Regions & prefectures
JapanRegions & prefectures
Kōchi
Japan’s last wild river, bonito seared over straw, and the samurai who brokered modernity.
- Capital
- Kōchi
- Status
- Prefecture
- Region
- Shikoku
- Must-see
- The Shimanto river and its submersible bridges
- Local specialty
- Katsuo no tataki, yuzu, Tosa sake
The Shimanto is often described as Japan’s last major river with no dam on its main course; its parapet-free submersible bridges are designed to vanish under floods. The old country of Tosa produced Sakamoto Ryōma, a low-ranking samurai who brokered the Satsuma-Chōshū alliance and the return of power to the emperor before being assassinated at thirty-one.
What to see there
Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.