National Jun 12, 2017
Shrinking Kochi village explores direct democracy
A mountain village in Kochi Prefecture is offering a glimpse into the future of local governance amid Japan’s rapidly graying population.
National / Social Issues May 2, 2017
Kochi mountain village may adopt direct democracy for council as population slides
In a rare move, the village of Okawa in Kochi Prefecture, the least populated municipality in Japan excluding remote islands, will consider replacing its local assembly with a general council that will allow direct voting on local budgets and other policies. The move comes as ...
National / Crime & Legal Nov 29, 2016
Staff at five Shikoku prison facilities punished for wrongly dispensing medicine
Officers at five prisons and juvenile detention facilities in Shikoku have been reprimanded over errors in administering medicine to inmates, it was learned Tuesday. An information disclosure request to the Takamatsu correctional bureau of the Justice Ministry has found that, between January 2012 and September ...
National Nov 28, 2016
High school students vow to lead anti-disaster efforts
At a two-day summit held in the town of Kuroshio in Kochi Prefecture, some 360 high school students from 30 countries around the world, including Japan, vowed to become future leaders in promoting measures against natural disasters. In the "Kuroshio Declaration," adopted Saturday, the second ...
National Jul 25, 2016
Shark likely attacked surfer off Kochi Prefecture
A shark is believed to have attacked a 29-year-old man Sunday evening when he was surfing in shallow waters off Irino Beach, a popular surfing spot in Kuroshio, Kochi Prefecture. The local Japan Coast Guard office quoted the man as saying a creature that seemed ...
National / Politics | DECISION 2016 Jul 6, 2016
Kochi voters feel neglected after redrawing of electoral boundaries
by Reiji Yoshida
Campaigning is at fever pitch ahead of Sunday's Upper House election, with candidates pounding the pavement, holding rallies and calling out their names and slogans for hours on end via loudspeakers. Not so in Kochi Prefecture, where things are quiet this year thanks to a ...
National Sep 29, 2015
Stylist's hair-donation program provides wigs for kids
by Emi Ikeda
Beauty salon worker Kiichi Watanabe believes the best way he can contribute to society as a hairdresser is by fitting wigs made of human hair to children who have none. Watanabe, 44, founded the nonprofit organization Japan Hair Donation & Charity, or JHDAC, in Osaka ...
National Sep 8, 2015
Private high school in Kochi to launch course to foster SDF personnel
A private high school in the city of Kochi will launch a course in the 2016 academic year to foster personnel for the Self-Defense Forces, school officials said. Kochi Chuo High School's "SDF course" will provide training in the martial art of jukendo and classroom ...
National Jul 16, 2015
Typhoon Nangka menaces west Japan
A strong typhoon was moving northwest toward Shikoku on Thursday, the Meteorological Agency said, warning of heavy rainfall and strong winds. Typhoon Nangka was described as particularly slow-moving, the kind of storm that can wreak most damage. Fears of landslides prompted the government of Kochi ...
Travel Apr 18, 2015
Kochi doesn't need to fish for compliments
by Mandy Bartok
The fire is supposed to be searing my skipjack tuna, but I feel as if it's my cheeks that are cooking instead. Turning away from the intense heat, I extend my arm as far as it can go while still keeping my speared hunk of ...
National Aug 3, 2014
Typhoon drenches Shikoku area
A typhoon that traveled north from the Yellow Sea brought heavy rain to Japan on Sunday, mainly in the Shikoku area. Since the 12th typhoon of the year is expected to move slowly, it could cause sporadic outbursts of rain until Monday. The Meteorological Agency ...
National Mar 30, 2014
Solar plant in Kochi trumps nuclear waste plan
A large solar power plant has come online at a site in Kochi Prefecture where a town planned to build a disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. The move is partly designed to improve the image of the port town of Toyo, which has a ...