This was not at all what I expected to see next.  They were mixing modern dance with modern/traditional Asian music.  It was actually pretty entertaining, in fact much better than the fight.  It was weird though because there were only like ten people in the audience.  Very surreal.  After they did a couple songs they asked where each person was from.  I was the last to be asked, and I said I'm from Kyoto.  Then they laughed and asked where I was really from, so I explained that I'm from Texas but living in Kyoto.  The lead guy spoke a little English and explained that they had performed in New York and other places in the world.

Below the statue was the following (looooong) text:  Sakamoto Ryoma was born in 1835 as the second eldest son of a squire who lived in the area known as Jokamachi in Kochi City.  Known as a swordsman after going to the famous Chiba Dojo in Edo (now Tokyo) to study a fighting style called Hokushin-Itto, he later joined Takechi Hanpeita's (a.k.a. Zuisan) "Tosa Kinnoto Political Party" in 1861 (Bunkyu 1).  After deserting the Tosa Han (now Kochi-ken), Ryoma studied under Katsu Kaishu and began to create a plan for a navy.  By persuading Katsura Kogoro (a.k.a. Kido Takayoshi) from the Choshu Han (now Yamaguchi-ken) and Saigo Takamori from the Satsuma Han (now Kagoshima-ken) to join forces in 1866 (Keio 2), they were able to attack and defeat the Tokugawa Bakufu (Edo era government) Army.  This led to the strengthening of the Anti-Bakufu Movement, and with the addition of the Tosa Han to the united Choshu and Satsuma Hans, the background was set for the Restoration of Imperial Rule.  With the help of the Tosa Han politician Goto Shojiro, the emergence of a new political government based on a constitutional government with a National Assembly (Diet) was expected.  Yamauchi Yodo (the 15th Tosa Han governor) accepted Goto's proposal, and on the 3rd of October 1867 (Keio 3) he petitioned for the Restoration of the Emperor (Taiseihoukan) to the then Shogun Yoshinobu.  Recognizing the current state of affairs, the Shogun relinquished political power back to the Imperial Court on the 14th of October.  Pleased by this Ryoma continued to do all he could to create a new political government.  But unfortunately he was killed with his friend Nakaoka Shintaro by Bakufu assassins on the 15th of November at Omiya Inn, Kyoto.  Ryoma, commander of the Kaientai (Naval Auxiliary Force), and Shintaro, commander of the Rikuentai (Land Auxiliary Force), had been trying to create a Tosa Han reserve army, but both fell victim to the forces that were against the fall of the Bakufu.  Ryoma was 33 years old.  Shintaro was 30 years old.

As you can see, the local hero has his own beer.  It's pretty good.  Very similar to Heineken.  I bought another one as Mizue's dad's gift.  Drinking a beer and sitting on the beach is awesome.

After leaving Kochi I drove past this sign and thought, "What the hell?"  I pulled a u-turn to go back and inspect.  It turns out USA (pronouned "oosa") is the name of a local whale-watching tour business.