Kōchi Castle is the city's defining landmark and one of the finest original castles in Japan. Built in the early 17th century and completed in its current form in 1753 after a fire, it sits on Kōtaka Hill at the centre of the city — a short walk from the tram stop at Kōchi-jo-mae. The keep is small by the standards of Osaka or Nagoya, but the setting is beautiful: stone walls rising in stages through the trees, white plaster walls gleaming above.
The approach through Ōte-mon, the original castle gate at the base of the hill, sets the mood. Inside the inner citadel you can explore both the keep (climb to the top for views north to the mountains and south toward the Pacific) and the surviving residential quarters — unusually rare in Japan. Entry to the keep is ¥420. The grounds are free and pleasant to walk even if you skip the interior.
The cherry blossoms here in late March and early April are among the best in Shikoku.