Annual Bonito Festival

   2.5 tons of new Bonito fish will be polished off at this indulgent festival in Nakatosa. Come along and partake of char-grilled bonito, bonito rice, bonito soup, a ‘Luxury Bonito Set’ and other delicacies only available here in the town of the Bonito.

Time: Sun May 20, 2012 10:00am-3:00pm
Place: Event Plaza in front of Nakatosa Kure Hachiman Shrine
Access: About 7mins walk from JR Tosa Kure Station
Inquiries: Nakatosa Town Fisheries, Commerce and Industry Division
TEL:0889-52-2473

Kochi’s Manga Culture

Yusuke Aoyagi, cartoonist

   Kochi has produced many famous manga (comic) writers and is sometimes called the “Manga Kingdom”. No sooner than you set foot in this “Manga Kingdom” than you will come across some sort of manga-related sight. For example, Manga Koshien (Inter High School Manga Championship), the Anpanman Museum, the Koshin Manga Dojo (Kochi Newspaper Co. Manga Gym), Manga Railway, Ryuichi Yokoyama Memorial Manga Museum etc.

Taishōmachi Ichiba

   There is a market called Taishōmachi Ichiba exclusively dealing with fish in Kure, Nakatosa Town, in western Kochi. The market is crowded with seasonal fresh fish that are caught and landed at the Kure fishing port every morning and afternoon throughout the year.

Folk Tales of Kochi ① - Demons in Futanajima

   Once upon a time, a group of demons got together on Demon Island in the Setonaikai Inland Sea. Their leader, Captain Red Demon decided to stage a strength contest, where each demon would lift up two massive rocks to see who was the strongest. Each demon failed and gave up, but one blue demon was successful.

Returning Bonito

   From the middle of September to November, the bonito that returns from the north is called "modorigatsuo", returning bonito. There is much more fat on the fish in summer, and it is said it is more delicious than bonito in spring (first bonito).

Kure Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival

   The Kure Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival is taking place from the 14th to the 15th of the 8th month in the lunar calendar and is one of the three major festivals of Kochi. The festival has been held since the Period of Warring States in Japan (16th century). The highlight of the festival is a magnificent procession called “Omikoku-san” where local men march through the night towards the shrine while carrying a large, 6-meter-high torch weighing about 1 ton.