Making the most of Kochi
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Arrivals receive a welcome ceremony, with tents on the quay forming a temporary Tourist Information centre and stalls for local products. People in cartoon-character costumes greet guests and create a lively quayside. Departure is marked by authentic Kochi Yosakoi Naruko dancing and performances from local high-school brass bands.
No public transport is close to the port, but most cruise lines operate a free shuttle to the Kochi bus terminal, approximately 10 km away beside Harimayabachi Bridge. Across the road, the town provides a visitor-information centre with plentiful maps and local details. Shuttle services to Abaratsu are sometimes offered too.
Taxis wait at the berth.
Watch the video of Kochi.
Japan's island of Shikoku is an important pilgrimage destination for Japanese Buddhists. Kochi contains three of the route's 88 temples, including Chikurinji Temple and its five-storey pagoda.
Chikurinji stands on Mount Godaisan beside a botanical garden. The town is best known for its castle, first built in the early 17th century and mostly reconstructed after a fire in the mid-18th century. It is one of Japan's only 12 surviving feudal-period castles.
Katsurahama beach, south of town, is popular, although powerful currents prohibit swimming. A picturesque shrine on high ground above the sea creates a postcard view of rural Japan.
Getting around
The 196-km Shimanto River is well suited to kayaking and canoeing. Ashizuri Peninsula faces the Pacific Ocean and offers several whale-watching locations, sometimes with dolphins, while Kashiwa Island is an excellent scuba-diving site.
Food and shopping
Kochi's largest shopping area consists of a principal arcade linked to eight retail streets. Around 500 shops sell fashion, gourmet food, art and other products, joined by Daimaru department store and cafés along a 1-kilometre east-west stretch. Historic attractions such as Kochi Castle make the area enjoyable for a walk. Kochi is renowned across Japan for food, especially "tataki" seared bonito.
Gairo-ichi street market has more than 300 years of history and takes place each Sunday. It extends around a kilometre from Otemon Gate at Kochi Castle to the tram streets in Harimaya, with about 430 traders selling fruit, vegetables, flowers, plants and household sundries.
Money
Japan's currency is the yen. Notes are issued in ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 values, while coins come as ¥500, ¥100, ¥50, ¥10, ¥5 and ¥1.
More Japanese ATMs now permit withdrawals from overseas accounts, and post offices also provide machines. Major cards work at most shops and restaurants in large cities, but carry enough cash when travelling rurally. Japan remains heavily cash-based, and some shops, hotels and restaurants reject cards wherever they are located.
Do not tip because it is regarded as rude.