Kami

Kami was a district of Tosa on the southern side of Shikoku, extending from the coast into the mountains. Its fertile lowlands and river valleys supported villages and estates, while local warrior families held land in the district. Among them were the Yamada and Kōsokabe, whose estates lay in different parts of the district.

In the medieval period the Kōsokabe family took its name from a district estate and held local offices there. Their lands bordered other estates, and disputes over their boundaries appear in fourteenth-century documents. During the age of civil wars, the Chōsokabe expanded their authority across Tosa; the warriors of Kōsokabe were incorporated into their service. Surviving land surveys record fields, houses and many small villages within the district.