Kochi is the capital city of Kochi Prefecture, Japan, located on the island of Shikoku. Kochi was part of the ancient Tosa Province, and it originally served as a castle town around Kochi Castle, the seat of the daimyo of the Tosa Domain. The castle site was chosen by Kazuyoto Yamauchi in 1601 to replace the earlier seats of the Chosokabe, and teh city takes its name from the capital. During the Meiji Restoration, Kochi became famous as a center of pro-Imperial ideology and incubated democratic and human rights movements. Kochi was incorporated in 1889, and tram service began in 1904, followed by connection to the national rail network in 1951. Kochi was bombed by the USA on 3 July 1945, during World War II, due to its status as a prefectural capital and as a center for industry and commercial trade. 129 aircraft dropped 1,060 tons of incendiary bombs on the city, destroying 48% of its built-up areas, killing 401 civilians, and rendering over 40,000 homeless. Kochi became Shikoku's first core city in 1998, and, by 2023, Kochi had 318,520 residents.
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