Kōchi Prefecture

Kōchi Prefecture
Kōchi Prefecture; 高知県
	Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	高知県
• Rōmaji	Kōchi-ken
	; Flag ; Symbol
	Coordinates: 33°26′N 133°26′E / 33.433°N 133.433°ECoordinates: 33°26′N 133°26′E / 33.433°N 133.433°E
Country	Japan
Region	Shikoku
Island	Shikoku
Capital	Kōchi (city)
Subdivisions	Districts: 6, Municipalities: 34
Government
• Governor	Masanao Ozaki
Area
• Total	7,103.93 km2 (2,742.84 sq mi)
Area rank	14th
Population (December 1, 2011)
• Total	757,914
• Rank	45th
• Density	106.68/km2 (276.3/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-39
Website	www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/english/
	Symbols
Bird	Fairy pitta (Pitta nympha)
Flower	Yamamomo (Myrica rubra)
Tree	Yanase Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica)

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

HistoryEdit

Sakamoto Ryōma

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.

MunicipalitiesEdit

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

CitiesEdit

Eleven cities are located in Kōchi Prefecture:

Towns and villagesEdit

These are the towns and villages in each district:

MergersEdit

TourismEdit

Cape of Ashizuri

Cape of Muroto

Kōchi Castle, one of only 12 original castles left in Japan
Okō Castle, Chōsokabe clan`s prime castle ruins now Kōchi Prefectural Museum of History is on site.
Katsurahama
Ryugado Cave, one of Japan's top three caves
Shimanto River, the only undammed river in Japan
Godaisan
Anpanman Museum

MediaEdit

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]

CultureEdit

Yosakoi

FoodEdit

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 eventsEdit

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.

SportsEdit

The sports teams listed below are based in Kōchi.

Baseball

Kōchi Fighting Dogs

Football

Kōchi United SC

NotesEdit

^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Kōchi prefecture" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 538, p. 538, at Google Books.
^ Nussbaum, "Kōchi" at p. 538, p. 538, at Google Books.
^ Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780, p. 780, at Google Books.
^ "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
^ "Yukiyo Teramoto Makes Short Insert Anime for "Prefectural Office Hospitality Department: The Movie" - Tokyo Otaku Mode News". otakumode.com.
^ 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.
^ 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.

ReferencesEdit

Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

External linksEdit

Media related to Kōchi prefecture at Wikimedia Commons

Official website (in English)

[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.

[AltYoda2012-6] 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.

[Laemmerhirt2014-7] 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.

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