Shikoku and Kochi Prefecture - Famous for Yosakoi, Bonito and Sakamoto Ryoma?

Photo：Statue of Sakamoto Ryoma

This video, titled "The blessing of nature - Four Seasons PV - VISIT KOHCHI JAPAN," made by VISIT KOCHI JAPAN, introduces various seasonal tourist spots in Kochi.
Kochi is in the southern part of Japan's Shikoku region, and has a warm and comfortable climate all year long.
Kochi is famous as the birth place of Sakamoto Ryoma.
Ryoma is a historical figure of the Tosa Domain who stopped a war from breaking out in Japan, at the end of the Edo Period (1853 to 1868), nearly 100 years ago.
In this video, you can check out different recommended tourist spots in Kochi for each season. Let us known which season you want to visit Kochi in!

Kochi's Spring Tourist Locations

Photo：Cherry blossoms at Kochi Castle

From 0:31 in the video, you can check Kochi’s tourist spots that are best visited during spring.

When you say "spring" in Japan, the first thing that comes to mind is no doubt, cherry blossoms!
Japan's most glorious season is spring, the season in which people go on 'hanami' (cherry blossom viewing) events and enjoy picnics under the blooming cherry blossoms.
Kochi also has cherry blossom spots around Kochi castle.
Nakagoshi Family's weeping cherry blossom introduced at 0:41 is the most famous hanami spot.
You'll definitely feel refreshed after being out in all the greenery Kochi's spring has to offer.
On top of cherry blossoms, food during Kochi's spring is all about bonito (鰹, katsuo).
Katsuo comes into season in spring and fall, and the spring variation is called Hatsu-Katsuo.
The most common way of eating katsuo is searing surface. This is referred to as called tataki (seared or minced).

Kochi T-shirt art, where 1000's of T-shirts are aligned, is also a must-see spot in the spring. You can see what it looks like from 0:55 in the video.

The video also introduces the 'Shimanto river carp streamer' (四万十川こいのぼりの川渡し, Shimanto gawa koinobori no kawawatashi) flying in the blue sky and 'going down the river' on a small ship.

Kochi's Summer Tourist Locations

Starting at 1:51 is the introduction of Kochi's summer tourist locations. Because Kochi is situated on the coast, surfing is also possible.
It is actually a hidden surf spot with few inlets and high waves, facing the Pacific Ocean.
As introduced from 1:24, you can enjoy rafting and hiking as well.

The beautiful rice fields of Yoshinobu / Oishi and the five-storied pagoda are also introduced in the video.

One of Kochi's most popular summer events is the dance festival.
Shown from 1:59 is the Yosakoi festival, Kochi's representative event that is held every year on the 10th of August.
Hosting nearly 1 million people over 4 days, it is one of the 3 biggest festivals in Shikoku.

Kochi's Fall Tourist Locations

Photo：The autumn leaves of Nakatsu Valley

Introduced from 2:13are Kochi's fall tourist locations.

If you visit Japan in the fall, you can't miss the chance to see the autumn foliage.
The video shows many beautiful locations for viewing the reddening of the leaves in Kochi. The spot we recommend most is Nakatsu valley (中津渓谷, Nakatsu Keikoku).
You can enjoy the beautifully flowing river that traverses the the valley's windy ravines. On the weekends you can enjoy the autumn leaves, lit up at Monet's Garden Marmottan(モネの庭マルモッタン, Monet no niwa marmottan) in Kitagawa.

Fall in Kochi wouldn't be complete without yuzu.
Kochi is the number 1 producer of yuzu in all of Japan!
There are various types of Yuzu souvenirs in Kochi, so don't forget to take a look at them.

The dance festival "Yosakoi" isn't the only popular event in Kochi!
There's the Yasuhara Tsunoyama festival (梼原津野山神祭り, Yasuhara Tsunoyama matsuri) and the Mounted archery 'Yabusame'（流鏑馬, Yabusame）event in Toyo village shown from 2:47 of the video that are also popular during the fall.

Kochi's Winter Tourist Locations

At 2:59 we're introduced to Kochi's recommended tourist spots during the winter months.

Winter in Kochi is very warm compared to other areas so it's great for sightseeing.
There is no snow in the Southern region but towards the northern end you begin to see a little.
The place we recommend most is Shikoku karst.
As you can see from the video, you can sight-see in a fantastic atmosphere thanks to the snow during winter.

You're sure to have a wonderful trip in Kochi, tasting the fresh winter seafood from Hirome market, enjoying the Akiha festival（秋葉まつり, Akiha matsuri）in Yodokawa, and warming up in the Matsubakawa (松葉川温泉, Matsubakawa onsen) or Konoka hotsprings (木の香温泉, Konoka onsen).

Other Tourist Spots in Kochi

Photo：Image of the Shikoku pilgrimage

There are so many more things to do or see in Kochi, that are not included in the video, so here's a list! Find your favorite spot.

Shikoku henro (四国遍路, shikoku henro (pilgrimage)), Katsurahama (桂浜) , Katsurahama Aquarium (桂浜水族館, Katsutahama suizokukan) , Hirome Market (ひろめ市場, Hirome ichiba), Sunday market (日曜市, nichiyouichi), Anpanman Museum (アンパンマンミュージアム, Anpanman mu-jiamu), Niyodo River (仁淀川, Niyodo gawa), Muroto Cape (室戸岬.Muroto misaki), Wanpark Kochi (わんぱーくこうち, Wanpa-ku kochi), Ashizuri Cape（足摺岬, Ashizuri misaki), Ashizuri Cape Observatory (足摺岬展望台, Ashizuri misaki tenboudai), Ryugado Cave (龍河洞, Ryugado), Godai Mountain (五台山, Godaisan), Sameura Dam (早明浦ダム, Sameura Damu), Kashiwa Island (柏島, Kashiwajima ), Tengu Highlands (天狗高原, Tengu Kougen), Todoroki Waterfall (轟の滝, Todorokinotaki), Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine (若宮八幡宮, Wakamiya Hachimangu), Dainichi Temple (大日寺, Dainichi ji), Kokubun Temple (国分寺, Kokubun ji), Harimaya Bridge (はりまや橋, Hariyama bashi), Makino Botanical Garden (牧野植物園, Makino shokubutsu en), Nishijima Horticulture Park (西島園芸団地, Nishijima engei danchi), Culture plaza Cul-port (かるぽーと, karupo-to), Yutorisuto Park Otoyo (ゆとりすとパークおおとよ, Yutorisuto pa-ku ootoyo), Sunahama Museum (砂浜美術館, Sunahama Museum)... and more! Kochi is full of touristic charm, with not only popular spots but also many hidden gems as well!

A Brief Summary of Kochi's Seasonal Tourist Locations

This time, we introduced recommended tourist spots in Kochi, in line with the video.
Did you enjoy it? As you saw from the video, you can enjoy completely different atmospheres depending on which season you decide to visit during.
There are many photogenic locations that are sure to fill your Instagram feed, and you can enjoy different kinds of traditional Japanese culture as well!
Why not add Kochi to your itinerary next time you visit Japan?

【Official Website】Kochi Prefecture web page
https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/