Kochi
Pilgrimage temples 24-39 (austerity phase), Sakamoto Ryoma's homeland, 84% forest cover, yuzu capital. 2026: isolation as authenticity asset.
Kochi exists on Shikoku's wild coast. Facing the Pacific rather than the sheltered Inland Sea, this prefecture developed differently from its neighbors—more isolated, more independent, more shaped by fishing and forestry than trade. The Tosa domain here produced Sakamoto Ryoma, the samurai who helped overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate and died before seeing the Meiji era he created.
Temples 24-39 of the Shikoku Pilgrimage cross Kochi—the "austerity and discipline" phase. The route here is the most challenging, with longer distances between temples, rougher terrain, and fewer services. Pilgrims who complete this stretch have proven their dedication.
Economically, Kochi faces familiar rural Japanese challenges: aging population, youth outmigration, fishing industry decline. But the prefecture leverages what it has: pristine coastline for tourism, exceptional bonito (katsuo no tataki is the signature dish), and Japan's highest forest coverage (84%). By 2026, Kochi bets on sustainable tourism and specialty agriculture—yuzu citrus production leads Japan. The prefecture that tested pilgrims' endurance now tests whether isolation, once a constraint, can become a selling point for visitors seeking authenticity beyond tourist crowds.