Префектура Коти: География, история и культура

Prefecture of Japan

is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 669,516 (1 April 2023) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and Tokushima Prefecture to the northeast. Kōchi is the capital and largest city of Kōchi Prefecture, with other major cities including Nankoku, Shimanto, and Kōnan. Kōchi Prefecture is located on Japan's Pacific coast surrounding a large bay in the south of Shikoku, with the southernmost point of the island located at Cape Ashizuri in Tosashimizu. Kōchi Prefecture is home to Kōchi Castle, considered the most intact Japanese castle, and the Shimanto River, one of the few undammed rivers in Japan.

Kōchi Prefecture was historically known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chōsokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi clan during the Edo period. Kōchi city is also the birthplace of noted revolutionary Sakamoto Ryōma, who became one of the main instigators of the Meiji Restoration.

Kōchi Prefecture comprises the southwestern part of the island of Shikoku, facing the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Ehime to the north west and Tokushima to the north east. It is the largest but least populous of Shikoku's four prefectures. Most of the province is mountainous, and in only a few areas such as around Kōchi and Nakamura is there a coastal plain. Kōchi is famous for its many rivers. Inamura yama in Tosa cho is the highest peak in Kōchi prefecture with an altitude of 1,506 meters above sea level. As of April 1, 2012, 7% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Ashizuri Uwakai National Park; Ishizuchi, Muroto Anan Kaigan, and Tsurugisan Quasi National Parks; and eighteen Prefectural Natural Parks.

Various movies have been set in Kōchi. These include the following:

The 1993 Studio Ghibli movie Ocean Waves (Umi ga Kikoeru). The 2009 movie The Harimaya Bridge starring Danny Glover. The 2013 movie Hospitality Department (Kencho Omotenashi Ka), which shows views of Kōchi Prefecture. The 2021 movie Belle (Ryū to Sobakasu no Hime).

Like most areas of Japan, Kōchi advertises itself as specializing in a major food item, often known as meibutsu. Kōchi's is katsuo no tataki – skipjack tuna or bonito which is lightly seared. Traditionally this is done over the straw generated as a by product of the rice harvest. Sawachi is a term which refers to "a style of meal" in Kochi prefecture, according to Kochi City Tourism Association. It says that the characteristic of the style of eating is "its freeness in the arrangement of food on a large dish" People eat Sawachi in the situation of "Enkai" which refers to a gathering of family, friends and relatives. They surround "Sawachi", feasts on large dishes, and take own portions by themselves. The style represents the cultural climate of Kochi Prefecture, which dislikes formal arrangements and respects freedom.