Nankoku, Kōchi Prefecture, Shikoku Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Nankoku is a city located in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. Strong in the fishing industry and the market industry, Nankoku-shi supplies most of Kochi's agricultural needs, because of the amount of fields and plantations. Kōchi Ryōma Airport, which serves the city of Kochi, is located south-east of Nankoku-shi. The city was formally named in 1959.

Geography Nankoku is located in the centre of Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. The northern part of the city is in the southern end of the Shikoku Mountains and the southern part has an eight kilometer long coastline on the Pacific Ocean. In between is the Kochi Plain, with the Mononobe River flowing from north to south on the border with Konan. About half of the municipality is forested.

Neighbouring municipalities Kōchi Prefecture • Kōchi • Kami • Kōnan • Motoyama • Tosa.

History As with all of Kōchi Prefecture, the area of Nankoku was part of ancient Tosa Province. The Tosa Kokubun-ji was built during the Nara period, indicating that it was the centre of Tosa Province and in proximity to the provincial capital During the Heian period, the nobleman Ki no Tsurayuki wrote the Tosa Diary while staying in what is now Nankoku. During the Sengoku period, Okō Castle was the stronghold of the Chōsokabe clan, who conquered most of Shikoku. During the Edo period, the area was part of the holdings of Tosa Domain ruled by the Yamauchi clan from their seat at Kōchi Castle. Following the Meiji restoration, the town of Goman (後免町) was established within Nagaoka District, Kōchi with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On September 30, 1956 the town expanded by annexing 5 neighboring villages. On October 1, 1959 Gomen merged with four neighboring villages to form the city of Nankoku.

Government Nankoku has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 21 members. Nankoku contributes two members to the Kōchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kōchi 1st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Nankoku has good road, rail and air connections and has an economy based on light manufacturing, food processing, agriculture and distribution. Strong in the fishing industry and the market industry, Nankoku-shi supplies most of Kochi's agricultural needs, because of the amount of fields and plantations.

Education Nankoku has 13 public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government and three public high schools operated by the Kōchi Prefectural Department of Education. There is also one private middle school and one private high school. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped. Kochi University's medical school and a branch of the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation are located in Nankoku.

Transport: Air • Kōchi Ryōma Airport.

Transport: Rail JR Shikoku • Dosan Line; Tosa Kuroshio Railway • Tosa Kuroshio Railway Asa Line; Tosaden Kōtsū • Tosaden Kōtsū Gomen Line.

Tourist Industry • Kōchi Prefectural Museum of History • Okō Castle: Chōsokabe clan's prime castle • Tosa Kokubunji • Zenjibuji.