2012 Volume 9 Pages 70-85
This paper reviews the history of regional transportation system in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. The history of regional network development is categorized into the four periods: before Edo-era, Edo-era, Meiji-era to the World War II (WW II), and after the WW II. The results show Kochi has suffered from poor road accessibility because it is landlocked whereas it has developed maritime network mainly connecting Kansai Region. As it has been located far from any political centers in the past, the unique culture has been developed in Kochi. This has made the local authorizes introduce the conservative transportation policy which prevents the local people from regional travels. They also show the religious-purpose travelers contributed to the technology transfer from other regions to Kochi.
