Shimanto, Kōchi (town)

the town in Takaoka District in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan

Shimanto (四万十町) is a town located in Takaoka District, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. as of 2022, the town had an estimated population of 15‚917 in 8196 households, and a population density of 25 persons per km2. The total area of the town is .

Shimanto Town is located in southwestern Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It is on the middle reaches of the Shimanto River, and faces the Pacific Ocean (Tosa Bay) to the east, and borders Ehime Prefecture across the Shikoku Mountains to the northwest.

Shimanto has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. There is significant precipitation throughout the year, especially during June and July. The average annual temperature in Shimanto is The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .

Per Japanese census data, the population of Shimanto in 2020 is 15,607 people.

As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Shimanto Town was part of ancient Tosa Province. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Tosa Domain ruled by the Yamauchi clan from their seat at Kōchi Castle. Following the Meiji restoration, the village of Kubokawa was established within Takaoka District, Kōchi with the creation of the modern municipalities system on October 1, 1889 and was raised to town status on February 11, 1926. Likewise, the village of Higashi Kamiyama (東上山村) was established within Hata District, Kōchi, was renamed Taishō village on January 1, 1914, and was raised to town status on August 1, 1947. The town of Shimanto was formed on March 20, 2006 from the merger of the towns of Kubokawa and Taishō, and the village of Towa.

Shimanto has a mayor council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 18 members. Shimanto, together with Nakatosa, Yusuhara and Tsuno, contributes two members to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Kōchi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The local economy is dominated by agriculture, forestry and commercial fishing, and tourism. The town is one of the largest producers of ginger in Japan.

Shimanto Town has 12 public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the town government, and two public high schools operated by the Kōchi Prefectural Board of Education.