Otsuki, Kochi
Encyclopedia
is a town in the Hata District
, Kōchi Prefecture
, Japan
. It is located approximately 184 km away from downtown Kōchi
in the southwestern corner of the prefecture.
Having a mild climate, Ōtsuki has developed through the promotion of its agriculture, forestry and fishing industries. The town has invested in 12 wind-powered generators. Approximately 70% of the town's area comprises heavily wooded mountain forests. Its neighbors are Tosashimizu
to the east and Sukumo
to the north.
As of July 2011 Otsuki contained 2,881 households, with a ratio of 2,889 males to 3,227 females, with an overall estimated population of 6,116. On average 59.34 reside in each square kilometer. .
Roads
Roadside Station
Kannon Rock
Oman's Waterfall
Tsukiyama Shrine
Hata District, Kochi
is a district located in Kōchi, Japan.As of the Shimanto merger but with 2003 population statistics, the district has an estimated population of 22,402 and a density of 59.4 persons per km²...
, Kōchi Prefecture
Kochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, 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...
. It is located approximately 184 km away from downtown Kōchi
Kochi, Kochi
is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
in the southwestern corner of the prefecture.
Having a mild climate, Ōtsuki has developed through the promotion of its agriculture, forestry and fishing industries. The town has invested in 12 wind-powered generators. Approximately 70% of the town's area comprises heavily wooded mountain forests. Its neighbors are Tosashimizu
Tosashimizu, Kochi
is a city located in Kōchi, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 17,232 and a density of 64.7 persons per km². The total area is 266.54 km².The city was founded on August 1, 1954....
to the east and Sukumo
Sukumo, Kochi
is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 22,802, with 10,237 households and a population density of 79.70 persons per km². The total area is 286.11 km².The city was founded on March 31, 1954....
to the north.
Demography
Although the town had a population of 13,688 people back in 1960, Ōtsuki has seen a steady decline with each year. A growing problem for Japan, there has been an increasing trend for younger workers and their families to leave rural areas and find work in the cities, as well as a tendency for couples to produce fewer children. As can be seen in the graph provided, the majority of residents in Ōtsuki are between 45 to 84 years of age.As of July 2011 Otsuki contained 2,881 households, with a ratio of 2,889 males to 3,227 females, with an overall estimated population of 6,116. On average 59.34 reside in each square kilometer. .
History
The region came to be known as Ōtsuki on February 11, 1957 after the union of and .Transportaion
Railway Lines- The nearest station is Sukumo StationSukumo Stationis a railway station in Sukumo, Kōchi, Japan, operated by the Tosa Kuroshio Railway.-Station layout:The elevated station consists of two bay platforms serving two terminating tracks....
in SukumoSukumo, Kochiis a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 22,802, with 10,237 households and a population density of 79.70 persons per km². The total area is 286.11 km².The city was founded on March 31, 1954....
Roads
- Route 321 is the main road that that connects Ōtsuki to TosashimizuTosashimizu, Kochiis a city located in Kōchi, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 17,232 and a density of 64.7 persons per km². The total area is 266.54 km².The city was founded on August 1, 1954....
to the east and SukumoSukumo, Kochiis a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 22,802, with 10,237 households and a population density of 79.70 persons per km². The total area is 286.11 km².The city was founded on March 31, 1954....
to the north.
Roadside Station
Roadside Station
A is a government-designated rest area found along roads and highways in Japan.In addition to providing places for travelers to rest, they are also intended to promote local tourism and trade...
- Ōtsuki Fureai Park
Sights of Interest
Kashiwajima Island- Tourists come to this island to scuba dive. Around 1,000 different kinds of fish, both temperate and tropical, can be found in the waters around Kashiwajima. The island is even said to have one of the world's largest concentrations of reef-building corals. To date, 123 different types of coral have been confirmed within Ōtsuki.
Kannon Rock
- A rock that stands 30 meters high above the deep blue ocean and resembles the image of the goddess Kannon. In 1638, during the revolt of Shimabara, it is said that a man named Amenomori Kudayu was sent to quell the uprest but was injured in battle and retreated with his men by ship. His condition deteriorated, and while there were no lighthouses at the time, it is said that the crew headed towards a light that was coming from Kashiwajima. When the ship approached Kannon Rock, Kudayu died from his wounds, and at that moment a beam of light radiated from Kannon Rock. Since then, the rock has been thought to be sacred.
Oman's Waterfall
- Along the same hiking trail that passes by Kannon Rock is a cliff called Oman Taki. Despite being called a waterfall, there is no running water; locals use the word "taki" (滝, literally "waterfall") to mean "cliff". There once was a beautiful blind woman named Oman who fell in love with a man whose job it was to protect the island (most likely a samurai of higher social class). Oman thought of this man's job as an important role and somewhat became obsessed with him, but when she realized this love could never be, she decided to throw herself from the edge of this cliff and plummeted to her death approximately 120 m to the ocean below. The exact date is unknown, but eventually the cliff came to be known as Oman's Waterfall in memory of this tragic story.
Tsukiyama Shrine
- Tsukiyama Shrine, which has a thousand years of history, is located on Mt. Moritsuki. It is believed to have been a shrine where KūkaiKukaiKūkai , also known posthumously as , 774–835, was a Japanese monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, and artist, founder of the Shingon or "True Word" school of Buddhism. Shingon followers usually refer to him by the honorific titles of and ....
performed ascetic practices. As a former center of Shugendō training, and as one of the 88 temples of the Shikoku PilgrimageShikoku PilgrimageThe or is a multi-site pilgrimage of 88 temples associated with the Buddhist monk Kūkai on the island of Shikoku, Japan. A popular and distinctive feature of the island's cultural landscape, and with a long history, large numbers of pilgrims still undertake the journey for a variety of ascetic,...
, it is visited by a great number of people from all over the country. The coastal area near a temple called "Ōtsukinada" used to be famous for pink corals, and it is believed to be the first place where corals were gathered for living. In recent years parties of pilgrims have been using well-paved roads. However, the local people founded a group called the Association for the Preservation of the Pilgrimage Route to restore such routes to their original state for the first time in 40 years. The routes run through mountains and seacoasts.