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The keep and the attached main-enclosure palace (Kaitokukan), January 2017. The keep was rebuilt in 1749 and survives from the Edo period together with the other buildings of the main enclosure.
SuicasmoCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Kochi · Kōchi

Kōchi Castle

高知城

Kōchi, Kochi

CastleHilltop castle (hirayamajiro)Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 84

What makes this castle distinctive

The lord's palace is still attached to the side of the keep, and the whole Edo-period main enclosure survives intact.

Why?

In Kochi Castle's main enclosure, the keep, the palace (Kaitokukan), gates, turrets and walls all stand as Edo-period buildings. The castle office says Kochi is the only castle where a palace still connects directly to the keep. The keep, rebuilt in 1749 after a great fire in 1727, is one of Japan's twelve original keeps.[3][1]

Three things not to miss

01
The keep and the attached main-enclosure palace (Kaitokukan), January 2017. The keep was rebuilt in 1749 and survives from the Edo period together with the other buildings of the main enclosure.SuicasmoCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons

The keep and its attached palace

Where
The main enclosure. The keep and palace (Kaitokukan) connect inside and share one paid entrance.
What to look at
The palace's raised reception room and its transom carving of crashing Tosa waves; and the balcony with railings around the top floor of the keep.
Why it's interesting
From outside the keep has four roofs and keeps the early lookout (boro) style, with a watchtower set on a hip-and-gable roof. The balcony and railing on the top floor are said to copy those of Kakegawa Castle, the earlier home of first lord Yamauchi Kazutoyo, and at the time no other castle in Shikoku had one. The wave transom is said to be the work of Takechi Jinshichi, a master craftsman of mid-Edo Tosa.[2][3][5][7]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideKeep and palace open 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); 500 yen for 18 and over. No toilets inside.
02
Otemon, the main gate, with the keep visible on the hill behind it, December 2020. Few castles still have both their main gate and keep.Saigen JiroCC0Wikimedia Commons

Otemon gate and the keep in one view

Where
The square in front of Otemon, the castle's main gate.
What to look at
Otemon on its stone base with the keep on the hill behind it; the gate's drop-holes for stones and the loopholed walls.
Why it's interesting
According to the castle office, only three castles, Kochi, Marugame and Hirosaki, still have both their main gate and keep, and this is the spot where both fit comfortably in one photo. Otemon was rebuilt in 1664 and extensively repaired in 1801; on the boards wrapping its pillars you can find graffiti left by craftsmen of that time.[1][3]
Can you see it?
Visible from outsideFree to pass through. Kochi Park, apart from the main enclosure, is open 24 hours.
03
Tsumemon, built across the dry moat between the second and main enclosures, May 2007. The ground floor is a gate, and the upper floor is a covered bridge linking the two enclosures.小池 隆CC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Tsumemon, a gate with a bridge on top

Where
The dry moat between the main and second enclosures.
What to look at
How the upper floor of the gate serves as a covered bridge between the second and main enclosures.
Why it's interesting
A dry moat with a height difference of about 4 m separates the main and second enclosures; a gate was built across it, and its upper floor was made into a corridor. In the Edo period it was also called the 'bridge corridor', and the castle office, citing the Kochi Castle Museum of History, describes it as the only surviving example in Japan.[3][8]
Can you see it?
Partly visibleFrom August 17 to November 2, 2026 (planned), termite-control work restricts access to the east side of Tsumemon, part of Umenodan and part of the upper floor of Rokamon. You can still go from the second to the main enclosure, and the keep and palace are open as usual.

At a glance for visitors

Nearest station
2 min walk from Kochijo-mae tram stop (Tosaden Kotsu)
Climb
Steep climb
Time neededEditors' estimate
About an hour on average, according to the castle office; allow about two hours if you add the Kochi Castle Museum of History.
Admission
500 yen for 18 and over (400 yen in groups of 20+); free under 18 with ID. Free for holders of disability certificates plus one helper, and for holders of Kochi Prefecture or City senior passes. Combined ticket with the Kochi Castle Museum of History: 800 yen (1,040 yen during special exhibitions). Cashless payment accepted.
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); extended during Golden Week, festivals and some events
Access
Open to visitors

Kochi Park outside the main enclosure is open 24 hours and free. The main-enclosure area (keep, palace and so on) is paid and open only during opening hours. The Japan 100 Castles stamp is at the keep ticket window (9:00–17:00 on open days). Until November 2, 2026 (planned), termite-control work restricts access to the east side of Tsumemon, part of Umenodan and part of the upper floor of Rokamon.

