Mihara, Kōchi

Mihara (三原村, Mihara-mura) is a village located in Hata District, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan.

Introduction

Mihara Village was officially founded in 1953 in the southeast of Shikoku in the Hata region, approx. 153 km from the Kōchi prefectural capital, Kōchi city. Mihara is a quintessential mountain village situated at an altitude of approx. 120m above sea level, and is bordered by three moderate sized cities including Sukumo, Nakamura and Tosashimizu. As of 2010, Mihara has an estimated population of 1,796 people.

Village Attractions

Mihara Village is surrounded by dense mountain forests and clear, pristine rivers providing ideal conditions for farming and agriculture. As a result, Mihara Village has become well known for its superior rice and vegetable produce. Although Mihara's main industry is agriculture, the village also features some very rare and unique attractions.

Doburoku

Doburoku is a rare type of undistilled rice wine which is creamy in texture with a unique flavor and very potent. Although Doburoku is not exclusive to the village, Mihara is one of the few places that still produce and sell Doburoku. In addition, there is a Doburoku festival held annually in Mihara on the 3rd of November.

Tosa Suzuri Factory

Mihara is also home to the Tosa Suzuri Factory. Suzuri (硯) is the Japanese word for the inkstone used for Japanese calligraphy or shodō (書道). Tosa Ink stones have a strong reputation nationwide for producing a high quality Ink and are sought after by calligraphers all over Japan.