Tosashimizu City

"Father of Shikoku Henro" built a hall.

Shinnen-an, Daishi hall

01 ／ Tosashimizu salamander (トサシミズサンショウウオ)

Once thought to be an Ōita salamander,it was confirmed as a new species bearing Tosashimizu's name.

A salamander found in Tosashimizu in 1972 was confirmed as a new species in 2018, after detailed study and research. Its presence is confirmed only in part of the city, there are fears for its survival, and the city has designated it a natural monument. Body length is about 120 mm.

Found in Tosashimizu in 1972 (city website)
Confirmed as a new species in 2018 (city website)
City natural monument, designated in Heisei 29 (2017) (city website)

02 ／ Yoshifuku House in Matsuo

Warrior-style drawing room, merchant-style counter,fishing-boss-style earthen floor: one main house.

The Yoshifuku House (吉福家住宅) stands in the Matsuo (松尾) settlement. Ink inscriptions on a beam and a board door show the main house was built in 1901 (Meiji 34). The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it valuable for understanding the homes of netmasters (網元) who ran bonito fishing and similar trades. On the east side of the grounds runs a granite stone-wall windbreak.

Important Cultural Property, designated 13 May 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
Main house dated to 1901 (Meiji 34) (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
Single-story timber house with a low second floor (city website)

03 ／ Hakusan Domon sea arch

Above the arch stands the main hall of Hakusan Shrine,which reveres the whole of Hakusan hill as its object of worship.

About 500 m west of Ashizuri Cape Lighthouse, a sea arch (洞門) cut by the waves passes through the middle of Hakusan, a hill 46 m high. The city website says it boasts the largest scale in Japan among granite sea arches. It is a prefectural natural monument (designated in 1953).

Up to about 16 m high, 17 m wide and 15 m deep (city website)
Prefectural natural monument, designated 16 January 1953
Hakusan stands 46 m above sea level (city website)

Living here

Most of the city lies within a national park.

about 10,000 people

Located in southwestern Kōchi Prefecture, the city covers 265.42 km² (as of 1 April 2023) and adopted city status in 1954 (Shōwa 29). It borders Shimanto City and Mihara Village to the north and Sukumo City and Ōtsuki Town to the west, and almost all of it belongs to Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park. The city flower is the camellia, the tree the akō fig, the bird the blue rock thrush and the fish the mejika. There is no railway station in the city.

People living here: 12,388people
Area: 265.42km²
Households: 6,179households
Rent (average for rentals): 21,582yen
Healthcare: 3 hospitals ／ 7 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —5 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

Shape

Borders 4 municipalities.

Tosashimizu City in Japan32.782°N 132.955°E

Territory of Tosashimizu City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

24.1km

三原村, 四万十市, 宿毛市, 大月町

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Tosashimizu City isthis kind of town.

01Shinnen-an (真念庵) in Shimonokae is a Daishi hall built in the Tenna era (1681–83) by Shinnen, the "father of the Shikoku pilgrimage" (henro, 四国遍路); its grounds hold stone objects such as Shinnen's memorial pillar and pilgrims' graves. The city says that up to the Shōwa 30s (1955–64) a lodging stood beside the hall, where pilgrims left their luggage before walking on to Kongōfuku-ji at Cape Ashizuri.
02The Tosashimizu salamander was found in Tosashimizu in 1972 and confirmed as a new species in 2018. Matsuo also has, besides the Important Cultural Property Yoshifuku House, the Matsuo akō fig habitat (a national natural monument) and a revolving stage in which the worship hall itself serves as the stage.
03Hakusan Domon at Cape Ashizuri is a prefectural natural monument, and Kongōfuku-ji, Temple 38 of the Shikoku pilgrimage at the southern tip of Shikoku, stands on the same cape. John Manjirō, born in Nakahama, took the name of his birthplace as his surname when he became a hatamoto. The Ashizuri Cape observation deck is closed for renovation from 2 October 2026.

See the town as it is now.

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Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Tosashimizu City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