At a glance
Situated in the northeast corner of Shikoku, Kagawa is the smallest prefecture by area in Japan but has plenty to offer such as one of the most famous traditional Japanese gardens, islands dedicated to contemporary art, popular Shinto shrine which is hard to approach with 785-step ascent etc. Kagawa is also well known for its udon noodles with over 600 local udon restaurants in the prefecture.
Highlights
Ritsurin Koen
Considered one of Japan's finest gardens, Ritsurin Koen (Ritsurin Garden) is a beautiful garden full of Japanese aesthetics. Utilizing mountain Shiun-zan as a backdrop (shakkei technique), Ritsurin Koen features six ponds, thirteen artificial hills, waterfalls, a tea house and more. In addition to ever-green pine trees beautifully maintained through the garden, various plants make four seasons equally graceful. It takes about 2 hours to stroll around the garden, and you can enjoy the changing landscape with every step.
Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum
Isamu Noguchi is one of the most internationally-renowned Japanese-American artists and sculptors. This museum was the studio where he was working on his creations, and you can see many of his works on exhibit at museums or gardens. Embodying his wish to inspire artists, the museum retains working studio's atmosphere. The collections include 150 sculptures, many of which are unfinished.
Kotohira
Kotohira-gu, commonly known as Kompira-san, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the guardian of marine transportation. Standing on a steep hill, this shrine is said to have one of the most difficult shrine approaches in Japan. You need to climb 785 steps to the main shrine and another 583 (total of 1,368) steps to the inner shrine. Despite its strenuous approach, more than 4 million pilgrims visit the shrine every year, making this the most famous shrine in Shikoku Island. Along the steep ascent to the shrine, there are plenty of interesting en-route distractions such as souvenir shops, local udon restaurants, cafés and so on. Once you reach the main shrine, the breathtaking views of Kotohira Town, mountains and ocean can be enjoyed.
Shodoshima Island
Shodoshima Island is the second largest island in the Seto Inland Sea and reachable via ferry from Takamatsu in about an hour. The island attracts visitors with various unique aspects such as its Mediterranean atmosphere, beaches, spectacular gorge, olive production and more.
Located in the center of Shodoshima Island, Kankakei Gorge is ranked as one of three most beautiful gorges in Japan. As the mountains here are densely covered by Japanese maples, it becomes even more beautiful in autumn with colored leaves. It is a popular destination for hikers, but you can also take a scenic ropeway to the summit. From the observation deck, you will appreciate the panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea over the gorge.
There are more picturesque spots in the island, but one of the most popular one is Angel Road. It is a naturally-occurring 500-meter-long sandbar that connects Shodoshima island to its neighboring island. It only appears twice a day when the tide is low, and you can actually walk to the small island. According to the romantic local legend, if you cross the sandbar with your partner, it will strengthen your relationship.
Shodoshima island is well known as the birthplace of olive cultivation in Japan, which is first succeeded in 1908, and it has been a top producer of Japanese olive since then. Thanks to its warm climate, the island is an ideal place for growing olives. Enjoy the olives in a variety of forms like olive oil, pickles, snacks, cosmetics, ice cream and even olive noodles.
Not only the olive production, Shodoshima island has a 400-year-history of soy sauce production. There is a soy sauce museum where you can learn the traditional soy sauce preparation method. After the exhibition, do not forget to treat yourself to soy-sauce-flavored ice cream!
Udon noodle
Though Udon is available throughout Japan, Kagawa prefecture is the most famous place for Udon (Sanuki-Udon). Sanuki Udon is characterized by firm and chewy texture in a delicately flavored broth. There are over 600 udon restaurants in the prefecture, and many Japanese visit Kagawa to taste local udon noodles.
Ohenro Pilgrimage in Kagawa
The Shikoku Ohenro Pilgrimage is the Buddhist pilgrimage visiting 88 temples in Shikoku, which was started by Buddhist Monk Kukai (Kobo Daishi) 1,200 years ago. The whole trip will take 40-50 days to complete on foot, but for most of you who cannot take long vacation, you could enjoy shorter section of the pilgrimage route. Twenty-three temples (66th to 88th) are located in Kagawa. Kagawa offers great opportunities to immerse yourself in the long-standing pilgrim tradition. Please see travel article on a day trip from Takamatsu to experience part of Ohenro culture by train and trail.
Access
There are a variety of approaches to this area. Typical routes are as follows:
<To Takamatsu>
From Tokyo
Tokyo - [1 hr. 30 min. by flight] - Takamatsu
From Osaka
Osaka - [45 min. by Shinkansen, bullet train] - Okayama - [1 hr. by rapid train] - Takamatsu
<To Shodoshima Island>
From Takamatsu
Takamatsu - [1 hr. by ferry] - Shodoshima Island
Custom travel in Shikoku and Shikoku Private Tour
For more information, or to start customizing your own itinerary, please contact us.
