Kochi, Kochi

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Kochi, Kochi

is the capital city

Cities of Japan

|||}A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of ....
of Kochi Prefecture

Kochi Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kochi, Kochi....
on Shikoku

Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshu and east of Kyushu island. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima ....
island of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
.

Kochi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population

Population

File:Population density.pngIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings....
of 341,860 and a density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
of 1,110 persons per km². The total area is 309.22 km².

A symbol of the city is its most famous dish, katsuo

Skipjack tuna

The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish....
tataki

Tataki

Tataki , also called tosa-mi, is a manner of preparing fish or meat in Japanese cuisine. The meat or fish is seared very briefly over a hot flame or pan, briefly marinated in vinegar, sliced thinly and seasoned with ginger ....
, made by lightly searing and seasoning tuna.

area of Kochi has three distinct geographic sections.

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Encyclopedia

is the capital city

Cities of Japan

|||}A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of ....
of Kochi Prefecture

Kochi Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kochi, Kochi....
on Shikoku

Shikoku

Japan

Population

File:Population density.pngIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings....
of 341,860 and a density

Population density

Skipjack tuna

Tataki

Geography

The area of Kochi has three distinct geographic sections. The major settled part of the city lies at the head of Urado Bay, in a narrow alluvial plain

Alluvial plain

An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which Alluvium soil forms....
crossed by several rivers, notably the Kagami River and Kokubu River. The plain is bounded by mountains to the north and a range of hills to the south and west.

The northern mountains form the least densely populated part of the city, with the only settlement being along narrow river valleys. The highest point in Kochi is Kuishi-yama at 1176 m.

To the south of the city centre, Urado Bay cuts through the hills to its outlet into the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
. The land surrounding the bay and a small strip of the coastline form the third part of the city. This area, although hillier and lense dense than the plain, is nevertheless a major location of housing and port-related industry

Industry

An industry is the manufacturing of a Good or Service within a category. Although industry is a broad term for any kind of economic production, in economics and urban planning industry is a synonym for the secondary sector, which is a type of economic activity involved in the manufacturing of raw materials into goods and products....
.

History

The river plain now containing the city centre was originally settled as a castle town around the seat of the lords of Tosa Province

Tosa Province

is the name of a provinces of Japan of Japan in the area that is today Kochi prefecture on Shikoku. Tosa was bordered by Iyo province and Awa province Provinces....
, Kochi Castle

Kochi Castle

is a Japanese castle located in Kochi, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan....
. The castle site was chosen by Lord Yamauchi Katsutoyo in 1601. The city takes its name from that of the castle. As the centre of administration for the province, and the prefecture which succeeded it, the town rapidly grew to become the largest settlement of the region.

During the time of the Meiji Restoration

Meiji Restoration

The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure....
, Kochi became famous as a centre of pro-imperial ideology, and later for incubating democratic

Democracy

Democracy is a form of government in which power is held directly or indirectly by citizens under a free electoral system. It is derived from the Greek language d?????at?a , "popular government" which was coined from d???? , "people" and ???t?? , "rule, strength" in the middle of the 5th-4th century BC to denote the political syst...
and human rights

Human rights in Japan

Japan is a liberal democracy. According to Ministry of Justice figures, the Japanese Legal Affairs Bureau offices and civil liberties volunteers dealt with 359,971 human rights related complaints and 18,786 reports of suspected human rights violations during 2003....
movements.

The city was incorporated on April 1, 1889.

Tram

Tram

A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railroad car, of lighter weight and construction than a train, designed for the transport of passengers within, close to, or between villages, towns and/or cities, on tracks running primarily on streets....
service began in the city on May 2, 1904, and the city was connected to the national rail network

Rail transport in Japan

Rail transport in Japan is a major means of passenger transport, especially for mass and high-speed travel between major cities and for commuter transport in metropolitan areas....
on November 12, 1951.

On April 1, 1998, the city was designated as the first core city

Core city

A is a class of cities of Japan created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as City designated by government ordinance....
on Shikoku.

Government

The administrative functions of the city of Kochi are directed by an elected mayor and 42-member assembly. The current mayor (since 2003) is Seiya Okazaki.

Education

Kochi is home to two universities

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
, Kochi University

Kochi University

is a Japanese national university in Kochi, Kochi, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1922, and it was chartered as a university in 1949....
and Kochi Women's University

Kochi Women's University

is a public university for women in Kochi, Kochi, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1944, and it was chartered as a university in 1949....
, and four junior college

Junior college

The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries....
s. The city directly administers Kochi Commercial High School

Commercial high school (Japan)

A , called or shogyo for short, is a Japanese high school which concentrates more on the teaching of business and commerce knowledge and skills rather than the college preparatory courses taught in most Japanese high schools....
, and 15 other high schools are located within the city boundaries.

