Kagawa Prefecture, the smallest of Japan’s 47 prefectures, packs extraordinary density into its compact area — Japan’s most celebrated garden, the country’s most famous udon noodle culture, and the gateway to the Setouchi art islands. For residents, Kagawa is an accessible long weekend destination with excellent food at every price point and genuinely world-class cultural attractions.
Takamatsu: Gateway City
Takamatsu, Kagawa’s prefectural capital, is the largest city on Shikoku and the main arrival point via the Seto Ohashi Line from Okayama (about 1 hour). The city’s downtown is flat, walkable, and has Japan’s longest covered shopping arcade (Takamatsu Marché and Kotobuki-cho arcade, stretching over 2 km). The port area has easy ferry connections to Naoshima, Teshima, and other Setouchi art islands. The city’s Takamatsu Castle ruins are unusual — a “water castle” with moats that once connected directly to the sea, now a coastal park with strolling paths and free entry.
Ritsurin Garden
Ritsurin Koen is Japan’s most expansive traditional landscape garden — covering 750,000 square meters and developed over 100 years by the Matsudaira lords from 1625. Unlike Kanazawa’s Kenroku-en or Okayama’s Korakuen (the other two “great gardens”), Ritsurin is less internationally famous but considered by many Japanese garden scholars to be the finest of the three for its scale and design sophistication. Six ponds and thirteen artificial hills are arranged around a forested mountain backdrop. The garden is designed for walking — different routes reveal different compositions, and the experience changes completely between seasons. Spring plum and cherry, summer irises, autumn maple, winter pine are each emphasized in different garden sections. The Kikugetsutei teahouse, over one of the main ponds, serves matcha and wagashi confectionery with garden views.
Sanuki Udon: Kagawa’s Food Identity
Sanuki udon — thick, firm, smooth wheat noodles from Kagawa — is more than a dish; it’s a regional identity. Kagawa has over 700 udon restaurants for a population of under 1 million. The simplest preparation is kake udon (noodles in hot dashi broth, topped with sliced green onion and a shake of soy) at ¥200–350 — some shops operate on pure self-service with no staff visible. The more elaborate tama udon involves raw egg mixed into hot noodles. Udon tours (driving between famous shops, queuing from opening time) are a popular activity for food-focused visitors. Marugame (30 minutes west of Takamatsu by train) is considered the udon heartland, with numerous legendary shops within cycling distance of the station. The city also has a well-preserved original castle keep.
Setouchi Art Islands: Naoshima and Beyond
The Setouchi International Art Festival (held every 3 years) transformed several Inland Sea islands into permanent contemporary art destinations. Naoshima is the most famous — Tadao Ando designed the underground Chichu Art Museum (which houses three monumental James Turrell light rooms and five Claude Monet Water Lilies panels in a purpose-built room), the Benesse House hotel-museum, and the Lee Ufan Museum. The “Art House Project” transforms renovated buildings in the old village into permanent Turrell, Kusama, and other installations. Teshima has the Teshima Art Museum (an extraordinary concrete void by Ryue Nishizawa with water welling from the floor), and the Teshima Yokoo House (by Tadanori Yokoo). Ferries to these islands depart from Takamatsu and Uno Ports throughout the day.
Practical Notes
Kagawa is easily reached from Okayama (1 hour) and accessible from Osaka in about 2.5 hours by highway bus. The Setouchi art islands require ferry scheduling — check timetables carefully as last boats return by early evening. The Setouchi Triennale adds temporary artworks every three years (2022, 2025…); outside triennial years, permanent installations are always open. Kagawa’s summer is hot and humid; spring and autumn are ideal. The Kotohira-gu shrine (Kompirasan) in Kotohira town, 60 minutes from Takamatsu, is one of Japan’s most visited shrines with a famous 785-step stone stairway approach — a half-day excursion worth combining with udon lunch in Marugame.