Takamatsu

Takamatsu is the capital of Kagawa Prefecture, on the northern coast of Shikoku, and it is the main port for the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. It is a relaxed city with a lot to offer: a famous garden, a castle that stands beside the sea, a covered shopping street that is one of the longest in Japan and a food culture built around Sanuki udon, the thick wheat noodles for which the region is known. Many visitors pass through it on the way to Naoshima or other islands, but the city rewards those who stay for at least a day.

Ritsurin Garden is the most beautiful sight. It was developed over more than a century by the lords of the Takamatsu domain and is considered one of the finest daimyo gardens in Japan. A mountain stands behind it, and in front of the hill the garden is laid out as a series of ponds, bridges, tea houses and carefully pruned pines, each view designed to change as you walk. Boats on the large pond allow visitors to see the garden from the water, and a tea house on the lake serves matcha and sweets. The garden is open from early morning, and each season gives it a different character.

Takamatsu Castle, known as Tamamo Castle, is unusual for the way that it meets the sea. Its moat is filled with seawater, and sea bream swim in it. The main keep no longer stands, but the stone walls, the gates and the turrets survive in a park near the port, and the garden and the tea house in the grounds are pleasant for a short visit. In the centre, the Marugamemachi arcade runs for kilometres under glass and roof, with shops, cafes and udon restaurants, and the neighbouring arcades make it one of the largest covered shopping areas in the country.

The udon is a reason to visit in its own right. Kagawa is so devoted to the noodle that it has been nicknamed the Udon Prefecture, and the locals eat it for breakfast, lunch and as a snack. Restaurants range from tiny self-service shops, where you collect your noodles from a counter and add tempura and broth yourself, to elegant dining rooms. The noodles are firm and chewy, served hot or cold, with simple toppings such as raw egg, grated daikon or tempura, and a bowl costs very little. A day of udon hopping is a classic activity.

Several cultural sights lie close to the city. Yashima, a flat-topped plateau to the east, was the site of a famous battle of the twelfth century between the Taira and Minamoto clans, and its temple and viewpoint look over the Inland Sea. Shikoku Mura, an open-air museum at the foot of the plateau, gathers old houses from across the island, including a vine bridge and a sugar mill. The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, in the nearby town of Mure, preserves the studio and the stone sculptures of the Japanese-American artist, who worked here for many years.

The islands are the main attraction beyond the city. Naoshima, about an hour away by ferry, is known worldwide for its contemporary art, with the Chichu Art Museum, the Benesse House and the Art House Project, and the giant pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama has become the symbol of the island. Teshima, Megijima and Shodoshima, the olive island, offer other kinds of art, landscape and food, and the Setouchi Triennale, an art festival held every three years, adds many temporary works. The ferries leave from Takamatsu Port, and the schedule shapes the day.

On the mainland, Kotohira, about an hour away by train, is home to Kotohira-gu, a hilltop shrine to the patron of sailors, reached by a famous flight of 785 stone steps to the main hall and many more to the inner shrine. The Iya Valley, a remote gorge in Tokushima Prefecture with vine bridges, can be visited in a long day trip. Takamatsu also has an airport, a station on the Seto-Ohashi line to Okayama and ferries to Honshu islands, so it is easy to reach.

The climate is mild and dry, one of the driest in Japan, which suits sightseeing at most times of year. Spring brings cherry blossoms to the garden, summer is hot, autumn has colour in the trees and winter is clear and cool. The city is compact, and the sights are served by trains, buses and taxis. Plan a day for Ritsurin and the city, and a second day for an island or Kotohira.

The Takamatsu experiences on Excurze include a customised private tour with a licensed guide, with a choice of sites that includes Ritsurin Garden, the castle, Yashima and the Noguchi museum, and a private day on Naoshima with an English-speaking guide. Our concierge can combine them with Okayama, Matsuyama and Kochi, and arrange the ferries, the hotels and the udon stops for a journey around Shikoku.