Events

Kochi's most famous festival is the Yosakoi

Yosakoi

Yosakoi is a unique style of dance that originated in Japan. Yosakoi started in the city of Kochi, Kochi in 1954, as a modern rendition of Awa Odori, a traditional summer dance....
which is held in August. Teams of dancers dance to traditional and modern songs at various places around Kochi. The total number of dancers is in the thousands.

Tourism

Kochi Castle

is a Japanese castle located in Kochi, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan....
still exists in its pre-restoration

Meiji Restoration

The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan's political and social structure....
form, and is one of the main tourist attractions. Other places of interest in the city centre are the shopping arcade, the regular Sunday street markets which are close to a kilometre in length, and , a bridge that featured in a famous Kochi song about the forbidden love of a Buddhist priest.

The mountain holds a public park with views of the city, and is home to stop 31 on the Shikoku Pilgrimage

Shikoku Pilgrimage

The is a junrei of 88 Buddhist temples in Japans on the island of Shikoku, Japan. It is believed all 88 temples were visited by the famous Buddhist monk Kukai, who was born in Zentsuji, Kagawa, Shikoku in 774....
, , as well as the Makino Botanical Garden

Makino Botanical Garden

The Makino Botanical Garden , also known as the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden, is a botanical garden located at Godaisan 4200-6, Kochi, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan....
.

Off of Museum Road (Kenritsu Bijutsukandori) is the Kochi Art Museum, where the main collection is composed of expressionistic works related to Kochi.

At the mouth of Urado Bay, the remnants of Urado Castle (an earlier provincial seat) stand above , a famous beach

Beach

File:MiamiSouthBeachPanoramaEdit.jpgA beach is a geology landform along the shoreline of a body of water. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of Rock , such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, pebbles, or cobble....
with an aquarium

Aquarium

An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. fishkeeping use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants....
and statue

Statue

A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a Bust , and at least close to life-size, or larger....
of the Kochi hero Sakamoto Ryoma

Sakamoto Ryoma

';' was a leader of the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu during the Bakumatsu period in Japan. Ryoma used the alias as a cover name during his work as a loyalist in the creation of a modern government....
. Nearby on the grounds is the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum.

Transport

The most visible form of transport within Kochi is the tram

Tram

Tosa Electric Railway

The is a transportation company in Kochi, Kochi, Japan. The private company operates tram and bus lines. It also operates as the agency of All Nippon Airways in Kochi Prefecture....
. Its three lines with historic cars service the major north-south and east-west axes of the city.

The city also has an extensive bus

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus can generally seat a maximum of anywhere from 8 to 200 passengers; many more passengers than a minivan....
network.

Kochi is located on the JR Shikoku

Shikoku Railway Company

, commonly known as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in the four Prefectures of Japan on the island of Shikoku in Japan....
's Dosan Line

Dosan Line

is a Japanese railway line of Shikoku Railway Company between Tadotsu Station in Tadotsu, Kagawa, Kagawa Prefecture and Kubokawa Station in Shimanto, Kochi , Kōchi Prefecture, in the island of Shikoku....
connecting it to northern Shikoku, and via interchanges with the Tosa Kuroshio Railway

Tosa Kuroshio Railway

The is a railway company in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. The name comes from the Ancient provinces of Japan of Tosa Province and Kuroshio Current. The third sector company , founded in 1986, took a former Japanese National Railways line, Nakamura Line, and later two JNR planned lines those constructions were halted halfway through, Sukumo and Asa l...
to the eastern and western parts of Kochi Prefecture

Kochi Prefecture

is a Prefectures of Japan of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kochi, Kochi....
. JR's central station in Kochi is Kochi Station

Kochi Station (Kochi)

is a train station on the Dosan Line of Shikoku Railway Company located in the city center of Kochi, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan.The station, one of the key stations of the railway network in the island of Shikoku, started operation on November 15, 1924....
.

Kochi is also serviced by the Kochi interchange

Interchange

An interchange is a location where two things meet, usually perform some kind of exchange, and possibly go on their ways again. It is used in a number of different contexts....
of the Kochi Expressway which connects to the national expressway system

Expressways of Japan

The expressways of Japan make up a large network of freeway-standard toll roads....
.

