With its relaxed vibe and a nice location close to the sea, Kōchi quickly turned out to be our favourite city on Shikoku. Apart from that, there are lots of interesting historical sites, many of them connected to national hero Sakamoto Ryōma, who was born here.

To see the most important sights in Kōchi, I recommend staying two days here, but it would be easy to stick around even longer. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting this beautiful city.

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What to See and Do in Kōchi

Central Kōchi

Kōchi has a pretty compact city centre that’s easy to explore on foot. We found the banks of the Enokuchi River especially nice to stroll along, plus there are several historical buildings in the area, some of which contain small museums.

Kōchi’s historical heroes greeted us right as we left the train station, where there’s an impressive trio of statues of the local samurais Sakamoto Ryoma, Takechi Hapeita and Nakaoka Shintaro.

The Tourist Information Office near the train station has a small leaflet about the historical trail in the area, which we found worth checking out.

Kōchi Castle

Kōchi’s well-preserved castle sits atop a hill to the west of the centre and is impossible to miss when you’re walking around the old town. It was originally built in the early 17^th century, and is one of only twelve intact castles in Japan.

It’s certainly one of the nicest castles we came acoss in Japan. You can explore the keep and surrounding palace buildings, including the traditional living quarters and audience halls.

Apart from that, we liked that we could climb up to the highest level of the tower for pretty amazing views of the surrounding area. You can check the current prices and opening times here.

Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial House

There are traces of the life of Japanese national hero Sakamoto Ryōma all over the city, but this building is where he was born. There are artefacts from his life and we thought that the museum did a good job of both explaining Ryōma’s importance and the evoking the local life in the 19^th century.

We also thought that exhibitions were surprisingly cutting-edge for such a small museum and there are a several interactive rooms where we got a chance to digitally immerse ourselves in Edo-era Kōchi.

The museum is located south-west of the castle near the Kamimachi-itchōme Station of the tram line. You can check the current prices and opening times here.

Sunday Market

Kōchi is also famous for its 300 year old week-market, which takes place every Sunday along Otte-suji, the broad street leading east from the Castle. We were lucky enough to be in town on Sunday to check it out.

There were several hundred stalls spread out over a distance of more than a kilometre selling food, flowers and various knick-knacks. We also used the opportunity to try some street-food and especially liked the local speciality Aisukurin, a kind of sorbet.

Okawasuji Samurai House Museum

This is a well-preserved 19^th century home of a Samurai and his family, and similar to the Buke Yashiki House in the Iya Valley it gave us an interesting glimpse into the everyday life of these highly venerated members of Japanese society.

Both the house and the garden are very pretty and well worth checking out plus the caretaker is more than a little enthusiastic. It’s located in a residential area north of the river and can be visited for free.

Other sights in Central Kōchi

There are a couple of other modest sights in the city centre, most of them points of interest on the historical trail. The small Torahiko Terada House Museum is the well-preserved former home of a local late 19^th and early 20^th century physicist.

We weren’t familiar with Dr. Terada before our visit but like the nearby Okawasuji Samurai House Museum it’s of interest mainly as a glimpse into the domestic architecture of a different century. It’s located on the northern bank of the river, slightly north-west of the castle and there’s no entrance fee.

The pretty Kōchi Hachimangu Shrine on the southern bank of the river east of Harimaya Street leading south from the train station and warrants a short visit and stroll around its peaceful grounds. Finally, the little crimson Harimayabashi Bridge is one of the symbols of the city and features in a famous story of a young monk falling in love with a local girl.  You can find it along Harimayabashi road leading south from the train station.

Godaisan Area

The small mountain Godaisan east of Kōchi’s city centre packs several sights worth visiting. You can get there by taking one of the My-Yu sightseeing buses (see How to get around section below). There’s an excellent viewpoint offering fantastic vistas over the city and the harbour area down to the Pacific Ocean. You can enjoy the views from a platform or from a café while sipping a drink.

Chikurin-Ji Temple

One of the 88 temples on the Henro Pilgrimage, Chikurin-Ji features several fantastic buildings set in beautiful gardens. You can walk around the grounds and appreciate the shrines, five-storied pagoda and countless statues of Jizō, protector of Children in Japanese Buddhism.

Don’t miss the treasure house, which is especially worth visiting for its wonderful little garden, although there are also some interesting statues and scrolls on display inside. The entrance fee to the treasure house is 400¥, while the rest of the temple area can be visited for free.

Makino Botanical Garden

This large Botanical Garden is named after local Botanist Dr. Makino Tomitaro and is a wonderful place to stroll around for a few hours. There are a couple of greenhouses featuring exotic plants from various climate zones as well as giant lotus leaves.

