Kochi · UratoNo.872★★★Open in map →

Katsurahama Beach

natureThe classic — done right

A short crescent of grey sand on the Pacific edge of Kochi, held between two headlands and backed by pines. Famous for moon viewing and for the bronze Sakamoto Ryoma above it, and closed to swimmers because of the surf.

FromKochi Station
~30 minTosaden bus, ~30 min
Get off atKatsurahama (Tosaden Kotsu bus terminus)
From there
Katsurahama Beach

Directions ↗

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Umi no Terracethe shop and food row at the park entrance, the first thing off the bus
Sakamoto Ryoma statuea 5.3-metre bronze on the pine slope, facing the open Pacific
Honhama, the main beachgrey sand and the coloured pebbles of the tideline, with no swimming allowed
Katsurahama Aquariuma small, old aquarium down on the sand, built around the fish of Tosa Bay
Ryuo Cape and Kaizu Shrinea stepped rock at the west end with a torii and a small sea-god shrine

How to actually get there

Kochi Station → Katsurahama (Tosaden Kotsu bus, about 30 min). Check the timetable first, as services are spaced out.
Katsurahama terminus → park entrance and Umi no Terrace (1-2 min on foot).
Climb the pine slope to the Sakamoto Ryoma statue, then drop down onto the sand.
Follow the shore west past the aquarium to Ryuo Cape and the shrine on the rocks.

Tosaden Kotsu bus from Kochi Station: Kochi Station to Katsurahama takes about 30 minutes by Tosaden Kotsu bus, and the route ends at the park entrance. Services are not frequent, so check the departure board before you leave the station rather than turning up and waiting. The same buses call at Harimayabashi in the city centre.
Return from the Katsurahama terminus: Buses leave from the same terminus beside the park entrance. Because the gap between services is long, pick the departure you intend to take before you walk down to the sand. Missing one can mean a long wait or a taxi back into the city.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Katsurahama sits in the Urato district on the southern edge of Kochi city, where the Pacific meets a short crescent of sand. The beach is held between two rocky headlands, Ryuzu to the east and Ryuo to the west, with a pine wood rising behind it. The pebbles along the tideline are the reason for the local name goshiki no koishi, five-coloured stones. Behind the sand the park gathers an aquarium, a museum devoted to Sakamoto Ryoma, and a row of shops and food counters called Umi no Terrace. All of it is run as one park, so the walk between the pieces is short.

How to enjoy it

Allow a couple of hours: the park is compact, but the climb to the statue and the steps up Ryuo Cape both take time. The aquarium and the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum keep daytime hours, while the sand and the headlands have no gate at all. In spring, and again around the middle of November, a temporary deck goes up beside the statue and puts you at Ryoma's eye level over the ocean.

Background & history

The bronze of Sakamoto Ryoma, the Tosa figure of the late shogunate, was raised above the beach in 1928, the work of the sculptor Motoyama Hakuun. Katsurahama was known long before that: the folk song Yosakoi-bushi names it as the place to see the moon, and an autumn moon rite is still held on the sand. The aquarium under the pines opened in 1931 and still builds its tanks around the fish of Tosa Bay.

Before you go

Cash: The beach, the paths and the headlands cost nothing. The aquarium and the Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum are ticketed separately, and the car park is paid. Carry cash for the bus and for the smaller counters.
Good to know: Swimming is prohibited. The surf is heavy and the bottom drops away quickly, and the park asks visitors to keep back from the waterline. There is almost no lighting once the sun goes, and an exposed shore like this is the first place to shut in a typhoon.
Another way: From Harimayabashi in the city centre the same Tosaden Kotsu bus reaches Katsurahama in about 30 minutes. The MY-Yu sightseeing bus also runs out to the park, and it is the simpler option if you are arriving from Kochi Ryoma Airport.
After you get off: The bus terminates at the park entrance. Umi no Terrace is right there, the sand is a minute or two down through the pines, and the statue stands up the slope above it.