Takamatsu is the gateway to Shikoku from Honshu, about an hour from Okayama on the Marine Liner train, and it is the easiest place to start a Shikoku programme. Kagawa, Japan's smallest prefecture, packs one of the country's finest strolling gardens, a mountain shrine reached by a famous flight of stone steps, and the noodle that made the prefecture's name, into a short coach radius.
Takamatsu
- Ritsurin Garden. A daimyo strolling garden laid out over about a century by the lords of Takamatsu, with ponds, bridges and carefully trained pines. Many specialists rank it beside Japan's three great gardens. Groups can take a short boat ride on the ponds and stop for tea in a pavilion.
- Marugame Castle. Half an hour west, one of the twelve castles with an original keep, sitting high on stone walls.
- The art islands. Naoshima and the other Seto Inland Sea art islands are reached by ferry from Takamatsu port.
Kotohira-gu (Konpira-san)
The shrine of sailors and sea travel sits on a mountainside at Kotohira, about an hour from Takamatsu. It is reached by stone steps: 785 to the main shrine and 1,368 in all to the inner shrine. Most groups climb to the main shrine and stop there, and guests who prefer not to climb can wait in the shopping street at the foot of the steps. Beside the approach stands the Kanamaruza, built in 1835 and Japan's oldest surviving kabuki theatre; it can be visited when it is not in use, and stages kabuki in spring.
Udon country
Kagawa is Japan's udon prefecture. Self-service udon shops are a lunch the whole group understands, and an udon-making class, kneading and cutting the noodles by hand, is one of the easiest hands-on activities we book for groups of any age.
Shodoshima
The island of olives is about an hour by ferry from Takamatsu. Olive groves, the Kankakei gorge and its ropeway, and soy sauce breweries make a full day, best in late October and November when the gorge colours.
How we plan it
We base the group in Takamatsu for two nights, time Konpira for a morning, book the garden boats and the udon class, and confirm ferry space for Shodoshima. Kagawa links well to Matsuyama, Kochi and Okayama. See our Shikoku region guide, our Seto Inland Sea art islands guide, our Japan garden tours guide and our Matsuyama and Dogo Onsen guide.
FAQ
How many nights do groups need in Kagawa? Two nights in Takamatsu cover the garden, Konpira and an udon class; add a third for Shodoshima or the art islands.
Do guests have to climb all the steps at Konpira? No. Most groups stop at the main shrine, 785 steps up, and guests can choose to wait at the foot of the approach.
How do groups reach Takamatsu? By air to Takamatsu Airport, or by train from Okayama on the Marine Liner in about an hour, crossing the Seto Ohashi bridge.
Want Takamatsu and Kagawa in your clients' Japan programme? Write to b2b@explera.jp, message the trade desk on WhatsApp at +66 93 656 8090, or register on the B2B portal. Proposals within 24 hours. IATA TIDS 96215733, ASTA member 900408341.
