Katsurahama

Katsurahama is a beach in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture, located at the tip of the Urado Peninsula. A statue of Sakamoto Ryoma stands facing the Pacific Ocean. It is Kochi’s most famous scenic spot and a major tourist destination. Attractions include the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum, Katsurahama Aquarium, and the Omachi Keigetsu monument. At the Nagao Chicken Center, you can see and touch Onagadori chickens with astonishingly long tails (up to 13 m), and you may even see them strolling along the beach. Tosa’s Onagadori is a Special Natural Monument of Japan. Katsurahama is also called a “five-colored beach,” and if you look closely you’ll notice stones of different colors. The aquarium exhibits about 250 kinds of animals, from Kochi-famous fish like the akame (a “three great strange fish” of Japan) to penguins. Because the currents are fast, swimming is prohibited. With the grand Pacific Ocean, a beautiful shallow shoreline, and fame as a moon-viewing spot, it offers different scenery by day and night and can be enjoyed all day by both children and adults. Access is about 30 minutes by bus from Kochi Station.