Kōchi has a very wet humid subtropical climate, receiving twice as much rainfall as other chief cities on Shikoku and is the most typhoon-prone of Japan's major cities. Within reach of the port, the Niyodo River lies an hour outside the city center with startlingly transparent waters about 124 kilometres long, consistently ranking among the purest in Japan.

Kōchi's most famous festival is the Yosakoi held in August, where teams of dancers perform to traditional and modern songs at various places around the city, with thousands of dancers participating. Beyond the castle, visitors can explore one of the city's 88 temples, including the famous Chikurinji Temple on Mount Godaisan, complete with a five-story pagoda.