Museums of Ryoma

Here are brief explanations about three museums in Kochi about Ryoma.

 

Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum
Houses easy-to-understand exhibits of valuable historical documents about Ryoma and explanations of his personality, achievements and his visions. The building is located near the Katsurahama beach and the observatory lends a panoramic view of the horizon and Pacific Ocean.
Open: 9a.m- 5p.m.
Directions: Get on a Kenkotsu bus bound for Katsurahama, then get off the Ryoma Kinenkan-mae stop and then walk one minute.
Entrance fee: ¥500 for 18 and older, free for high school and younger students, ¥400 for groups of 20 and over
HP: http://www.ryoma-kinenkan.jp/en/ (in English)

TEL: 088-841-0001

 

I’m a BIG FAN of Ryoma!

   There are many Ryoma fans all over Japan and abroad. 120 groups are registered as Ryoma Fan Club homepages. Each group holds seminars and study tours related to the history of Ryoma with broad networks thoughout Japan. Since 1989, “The National Conference of Ryoma” has been held annually.

Love Letters from Ryoma and Yanase-sugi

   Are you looking for a unique gift from Kochi? A gift only found in Kochi that has recently been all the rage is toilet paper. Yes, toilet paper.

Shiokaze Burger & Dappan Dog

Shiokaze Burger

  

   The “Shiokaze Burger” is made from ground dolphinfish (or mahi-mahi/dorado). In Kochi,  dolphinfish are caught mostly in summer and are hard to keep fresh. A limited 20 dolphinfish burgers are sold at ¥400 each from around 10 am every Sunday at Yasuragi Market at the Michi no Eki (roadside station) in Yasu, Konan City.

 

Ryoma Burger

   How can Tosa Wave do an issue on local grub and not feature something katsuo (bonito) flavoured? We can’t! At 5019 (pronounced go-in-gu) is the mega “Ryoma Burger”. Measuring up to 20cm in height and 15cm in width, it is a burger not to be challenged by the faint-hearted.

   Inside the bun you can find lettuce, tomato, eggplant, fried egg, meat patty, cheese, green capsicum and tuna made from katsuo. To eat it they recommend squashing it with the foil it’s served in. Definitely not recommended on a date.

   Their inspiration for the burger is said to have come from Ryoma’s tall frame and of course, his big ambitions.

   You can try this and many other menus at 5019, to the west side of Central Park in Kochi City.

5019 website: http://www.5019.co.jp/premium/ (Japanese only)

Taken from vol.40 PDF

Tosa Coral and Imo Kempi

  

   Sango and Imo-kempi are two popular souvenirs in Kochi. Let’s take a look at their relevance today. Hōseki sango, or precious coral, are organisms living at 100m~1200m below sea level. They are quite different to the shallow coral reef that need sunlight and are thus quite brittle. Because of its unique sheen and firmness, hōseki sango are harvested for its decorative potential.

Exams to know about Ryoma

   “Sakamoto Ryoma Kentei” is an Internet certificate exam which was introduced by the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum in 2008. The museum wishes to use the exam to help young people who will become future contributors to Japanese society learn more about Ryoma, and to promote Ryoma to anyone who is interested.

Japan’s First Honeymoon

Monument of the couple
 in Shiobitashi

   After the Saccho-Domei alliance in 1866, Ryoma was attacked in Teradaya Inn and wounded. Encouraged by others, he decided to take a trip to relax and let his wounds heal. Along with his new wife Oryo, Ryoma and others including Takamori Saigo and Kosuke Yoshii (1828-1891) sailed from Osaka to Satsuma aboard the “Mikuni-maru”.

How popular is Ryoma?

Kochi Ryoma Airport

   What do John F. Kennedy, John Lennon and Leonardo da Vinci have in common?

Political state in Kochi during Ryoma’s life

Toyo Yoshida

   In the late and the end of Edo period when Ryoma lived, the centralized administrative framework of the Tokugawa Shogunate (Bakufu) began to collapse as it mismanaged domestic politics. It was bogged down with how to deal with foreign countries seeking for their diplomatic channel with Japan which was stuck to a policy of isolation. Meanwhile, some powerful local governments called Yuhan, including Satsuma and Choshu domains, got to meddle in the central government’s politics.

Ryoma’s Dappan – Secession from his Fief

Dappan route in Yusuhara Town

   During the Edo period, a youngman named John Manjiro (1827-1898) was shipwrecked and saved by an American whaling boat. Later, he would become the first Japanese to settle in America and return to Japan to work toward opening up Japan to foreign trade.

Outline of Ryoma Sakamoto

   Ryoma Sakamoto is a nationally popular hero who lived around the end of the Samurai period, and always ranks high in surveys that ask “who do you like the most among Japan’s historical figures?”

Great Figures in Kochi - Ryoma Sakamoto (1835-1867)

   Ryoma Sakamoto is Kochi’s greatest son. You can't think of Kochi without thinking of Ryoma Sakamoto, and he is well known not only in Kochi but also nationwide.

   He was born in 1835 in Kochi City and he was said to be a very weak crybaby. His elder sister Otome, a quintessential Hachikin woman – as strong as 4 men – toughened him up. By the time he was a young man, he had been awarded a swordsmanship license.He also studied a lot of things about foreign countries and had remarkably progressive views considering Japan was then officially sealed off from the outside world.

Kashiwajima

The view of Kashiwajima is absolutely breathtaking.

Ryoma Sakamoto’s postmark only at Ryoma post office!

Ryoma Sakamoto’s postmark on card.
Very rare!

   Ryoma Sakamoto, born in Kamimachi of Kochi city, is one of the most famous samurai in Japan. Till this day people love and honor him and his merchandise are sold everywhere in Kochi Prefecture. In his honor, there is even a post office dedicated to him called ‘’Ryoma Post Office’’ in Kamimachi! It is believed that this remains the only post office to be named after a person in Japan!