Aki City: The Birthplace of Iwasaki Yataro and Tosa Agricultural Culture

Aki City: Hometown of the Mitsubishi Group Founder

Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, is a castle town famous as the birthplace of Iwasaki Yataro (1835–1885), founder of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu. Highlights with a fusion of history and industry are well-developed including the Iwasaki family's former residence, electric chrysanthemum agricultural scenery, and the Nora-dokei.

Iwasaki Yataro and Mitsubishi

Iwasaki Yataro, born into a lower-class samurai (goshi) family of the Tosa domain, inherited the Tosa domain's foreign trade company "Tosa Trading House" and founded Mitsubishi (formerly Tsukumo Trading Company). He is a business figure who greatly influenced the development of Japan's modern industry. "Iwasaki Yataro's Birthplace" and related historical sites remain within Aki City.

Electric Chrysanthemum (House Chrysanthemum) Farming

Aki City is one of Japan's leading production areas for "electric chrysanthemums" (chrysanthemums with flowering adjusted by nighttime lighting with electric bulbs). The scenery of agricultural greenhouses glittering with yellow light when night falls — the "Electric Chrysanthemum Road" — is Aki City's famous winter scenery.

Nora-dokei Clock

The "Nora-dokei (countryside clock)" remaining in Aki City is a large clock self-assembled by wealthy farmer Hatakeyama Genma in the Meiji era. Called "Nora-dokei" because it was made to know the time for agricultural work.

Access

Approximately 1 hour from Kochi city by Tosa Kuroshio Railway (Gomen-Nahari Line). Also approximately 1 hour by car from Kochi city.