Checked:

View on mapOpen in Google MapsKochi Castle (official site)Kochi Castle Museum of History

The story of this castle

01
Historical record

A new castle on Otakasa hill

Yamauchi Kazutoyo, who sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, was given the whole province of Tosa and entered Urado Castle, the former Chosokabe stronghold, in January 1601. That same year he chose Otakasa hill, today's castle hill, as the site for a new castle, reported it to the shogunate, and began construction with Dodo Echizen as chief commissioner.[1][9]

02
Historical record

Ten years of building

In 1603 the stone walls of the main and second enclosures and the main-enclosure buildings were finished, and Kazutoyo moved in. The hill was renamed Kochiyama (written 'river-middle mountain'), but repeated flooding led to a change to characters meaning 'high wisdom', which in time became today's 'Kochi'. The third enclosure was completed in 1611, and in the tenth year of work the castle was almost complete.[1][7]

03
Historical record

The great fire of 1727 and rebuilding

In 1727 a great fire in the castle town spread to the castle and destroyed nearly every building, including the keep; only Otemon survived. The domain began rebuilding in 1729, and the keep was completed in 1749; it is the keep that stands today. All the buildings, down to the third enclosure, were finally restored by 1753, 25 years after work began.[1][2]

04
Historical record

The main enclosure and main gate survived

Under the Meiji government's castle abolition order, everything except the keep and other main-enclosure buildings and Otemon was removed. The grounds opened to the public as Kochi Park in 1874. The surviving buildings were named National Treasures in 1934 and became Important Cultural Properties under the 1950 law; today 15 structures, including the keep, palace, gates and walls, hold that status.[1][4]

05
Historical record

Repairs that never stop

Repairs to the keep and other buildings began in 1948 and were completed in 1959. Work has continued since, including the south wall of the main enclosure (2004), the third-enclosure walls (2010) and the northeast loopholed wall by Otemon (2016). In 2026, to protect the buildings from termites drawn by the floodlights, the keep's illumination was paused in June and July, and termite-control work on Tsumemon and Rokamon is under way from August to November.[1][8][10]

People of this castle

Timeline

  1. Yamauchi Kazutoyo arrives in Tosa and begins building on Otakasa hill[1][9]

  2. The main enclosure is completed and Kazutoyo moves in[1]

  3. A town fire destroys nearly every building except Otemon[1]

  4. Today's keep is completed[1][2]

  5. Opens to the public as Kochi Park[1]

  6. Designated a National Treasure (Important Cultural Property from 1950)[1][4]

  7. Post-war repairs are completed[1]

Buildings and remains

The keep today

Original keep

A free-standing keep in the lookout (boro) style, rebuilt in 1749 and one of Japan's twelve original keeps (Important Cultural Property). Sources describe its floors differently: the castle office says 'four tiers, five floors' in its FAQ and 'four tiers outside, three levels and six floors inside' on its structure page, while the Japan Castle Foundation lists 'four tiers, six floors'.

The site today

The castle grounds are Kochi Park, run by Kochi Prefecture. The keep, palace and other buildings stand in the main enclosure as they were in the Edo period, along with Otemon gate. Apart from the main enclosure, the park is open 24 hours. The Kochi Castle Museum of History stands just outside the castle.