Kochi Ryoma Airport

Kochi Ryoma Airport

Kochi Ryoma Airport , also known as Kochi Airport , is a regional airport in Nankoku, Kochi, a city in the Kochi Prefecture of Japan. It is located on the southeastern coast, near the city of Kochi, Kochi....
in nearby Nankoku

Nankoku, Kochi

is a rural cities of Japan located in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Strong in the fishing industry and the market industry, Nankoku-shi supplies most of Kochi's agricultural needs, because of the amount of fields and plantations....
serves Kochi.

Expansions

On January 1, 2005 the villages of Kagami
Kagami, Kochi (Tosa)

was a villages of Japan located in Tosa District, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan. On January 1, 2005 the village merged into the expanded city of Kochi, Kochi and no longer exists as an independent municipalities of Japan....
and Tosayama
Tosayama, Kochi

Tosayama was a villages of Japan located in Tosa District, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan. On January 1, 2005 the village merged into the expanded city of Kochi, Kochi and no longer exists as an independent municipalities of Japan....
, both from Tosa District
Tosa District, Kochi

is a districts of Japan located in Kochi Prefecture, Japan.As of the January 1, 2005 merger but with 2003 population estimates, the district has an estimated population of 5,348 and a population density of 17.4 persons per square kilometer....
, merged into the city.
On January 1, 2008 the town of Haruno
Haruno, Kochi

was a towns of Japan located in Agawa District, Kochi, Kochi Prefecture, Japan. On January 1, 2008, Haruno merged into the city of Kochi, Kochi.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 15,645 and a population density of 348.13 persons per km?....
from Agawa District
Agawa District, Kochi

is a districts of Japan located in Kochi Prefecture, Japan.As of January 1, 2008, the district has an estimated population of 35,108 and a population density of 43.7 persons per km?....
was merged into the city.

Sister cities

- Fresno, California
Fresno, California

Fresno is a city in California, USA, the county seat of Fresno County, California, and the second largest inland city in the state, after San Jose, California....
, USA
- Wuhu, China
Wuhu

})|-| Area| 3,317 square kilometre|-| Population| 2,245,600 |-| GDP'- Total'- Per Capita| Renminbi34.507 billion ?15,366 ...
- Kitami, Japan
Kitami, Hokkaido

is a cities of Japan located in Abashiri subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the most populous city and the commercial center in the subprefecture, although the subprefectural capital is Abashiri, Hokkaido....
- Surabaya, Indonesia

Famous residents

Sakamoto Ryoma
Sakamoto Ryoma

';' was a leader of the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu during the Bakumatsu period in Japan. Ryoma used the alias as a cover name during his work as a loyalist in the creation of a modern government....
, samurai and Tokugawa-era reformer
Itagaki Taisuke
Itagaki Taisuke

Count was a Japanese politician and leader of the , which evolved into Japan's first political party....
, 19th Century Governmental Politician
Nakahama Manjiro
Nakahama Manjiro

Nakahama Manjiro , also known as John Manjiro, was one of the first Japanese people to visit the United States and an important translator during the Opening of Japan....
, "John Manjiro," Meiji-era figure
Tsutomu Seki
Tsutomu Seki

is a Japanese astronomer, born in Kochi, Kochi, Japan.He has discovered a number of comets, including the celebrated bright C/1965 S1 .He has also discovered a large number of asteroids, including the Amor asteroid 1992 JE and the Trojan asteroid ....
, astronomer
Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu

is a Japanese video game music and musician, best known for scoring numerous Final Fantasy titles. He is one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community....
, composer
Ryoko Hirosue
Ryoko Hirosue

is a Japanese people actor and J-pop, best known in Western countries for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced Wasabi and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film Departures ....
, actress in Wasabi
Wasabi (film)

Wasabi is a 2001 film Film director by G?rard Krawczyk, written and produced by Luc Besson and starring Jean Reno, Michel Muller and Ryoko Hirosue....
Takashi Yanase
Takashi Yanase

is the Japanese people creator of the anime series Anpanman. This character, like many popular manga heroes, is extremely popular with young children and is found on numerous products in Japan....
, Anpanman creator
DJ Kaori, DJ, Music Producer
Tomitaro Makino
Tomitaro Makino

Tomitaro Makino was a pioneer Japanese botanist noted for his taxonomic work. He has been called "Father of Japanese Botany", as he was one of the first Japanese botanists to work extensively on classifying Japanese plants using the system developed by Carolus Linnaeus....
, Botanist

External links

in Japanese
in English
in Japanese
in Japanese