Apart from countless pathways and boardwalks allowing you to explore the beautiful grounds, there are also some small exhibition spaces with rotating expositions and some nice viewpoints to the surrounding area. The entrance fee is 730¥.

Suburbs of Kōchi

Ino Japanese Paper Museum

This fascinating museum, located in the town of Ino, about 10km west of central Kōchi is dedicated to the art of Japanese paper making. Apart from several interesting exhibits detailing the intricate process going into the creation of washi (the traditional Japanese Paper), there are displays of countless artful objects made out of paper from lunch-boxes to clothing and papier-mâché figurines.

We even learned to make washi yourself in the museum’s workshop. It’s an interesting glimpse into this part of local culture, plus you get to take home the postcards you made. If you decide to go for the workshop, I suggest you do it before checking out the exhibition, as the paper takes about 30 minutes to dry.

The entrance fee is 500¥, the paper-making workshop an additional 400¥. To get there, take the JR train to Ino Station, then follow the big road in front of the station west for about 10 mins.

Katsura-hama Beach Area

This pretty beach area is located about 12km south of the city centre and can easily be reached by taking one of the My-Yu sightseeing buses (see below). The pretty sand beach is backed by a hill studded with pine trees. There’s a gigantic statue of Sakamoto Ryōma and a small picturesque shrine called Katsurahama Ryuogu Shrine on a cliff over the Pacific Ocean.

Sakamoto Ryoma Museum

If you haven’t had your fill of local hero Sakamoto Ryōma yet, this museum on a hill behind Katsura-hama beach details both his life as well as the turbulent time period leading up to Japan’s opening to the west with the Meiji Restoration in 1867.

One of the more lurid exhibits is a still bloody partition screen from Ōmiya Inn in Kyoto, where Ryōma was assassinated. There’s also a letter of excuse to his wife after a night of drunken debauchery. I guess national heroes can be human, too.

The entrance fee is 500¥ and there’s a stop of the My-Yo sightseeing bus right in front of the museum.

Practicalities

How to Get to Kōchi

By far the best way to get around Japan is by using the country’s impeccable train system, which is fast, comfortable and efficient. A regional JR-Railway pass allows for unlimited use of Shikoku’s JR railways for 3 (12,000¥/91$), 4 (15,000¥/113$), 5 (17,000¥/127$) or 7 days (20,000¥/149$), which is a fantastic deal.

You can order your pass online on this site.

Coming from the north, you can use trains on the JR Dosan Line which starts in Okayama in southern Honshu (about 2.5 hours / 3,300¥). You can travel to Kōchi from Takamatsu (about 2h 20mins. / 2,800¥), Kotohira (about 1.5 hours / 2,100¥) and Oboke in the Iya Valley (about 50 mins. / 1,300¥).

From the east, trains travel from Tokushima (about 1h 20mins. / 3,200¥) to Kōchi via Awa-Ikeda, where you’ll have to change trains. From Matsuyama in the west, it’s easiest to travel to Kōchi by the JR Shikoku bus (about 2.5 hours). 

How to Get Around in Kōchi

The convenient My-Yu Sightseeing Buses, which start at the train station serve the most popular tourist attractions in the city, including the Godaisan Area and the Katsura-hama beach.

A one-day ticket costs 1,000¥ and additionaly gives you a discount on a couple of tourist attractions. You can check out the route and timetable here. The ticket is also valid for several stops on the tram running from in a west-easterly direction through the city.

The Best Hotels in Kōchi

Kōchi is a popular place with domestic and some international travelers and there are plenty of accommodation options.

We stayed at the Katsuo Guesthouse north of the centre, which is a good choice if you’re on a budget. There are plenty of midrange hotels, in the city centre of which Dormy Inn Kochi seems to be the top pick as well as some luxurious traditional Ryokan-style hotels, like まちの別邸 緝 Shu or Jyoseikan Ryokan, which both have great ratings.

Where to Eat in Kōchi

Kōchi is a great place for foodies and you can try a couple of regional specialities. One of the best places to try them is Hirome Ichiba, a big food court with tons of stalls that allows you to try all manner of different snacks. One of the specialities of Kōchi prefecture to try here is Katsuo no-tataki, a salted and slightly charred bonito fillet but choices are nearly infinite. It’s located south-east of the castle.

Another cool place to try is Hakobe, where you can make your own Okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes) at your table. You just order your preferred ingredients and prepare them on your own personal hot-plate. It’s a lot of fun and super tasty. It’s close to the eastern end of the pedestrian Obiyamachi Street.

Where to Go Next