Ryoma Sakamoto Birthplace Monument

The Sakamoto Ryoma Birthplace Monument is a stone marker built on the former site of the home of Bakumatsu-era figure Sakamoto Ryoma in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture. Ryoma was born as the second son of the low-ranking samurai Hachihei. His birth date is also the date he was assassinated. His family home was affluent, and the property was large enough to make his later studies away from home understandable. Today, Kamimachi Hospital stands on the birthplace site, and the monument is located next to the hospital. Road signs also indicate the monument, so it is not hard to find. Because this is “Ryoma’s birth town,” the local post office is named Ryoma Post Office, and the post box features a Ryoma-themed object on top. Kochi City’s Ryoma’s Birthplace Memorial Museum is also nearby, so Ryoma fans will want to visit both. Around Ryoma’s birthday (November 15), the city holds a Ryoma Birth Festival. Access is about 20 minutes by streetcar from Kochi Station.