Hirome Market
A covered market of more than 60 stalls, two minutes from Kochi Castle.
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Hirome Market
SaveA covered market of more than 60 stalls, two minutes from Kochi Castle.
Most food shops have no tables of their own, so families buy from several and eat at communal tables.
MoreWhat kind of place
Hirome Market is an indoor market of more than 60 stalls, two minutes on foot from Kochi Castle and right beside the Sunday street market. The name comes from the ground itself.
The mansion of Fukao Hirome, a senior retainer of the Tosa domain, once stood here, and long after the house disappeared in the years following the Meiji Restoration, people went on calling the block the Hirome residence.
The market itself was built in 1998, when the landowners took up a local proposal to make the site the core of a revived shopping district.
Inside, seven blocks with names like Oshiroshita Plaza and Ryoma Street hold fishmongers, butchers, general goods shops, clothing stores and restaurants.
Sources and evidence (19)
- Even after the mansion of Fukao Hirome, a senior retainer of the Tosa domain, disappeared in the years following the Meiji Restoration, local people went on calling this block the Hirome residence.source
- It was built in 1998, when the landowners agreed with a local proposal to make this ground the core of a revived shopping district.source
- More than 60 shops are gathered here, each with its own character, laid out like a village of stalls.source
- Anything bought inside the market can be eaten freely at the seats.source
- The building is laid out in seven blocks, among them Oshiroshita Plaza and Ryoma Street, holding fishmongers, butchers, general goods shops, clothing stores and restaurants.source
- Tables and chairs are set out everywhere: you buy what you want from whichever shop, then bring it back to a shared table.source
- Most of the food shops in the market have no tables of their own.source
- When you have finished eating, gather the dishes in one place and the staff collect all of them.source
- The prefecture's tourism site calls it a place to enjoy Kochi food, seared bonito above all, right alongside local people.source
- It is not a facility built for tourists; local people use it as part of ordinary life.source
- The entire building is nonsmoking.source
- An AED is on the first floor.source
- Bank ATMs are on the first floor, for Shikoku Bank, Kochi Bank and Kochi Shinkin Bank.source
- The market writes that it keeps its entrances flat and its aisles easy to pass through in a wheelchair, so customers with small children can enjoy it too.source
- The north entrance has automatic doors.source
- Anyone who wants to use the eating areas in a wheelchair is asked to get in touch in advance.source
- Wheelchairs are available to borrow.source
- Staff will communicate in writing.source
- This accessibility information was surveyed on site in February 2019.source
With kidsThe part that matters
When nobody in the family wants the same lunch, this covered market solves it: the tables are shared, not attached to any one stall, so everyone buys from whichever shop they like, carries it back to the same table, and you still eat together.
Pile the dishes in one place when you are done and the staff take them away. The dish to look for is katsuo no tataki, Kochi's seared bonito, and local people eat here as routinely as visitors do.
A nursing room and a baby bed are on the first floor, with the diaper changing space next to the accessible restroom.
There is no admission charge and the entrances are flat, so a stroller rolls straight in; just plan to eat what you buy at the stalls, since food from outside — and even the sweets and drinks from the market's own souvenir shops — cannot be eaten in the building.
Sources and evidence (4)
- Busy 11:30-14:00 on weekends and 17:00-20:00; aim for 14:00-16:00. Leave a table 20 minutes and it is cleared.source
- Nursing screen and diaper bed sit by the toilets; Ryoma-dori is smoke-free till 18:30; on weekends aim for 15:00-17:00.source
- Full at 17:00 and no high chairs, so they ate beside the stroller. The kids had nabeyaki ramen; gyoza took 20 minutes.source
- The arcade dead-ends past the parking lot entrance, so a queue backs up. The post office lot, 3 minutes away, sat empty.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The entrances are flat and the aisles are wide enough for a wheelchair to pass easily, which the market says it did so families with small children could enjoy the place, so you can come in with the stroller and go round the seven blocks, Ojoka Plaza, Ryoma Street and the rest. Tables and chairs stand everywhere, so one of you can sit with the baby while the others take turns going off to the stalls.The nursing room and the baby bed are on the first floor, and the nursing and diaper-changing space is next to the multipurpose restroom. Restrooms are on the first and second floors, and the elevator is east of the south entrance. Bringing food or drink into the hall is not allowed, and that includes food and drink bought at the market's own souvenir shops.