Main buildings

OriginalImportant Cultural Property

Keep (tenshu)

Rebuilt in 1749; 18.5 m tall.[2][4][7]

OriginalImportant Cultural Property

Kaitokukan (main-enclosure palace)

The palace connected to the keep; visited together with it.[3][4]

OriginalImportant Cultural Property

Otemon (main gate)

Rebuilt in 1664 and extensively repaired in 1801; survived the 1727 fire.[1][3][4]

OriginalImportant Cultural Properties

Tsumemon, Rokamon and Kurogane-mon gates, storehouse, east and west tamon turrets

Gates, turrets and storehouse around the main enclosure.[4]

OriginalImportant Cultural Properties

Loopholed walls (six sections)

Walls around the keep, Kurogane-mon and Otemon.[4]

Key facts

Type
Castle
Setting
Hilltop castle (hirayamajiro)built on a low hill rising from the plainEditorial article
Period
Early modern (1570s–1871)Editorial article
Keep (tenshu)
Original keepthe keep (tenshu) itself survives from before 1868Editorial article
Built by
Yamauchi KazutoyoJapan Castle Foundation
Built
1601Japan Castle Foundation
Main lords
Yamauchi clanJapan Castle Foundation
Abandoned
1871Wikipedia (ja)
Remains to see
Turrets or turret bases, Gates, Stone walls, Moats, Baileys / enclosures (kuruwa), Fortified gateways (koguchi), Keep base (tenshudai)Editorial article
Designation
Important Cultural Properties (15 structures including the keep, palace and Otemon) (1934); National Historic Site (1959)Editorial article
Selection
Japan's 100 Fine Castles No. 84Japan Castle Foundation

Visiting

Access

Open to visitors

Kochi Park outside the main enclosure is open 24 hours and free. The main-enclosure area (keep, palace and so on) is paid and open only during opening hours. The Japan 100 Castles stamp is at the keep ticket window (9:00–17:00 on open days). Until November 2, 2026 (planned), termite-control work restricts access to the east side of Tsumemon, part of Umenodan and part of the upper floor of Rokamon.

Address

1-2-1 Marunouchi, Kochi 780-0850 (Kochi Castle management office)[5]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Nearest stations and how to get there

Kochijo-mae tram stop (Tosaden Kotsu)Tosaden Kotsu tram (from JR Kochi Station, change at Harimayabashi; about 5 minutes each leg)

about 2 min walk · Steep climb

About 2 minutes on foot to the Kochi Castle Museum of History, right in front of the castle. From Otemon to the main enclosure there are 158 stone steps, and 40 more inside the keep.[6][7]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Hours and admission

Keep and Kaitokukan palace (main enclosure)
Hours
9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); extended during Golden Week, festivals and some events
Closed
December 26 – January 1
Admission
500 yen for 18 and over (400 yen in groups of 20+); free under 18 with ID. Free for holders of disability certificates plus one helper, and for holders of Kochi Prefecture or City senior passes. Combined ticket with the Kochi Castle Museum of History: 800 yen (1,040 yen during special exhibitions). Cashless payment accepted.[5]
Checked: 2026-10-03

By car / parking

About 15 minutes from Kochi IC on the Kochi Expressway. Kochi Park car park (7:30–18:30, every day): 65 cars, 370 yen for the first hour then 110 yen per 30 minutes; 9 buses (up to 20), 580 yen for the first hour then 230 yen per 30 minutes. No motorcycles.[5]

Checked: 2026-10-03
Grounds opening hours
Kochi Park outside the main enclosure is open 24 hours. Illumination from sunset to 22:00.[7]Checked: 2026-10-03
Time neededEditors' estimate
About an hour on average, according to the castle office; allow about two hours if you add the Kochi Castle Museum of History.
Steps, slopes and footing
158 stone steps from Otemon to the main enclosure, with many steps and steep gravel slopes throughout.[7]
Wheelchairs and strollers
Visitors who cannot climb on their own may drive to the second enclosure on weekdays 9:30–15:00 with an application at least a week ahead (not on weekends or holidays). The office describes a wheelchair route of about 650 m (15–20 minutes) from the north entrance to the main enclosure, and a temporary ramp can be set up at Kurogane-mon by reservation. Wheelchairs are lent free not by the castle but by the Kochi Tourist Center. Accessible toilets are at Umenodan, the third enclosure, Suberiyama, the car park and Otemon.[12][7]Checked: 2026-10-03
Toilets and rest
None inside the keep or palace. Toilets are in the second enclosure, third enclosure, Umenodan, Otemon square and the car park.[7]
English signs / audio guide
The official site has English headings. Free guided tours leave the tourist office at Otemon square at 9:10 and 13:30; whether they are offered in English was not confirmed.[7]
Seasons
A popular cherry-blossom spot in spring, and the keep is lit up at night. The Kochi Castle Autumn Festival on October 24–25 and November 21–23, 2026 extends opening to 10:00–19:00 (21:00 on November 21).[7][13]
Photography
Personal photos need no permission, including inside the keep and palace. Drones and unapproved YouTube, TikTok or live streaming are prohibited. Commercial shoots require an application to Kochi Prefecture's History and Cultural Properties Division at least two weeks ahead.[7][14]
Works, closures and restrictions
Termite-control work on Tsumemon and Rokamon (August 17 – November 2, 2026, planned) restricts some areas; the keep and palace are open as usual. During the 'Yosakoi Kochi Yoi no Mai' autumn event, opening hours are extended, with ticket sales pausing at 16:30 and resuming at 17:00.[8][15]Checked: 2026-10-03

