DAY1 START
Access to Kochi Prefecture
Itami airport
About 45 min
Kochi Ryoma airport
Kochi Tabi Hiroba (Kochi Travel Plaza)
The “Tosaterrace,” a tourist information center to support your travel through Kochi, offers plenty of information such as exhibitions to experience the nature or events held at the plaza, etc. An all-encompassing tourist information center that brings together sightseeing information of Kochi Prefecture.
7minutes by car
Kochi Castle
Yamauchi Kazutoyo, the first feudal lord of the Tosa domain, ordered the construction in 1601. Although being plagued by a number of floods, it was completed in 1611. A rare castle that is the only one in Japan where the entire original main building is intact just like it was in the past. Visitors can admire the panoramic view of the townscape of Kochi that can be enjoyed from the main castle just like they are the owner of the castle.
5minutes on foot
Kochi Castle Museum of History
In addition to national treasures and important cultural properties, this museum houses and exhibits a number of materials related to the Tosa domain and Kochi Prefecture, including about 67,000 items of historical materials and arts and crafts that were handed down from the Yamauchi family of the Tosa domain. The interior uses plenty of Tosa Hinoki-cypress and Tosa plaster to evoke an architecture that is steeped in tradition, while maintaining a modern aesthetic. Inside the museums, there is a cafe where visitors can enjoy local specialty sweets such as the Niyodo Blue Soda Float, along with a panoramic view of Kochi Castle.
2minutes on foot
Hirome Market
Located in the center of Kochi city and a 2-minute walk from Kochi castle, it is great for sightseeing with great access to the Sunday Market. You can even enjoy the gourmet and souvenirs of Tosa. If you are looking for staple souvenirs, rare items such as potato kempi, nori-seaweed, and bonito-shuto (fermented product) offered on Ryoma street are recommended. Even locals come by during the weekdays, making the market come to life.
26minutes by car
Katsurahama Beach
Located at the tip of the Urato Peninsula in Kochi City is a sand beach that spreads between Ryuomisaki cape and Ryuzuzaki cape. Renowned as a place of scenic beauty of Kochi Prefecture, it is featured in a Yosakoi folksong with a verse that “Katsurahama is famous for its moon.” There are plenty of sightseeing spots such as the sandy beach famous for its five-colored stones, the beautiful blue pine trees surrounding the beach, Katsurahama Aquarium, Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum, Statue of Ryoma Sakamoto, and “Katsurahama UMI-NO TERRACE” to enjoy some shopping and dining.
2minutes by car
Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum
Sakamoto Ryoma, born in Kochi, is said to have changed the history of Japan. This memorial highlights his personality, achievements, and ideas for people to discover this historical figure. Exhibitions of letters and materials related to Ryoma, as well as interactive display corners are available to help you deepen learning of this man. Constructed within Katsurahama Park, visitors can get a view of the Pacific Ocean horizon from the ”blank stage" or “rooftop observatory.”
20minutes by car
Jyoseikan
Since its founding in 1874, the long-established “Jyoseikan” inn has been frequented by the imperial family and has hosted many celebrities from across all walks of life. At the wood-scented open-air bath, guests can relax and enjoy a view of Kagami River (said to have been swum by Ryoma) and the castle scenery, or the Shikoku mountains far away in the distance.