- Ages 2-3Almost none of the eating places here has tables of its own, so you can buy whatever your child will actually eat from one of the more than sixty stalls, bring it to the one table your family has taken, and eat together. When you are done, leave the dishes stacked and the staff clears all of it away.Seats do not belong to any one stall; they are shared, and Kochi prefecture's tourism site describes the place as one where you eat shoulder to shoulder with local people. The whole hall is non-smoking, and pets may not be brought in. It opens at 10:00 Monday through Saturday and at 9:00 on Sunday, though each stall keeps its own hours.
- Ages 4-6The hall is laid out in seven blocks with names like Ojoka Plaza and Ryoma Street, and along with the places to eat there are fishmongers, butchers, general goods and clothing shops, so a child can walk it and pick the stall they want. If you carry a Ryoma Passport, 500 yen or more spent on food or goods earns one stamp, pressed at the information counter inside.It is two minutes on foot from Kochi Castle and about fifteen minutes from JR Kochi Station. On Sundays the Sunday market takes over next door, so until evening the parking garage uses only the south entrance. The garage takes vehicles up to 2.2 m high, and its machines do not accept 2,000, 5,000 or 10,000 yen notes.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayInside, the market is laid out in seven blocks such as Oshiroshita Hiroba and Ryoma Dori, and at the tables and chairs lined up throughout, everyone brings what they bought from whichever shop they liked to one table. Restrooms are on the first and second floors, and the nursing room and baby bed are on the first floor.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed1.5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：none
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (10)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Indoor / outdoor, Steps & slope caution, Child switch (rider swap), Official family-friendly certification, Best-fit ages (guide), Crowding (guide), Quietness (guide), Lost-child support
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Busy 11:30-14:00 on weekends and 17:00-20:00; aim for 14:00-16:00. Leave a table 20 minutes and it is cleared.
How to get a seat at Hirome Market: the tricks, the best hours, the popular shops
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Nursing screen and diaper bed sit by the toilets; Ryoma-dori is smoke-free till 18:30; on weekends aim for 15:00-17:00.
Hirome Market with children: the hours, the seats, the tricks
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Full at 17:00 and no high chairs, so they ate beside the stroller. The kids had nabeyaki ramen; gyoza took 20 minutes.
Kochi with a 2-year-old and a baby: Kochi Castle, Hirome Market, Richmond Hotel
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
The arcade dead-ends past the parking lot entrance, so a queue backs up. The post office lot, 3 minutes away, sat empty.
Parking lots around Hirome Market: the post office one is the quiet find
Hirome Market · Links & reads ▾
Where to go next
Where it is
2-3-1 Obiyamachi, Kochi-shi, Kochi 780-0841source
Before you go
- Bringing your own food and drink into the building is not allowed.source
- Food and drink bought at the souvenir shops inside Hirome Market, including alcohol, sweets and produce, also cannot be consumed in the building.source
- Pets cannot be brought inside.source
- Motorcycles and other two-wheeled vehicles cannot be parked there.source
Basics
- Fee：Admission is free; you pay each shop for what you buy. Note for drivers: the parking lot machines take nothing larger than a ¥1,000 note, so bring small notes and coins.source2
- Hours：10:00-23:00 Monday to Saturday, 9:00-23:00 on Sunday. Individual shops keep their own hours and their own days off, so the hall being open does not mean the shop you came for is. The whole building closes 6 to 7 days a year: in 2026 those are 3 and 4 June and 7 and 8 October. The parking lot, separately, is open 24 hours.source2
- Time to allow：1.5 h
- Booking：Admission is free and there is nothing to book: you buy from whichever of the 60-plus shops you like and eat at the shared tables. Most of the food shops have no tables of their own. When you have finished, leave the dishes stacked and the staff clear them away.source2
Basics in detail (17)
- Hours are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday.source
- On Sundays it runs 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.source
- Individual shops keep their own hours.source
- The whole building closes 6 or 7 days a year, with the dates listed on the business calendar on the official site.source
- The 2026 closures are set for June 3, June 4, October 7 and October 8.source
- There is no admission charge.source