Around the castle

Museum

Kochi Castle Museum of History

A prefectural museum right in front of the castle, displaying historical materials from the Tosa domain and Kochi Prefecture and introducing the castle's highlights. Open 9:00–18:00 (from 8:00 on Sundays); closed December 27 – January 1. Combined tickets with the castle are available.[6]

Checked: 2026-10-03

Editors' guide

An editorial guide based on sources and confirmed information — not a first-hand visit report.

Who will enjoy it

Good for anyone who wants to see a complete Edo-period main enclosure, walk through a palace as well as a keep, or combine the castle with a stroll around Kochi and its night illumination.

What makes it interesting

Take in Otemon and the keep together from in front of the gate, climb the steps and pass under Tsumemon. In the main enclosure, notice how the keep and palace are joined. Don't miss the palace transoms and the view from the balcony on the keep's top floor.

Before you go

It is 158 stone steps from Otemon to the main enclosure, and the stairs inside the keep are steep. There are no toilets in the keep or palace, so use those in the park first. Work around Tsumemon continues until about November 2, 2026.

Ways to enjoy it

Join the free guided tour from Otemon square at 9:10 or 13:30 to learn about details you might miss on your own, such as the craftsmen's graffiti on Otemon. Afterwards, the Kochi Castle Museum of History across the road deepens the story.

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Open questions

Sources

  1. 1
    高知城の歴史高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  2. 2
    天守の構造高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  3. 3
    高知城の見どころ高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  4. 4
    重要文化財 高知城高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  5. 5
    利用料金・開館時間高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  6. 6
    利用案内(アクセス・開館時間)高知県立高知城歴史博物館officialChecked:
  7. 7
    よくある質問高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  8. 8
    高知城詰門及び廊下門蟻害対策工事のお知らせ(2026年8月14日)高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  9. 9
    山内一豊高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  10. 10
    高知城天守等ライトアップの一時休止について(2026年6月12日)高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  11. 11
    日本100名城 一覧公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
  12. 12
    バリアフリー対応について高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  13. 13
    「高知城オータムフェスティバル」開催決定!(10月・11月)(2026年9月15日)高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  14. 14
    動画・写真撮影等について高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  15. 15
    【よさこい高知 宵の舞〜秋の陣〜】開催期間中のお知らせ(2026年10月2日)高知城管理事務所(高知公園)officialChecked:
  16. 16
    高知城(補助資料)Wikipedia日本語版otherChecked:
  17. 17
    List of Japan's 100 Fine Castles and the Next 100公益財団法人日本城郭協会jokakuChecked:
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    Wikidata Q1012815WikidatawikidataChecked:
  20. 20
    OpenStreetMap way/126495756© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)osmChecked:

Listing status

  1. Candidate foundChecked
  2. Confirmed as a castle siteChecked
  3. Basic informationChecked
  4. In-depth articleChecked
  5. Photo rights checkedChecked
  6. Visit info checkedChecked

Castles nearby

Tosa Asakura Castle4.9 km · Not yet confirmedKera Castle7.8 km · Not yet confirmedUrado Castle8 km · Keep lostShimoda Castle8.4 km · Not yet confirmedKira Castle8.6 km · Not yet confirmedOkō Castle9.2 km · No keep recorded

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