Geography

Kochi, the largest prefecture in the Shikoku district, occupies the southern half of Shikoku Island and faces the Pacific Ocean on the south. It shares a prefectural line with Tokushima and Ehime on the north. Kochi is 180 kilometers long, and layers of mountains take up most of its land leaving only two plains, Kochi and Nakamura. It is the least populated prefecture in Shikoku and has the fourth lowest population density in the nation. Tosa Bay, famous for its mouth measuring 130 kilometers across, holds Muroto Cape on the east, and Ashizuri Cape on the west. Kochi has warm temperatures and heavy rainfalls with hot and humid summers. It enjoys an average of only 70 sunny days a year, and also receives considerable damage from seasonal typhoons.

Industry & Economy

Even though only Miyagi prefecture has a higher percentage of farmers, Kochi's agricultural gross product is not impressive bccause of lack of cultivated land. Rice production is not enough to supply its own demand, and fruit production is also inadequate. Egg plant production is the highest in the nation and bell peppers are third. Forests take up 80% of the land, providing a thriving forestry industry. The fishing industry is also healthy. Although the total haul might not be high, bonito (second only to Shizuoka's catch) and tuna are outstanding.

Cultural Background

Compared to the three other Shikoku prefectures, Kochi possesses a slightly different culture due to the geographical separation from the rest of the area by the number of mountains. The main cultural influence since the medieval era is believed to have been directly from Kyoto via ocean traffic. The people are known to be extremely stubbom, anti-authority prone, and have less respect for the government, the emperor and elders than the average.

Religious Milieu

A study shows that the people of Kochi are rather indifferent to religion and faith. As a result, the pilgrimage temples (24th to 39th) of this prefecture do not create as much attention as the other prefectures in this district. History states that 126 Uragami Christians exiled to Kochi from Nagasaki in 1868 (Meiji 1) were able to pursue their faith thanks to the kindness shown to them by the people. Even though there is a low level of interest in religion here, it is surprising that following Wakayama and Nara, Kochi has the third highest number of Shinto believers. The influence of tradition and lack of religious interest has limited people's interest in other faiths.

The Mission

Foreign missionaries first introduced Protestant Christianity here and were able to prepare for later church planting ministries. The Southern Presbyterian missionaries from the USA, especially the Mcllwain father-son team, are worthy of note. They were able to reach into even some of the most remote mountain areas.