- There are four wheelchair parking spaces, two on the second floor and two on the third.source
- The parking lot has a height limit of 2.2 meters, about 7 feet 3 inches.source
- The parking lot has entrances on the north side, along Otesuji, and on the south side, along Ohashi-dori.source
- The parking lot is open 24 hours, which is not the same as the market's own hours.source
- The parking machines do not take 2,000, 5,000 or 10,000 yen notes, so you need 1,000 yen notes or smaller.source
- On Sundays, because the street market is running, only the south entrance can be used until evening.source
- With a Ryoma Passport, spending 500 yen or more on food or goods earns one stamp, applied at the information desk.source
- The address is 2-3-1 Obiyamachi, Kochi, and the information desk inside can be reached at 088-822-5287.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (7)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Diaper changing table, Nursing space
- kochitourism-barrierfree.jp: Stroller friendly, Diaper changing table, Nursing space
- Official: Elevator, Stroller access notes
- Official: Outside food allowed
- kochi-tabi.jp: Stroller access notes
The name Hirome comes from a Tosa clan retainer's mansion that once stood in this part of town. The market opened here in 1998 as an anchor for the shopping street. Seven blocks, named things like Castle-Town Plaza and Ryoma Street, hold fishmongers, butchers, clothing shops and more than sixty stalls. Because most food shops have no seating, people carry their food to whichever table is free. Kochi's seared bonito gets eaten elbow to elbow with locals, and staff clear the stacked dishes.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Flat entrances and passages wide enough for a wheelchair, which the market says it built with older visitors, disabled visitors and families with small children in mind. The north entrance is an automatic door. There is no mention of strollers being lent out. If you want to use the eating area in a wheelchair, contact them in advance. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hirome.co.jpkochitourism-barrierfree.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diaper changing table | Yes | A baby bed on the 1st floor. The changing and nursing space sits next to the multi-purpose toilet. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hirome.co.jpkochitourism-barrierfree.jp |
| Nursing space | Yes | On the 1st floor, next to the multi-purpose toilet. The number of rooms, and whether hot water is available, are not stated. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hirome.co.jpkochitourism-barrierfree.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes (1) | One multi-purpose toilet on the 1st floor, with a movable U-shaped handrail on the right of the bowl and an L-shaped one on the left. Ordinary toilets are on the 1st and 2nd floors. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hirome.co.jpkochitourism-barrierfree.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Yes | An elevator stands east of the south entrance. The 2nd and 3rd floors are the parking lot. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kochitourism-barrierfree.jphirome.co.jp |
| Outside food allowed | No | Bringing food or drink into the hall is refused, and so is eating anything bought from the souvenir shops inside the market - alcohol, sweets, fruit and vegetables included. Whether baby food is treated the same way is not stated anywhere. Pets are not admitted either, and the whole hall is non-smoking. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hirome.co.jphirome.co.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Steps & slope caution | Not checked yet | ||||
| Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet | ||||
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Two minutes on foot from Kochi Castle, three minutes from the Ohashi-dori tram stop, about 15 minutes on foot from JR Kochi station; 15 minutes by car from the Kochi interchange and 30 from Kochi airport. The 2nd and 3rd floors are the market's own parking lot, with entrances on the north (Otesuji) side and the south (Ohashi-dori) side, and four wheelchair spaces - two on each floor. Height limit 2.2m, no motorcycles. On Sundays only the south entrance is usable until the evening because of the Sunday market. The machines take nothing larger than a ¥1,000 note. Inside, there is an AED and an ATM on the 1st floor, a wheelchair to borrow, and staff who will write things down for you. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hirome.co.jpkochitourism-barrierfree.jpkochi-tabi.jphirome.co.jp |
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Crowding (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Quietness (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet |