region image
18°

Kochi

Birthplace of Sakamoto Ryoma and Yosakoi festivals

About Kochi
Photo: Tomoko.M / Shutterstock.com

Top Attractions in Kochi

View all places

Kochi Top 10

  1. Yosakoi Festival
    1

    Yosakoi Festival

    Kochi City
  2. So You Want to Move to Rural Japan
    2

    So You Want to Move to Rural Japan

    Kochi City
  3. Local Character Festival in Susaki
    3

    Local Character Festival in Susaki

    Culture
  4. Katsuo no Tataki: Kochi's Soul Food
    4

    Katsuo no Tataki: Kochi's Soul Food

    Kochi City
  5. Yusuhara Town Library
    5

    Yusuhara Town Library

    Culture
  6. Kochi Castle Tour and History
    6

    Kochi Castle Tour and History

    Kochi City
  7. A Day at Katsurahama Beach
    7

    A Day at Katsurahama Beach

    Kochi City
  8. Tengu (Goblin) Highlands
    8

    Tengu (Goblin) Highlands

    Activities
  9. World's Friendliest Flea Market?
    9

    World's Friendliest Flea Market?

    Kochi City
  10. Makino Botanical Gardens
    10

    Makino Botanical Gardens

    Kochi City

Upcoming Kochi Events

Yosakoi Festival 2025
Culture

Yosakoi Festival 2025

Aug 9th - Aug 12th

Yosakoi is a dance festival in Kochi every August. It is a Carnival-like kind of party with a unique Japanese influence only Kochi..

13 Free Entry
View all events

Where to eat in Kochi

View all dining

Places to stay in Kochi

Hotel Sansuien
Accommodation

Hotel Sansuien

Ekaterina Bespyatova

Stay at this upscale hotel in close proximity to Kochi Castle, where you can enjoy a hot spring bath and learn a few things about..

1
Kuroshio Honjin Onsen
Accommodation

Kuroshio Honjin Onsen

Nate Hill

Kuroshio Honjin is southwest of Kochi City in a town called Nakatosa. Onsen and ryokan lovers should add this to their must visit..

5
View all accommodation

Latest Kochi Reports

The Magical Ioki Cave
Activities

The Magical Ioki Cave

Chiara Terzuolo

Blink and you might miss the entrance to this little gem just one train stop away from the retro samurai town of Aki, in Kochi Prefecture...

View all articles
Close

About Kochi

Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Shikoku
Island Shikoku
Capital Kochi City
Population 764,456
Area 7,103.91 km²

Located in the Shikoku region, Kochi Prefecture (高知県, Kōchi-ken) is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of the legendary Japanese revolutionary Sakamoto Ryoma, one of the most important figures in modern Japanese history; his statue on Katsurahama Beach is arguably the Mecca for Ryoma fanatics.

Kochi Castle is one of the oldest castles in Japan still standing, while the beautiful Shimanto River is said to be “Japan’s last fresh stream.”

Two notable activities in Kochi include whale-watching and the famous Yosakoi Dance Festival every August. If you're on a long vacation (and want to get some exercise), try the Shikoku O-henro, a pilgrimage of 88 temples that runs through Kochi (16 of the temples are located within the prefecture) and covers all of Shikoku, spanning 1200 km long. And while you're in Kochi, be sure to try katsuo tataki, seasoned and lightly grilled bonito sashimi.

Around Kochi

Close