Kochi Prefecture - Kochi

Japanese: 高知[県] - こうち

A prefecture in southern Shikoku facing the Pacific Ocean. The prefectural capital is Kochi City. It has an area of 7,103.93 ^km2 and a population of 764,456 (2010). [History] Since the Taika Reforms, Tosa Province has been the sole province. During the Sengoku period, the Chosokabe clan gained power, and under Motochika, they unified all of Shikoku. In the early Edo period, Yamauchi Kazutoyo was transferred to the Tosa Domain, and the domain became the Tosa Domain with a 240,000 koku fief. At the end of the Edo period, the domain produced feudal lords such as Yamauchi Toyonobu (Yosho), Sakamoto Ryoma, and Goto Shojiro, who played leading roles in the restoration. In 1871, it became Kochi Prefecture, and in 1876 it merged with Tokushima Prefecture, before being separated again to form the current prefectural boundaries in 1880. [Nature] Approximately 80% of the prefecture's area is mountainous, with little plains. In the northern part, the Shikoku Mountains run east to west, and the further north you go, the higher the land becomes. From the east, the Nahari River, Ioki River, Aki River, Monobe River, Niyodo River, and Shimanto River flow into Tosa Bay, and the Yoshino River flows east in the north. The reclaimed valleys and alluvial plains of each river are small, with the Kochi Plain being the largest. Cape Muroto protrudes from the eastern part of Tosa Bay, and submerged bays such as Urado Bay are located at the inner part of the bay. Cape Ashizuri is located in the western part of Tosa Bay. The climate is Pacific coastal, with warm temperatures and heavy rainfall, and typhoons cause great damage. [Industry] The population composition by industry is 12.7% primary, 19.2% secondary, and 66.9% tertiary (2005), with agriculture, forestry, and fisheries accounting for a large proportion compared to other prefectures. The arable land rate is extremely low. Double rice cropping was widespread in the Kochi Plain and the eastern bay area, but it almost disappeared in the 1980s. Currently, the main crops are horticulture such as eggplant, cucumber, melon, pepper, and green beans, and vegetables account for a large proportion of the gross agricultural income per farm, about four times that of rice. In recent years, flower cultivation such as baby's breath and statice has also become popular. Due to the heavy rainfall, forestry production is active, and thanks to the efforts of Nonaka Kaneyama in the early days of the domain's administration, beautiful forests such as cedar in Yanase and cypress in Motoyama-cho have grown. Mitsumata and paper mulberry, raw materials for Japanese paper, are also produced. The fishing industry has been sluggish in recent years, and the main focus has shifted from coastal fishing to deep-sea fishing for bonito and tuna. Other fish species that are cultivated are yellowtail, Japanese amberjack, sea bream, and eel. Modern industry has been slow to develop due to the distance from the consumer market and lack of resources, and industries that can supply raw materials within the prefecture, such as cement, Tosa washi paper, pulp, and woodworking, have been the norm, but now there are coastal factories for machinery, steel, and other products along the coast of Urado Bay. In addition, since jet aircraft began operating at Kochi Airport, the growth of electronics-related industries has been notable, with major IC factories moving in. The coast facing the Pacific Ocean is known for its magnificent seascapes, and there are many scenic spots included in the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park and the Muroto-Anan Kaigan Quasi-National Park. Parts of the mountain range are included in the Ishizuchi and Tsurugiyama Quasi-National Parks, and there are scenic spots such as Katsurahama Beach and Ryugado Cave. [Transportation] The Shikoku Mountains used to prevent contact with other prefectures, but in 1992 the Kochi Expressway was directly connected to the Great Seto Bridge. The main railway line is the Dosan Line, which also serves the Yodo Line, Tosa Kuroshio Railway, Asa Kaigan Railway, and Tosa Electric Railway. National Routes 32, 33, 55, and 56 run through Kochi City. Kochi Airport is in Nangoku City, and there are shipping services from Kochi Port to Osaka and Tokyo, and from Ashizuri Port to Kobe.
→ Related topics Shikoku region

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

四国南部，太平洋に面する県。県庁所在地は高知市。7103.93km²。76万4456人（2010）。〔沿革〕　大化改新以来土佐国１国をなす。戦国時代長宗我部氏が勢力を強め，元親のとき四国全土を統一。江戸初期山内一豊が移封され，以後土佐藩24万石の領地となった。幕末には藩主山内豊信（容堂），坂本竜馬，後藤象二郎らを輩出，維新の指導的役割を果たした。1871年高知県となり，1876年徳島県と合併，再分離して1880年現県域となる。〔自然〕　県面積の約80％は山地で平野に乏しい。北部は四国山地が東西に走り，北へ至るほど高い。東から奈半利(なはり)川，伊尾木川，安芸(あき)川，物部川，仁淀川，四万十(しまんと)川が土佐湾に注ぎ，吉野川は北部を東流する。各河川の埋積谷や沖積平野はいずれも小さく，なかでは高知平野が最大。土佐湾東部には室戸岬が突出，湾奥部には浦戸湾などの沈降海湾がある。土佐湾の西部には足摺岬がある。太平洋岸式気候で，温暖多雨，台風の被害が大きい。〔産業〕　産業別人口構成は第１次12.7％，第２次19.2％，第３次66.9％（2005）で，他県に比べ農林・水産業の比重が大きい。耕地率は著しく低い。高知平野や東部湾岸地域では米の二期作が普及していたが，1980年代にはほぼ姿を消した。現在はナス，キュウリ，メロン，ピーマン，サヤインゲンなどの施設園芸が中心で，販売農家１戸当りの農業粗収益でも野菜の占める比率が高く，米作の約４倍になっている。また近年はカスミソウ，スターチスなどの花卉(かき)栽培も盛ん。多雨のため林産は活発で，藩政初期の野中兼山による努力もあり，魚梁瀬(やなぜ)のスギ，本山町のヒノキなど美林が育つ。ミツマタ，コウゾなど和紙原料も産する。水産業は近年不振で，主力は近海漁業からカツオ・マグロ遠洋漁業に転換した。ほかにハマチ，ブリ，タイ，ウナギ養殖が行われる。近代工業は消費市場に遠く，資源にも乏しいため発展は遅れ，セメント，土佐和紙，パルプ，木工など県内で原料を供給できる工業が主であったが，現在では浦戸湾沿岸に機械，鉄鋼などの臨海型工場が立地。また，高知空港のジェット機就航以降は大手のIC工場が進出するなど電機関連の伸びが目立つ。太平洋に臨む沿岸は雄大な海景に優れ，足摺宇和海国立公園，室戸阿南海岸国定公園に含まれる多くの景勝地がある。山地の一部は石鎚・剣山両国定公園に含まれ，桂浜，竜河洞などの景勝地がある。〔交通〕　四国山地が他県との接触を妨げていたが，1992年，高知自動車道が瀬戸大橋と直結した。鉄道の幹線は土讃線で，予土線，土佐くろしお鉄道，阿佐海岸鉄道，土佐電鉄線も通じる。高知市を中心に国道32，33，55，56号線が通じる。南国市に高知空港，高知港から大阪，東京へ，足摺港から神戸へ船便がある。
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