Katsurahama Beach: Where Sakamoto Ryōma’s Statue Awaits

Katsurahama Beach

The white sand and pines that make Katsurahama Beach famous.

Arching between Cape Ryūzu to the north and Cape Ryūō to the south, Katsurahama Beach faces a picturesque expanse of the Pacific Ocean. The pines, the white sand, and the deep blue of the ocean harmonize beautifully, as in a miniature garden. The beach has been renowned since ancient times as a site for observing the moon, and many famous traditional poems have been penned on the spot.

At Ryūzu Cape, the northeastern-most point of the shore, a bronze statue of Sakamoto Ryōma, a central figure in the efforts to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate, overlooks the waters below. The entire shoreline is designated Katsurahama Park and includes such facilities as Katsurahama Aquarium and the Sakamoto Ryōma Memorial Museum.

Access: 30 minutes’ drive from Kōchi Station.

Website Visit Kochi JAPAN (Katsurahama Beach)

(Banner photo: Sakamoto Ryōma’s statue overlooks the ocean. Courtesy of Kōchi Visitors and Convention Association.)