The economy of Kochi Prefecture is shaped by its geographic location, industrial structure, population composition, policies of national and local governments and historical background. By relying on publicly available data, this course aims to develop an evidence-based understanding of how the Kochi economy was formed and how it may evolve. By grounding discussion in objective data, students will be able to assess the current situation accurately, evaluate which policies are likely to be effective, and consider how citizens and policymakers should act. Although Kochi is the case study, the issues examined are common to many other regions of Japan. In other words, the perspectives and analytical methods taught in this class are broadly applicable.