Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [525]
Enclosed by the garden are a number of interesting sights, including Sanuki Folkcraft Museum (admission free; 8.45am-4.30pm), which displays local crafts dating back to the Tokugawa dynasty. If you’re a fan of matcha (powdered green tea) and traditional sweets, there are a number of tea houses in the park, including 17th-century Kikugetsu-tei, where you can have matcha for ¥710, and the lovely thatched-roof Higurashi-tei, which dates from 1898.
The easiest way to reach Ritsurin-kōen is by taking the frequent direct bus (¥230, 15 minutes) from JR Takamatsu station.
TAKAMATSU-JŌ
The site of Takamatsu’s castle now forms delightful Tamamo-kōen (; 851-1521; 2-1 Tamamo-chō; admission ¥200; sunrise-sunset), a park where the walls and moat (filled with sea water) survive, along with several of the original turrets. The original castle was built in 1588 for Itoma Chikamasa, and was the home of the region’s military rulers until the Meiji Restoration nearly 300 years later. In 2008 work began on a reconstruction of the main keep, which should be completed in 2010. The park is a short walk from the main JR station.
Sleeping
Castle Hotel Takamatsu (851-0606; fax 851-0607; 4-8 Tsuruya-machi; s/d ¥3990/5250; ) Near Kataharamachi station on the Kotoden line, this older hotel is slightly rough around the edges, and its common areas are certainly no match for the sparkle of the chain hotels. However, the Japanese- and Western-style rooms are large and comfortable, and represent good value for the price. There’s LAN internet access in all rooms.
Takamatsu Station Hotel (821-6989; fax 851-5575; 1-1 Kotobukichō; s/d ¥5000/8000; ) The building is starting to show its age, and the bare rooms are certainly nothing to write home about, but it’s in a perfect location for an early-morning start – a minute’s walk from the station and the ferry terminal.
Hotel No 1 Takamatsu (812-2222; fax 812-0002; www.hotelno1.jp/takamatsu, in Japanese; 2-4-1 Kankō-dōri; s/d ¥5140/7870; ) Three blocks east and three blocks south of Kotoden Kawaramachi station, this is a sparkling business hotel with standard rooms and a rooftop men-only rotemburo (outdoor bath) with sweeping views of the city (the women’s baths are on the 2nd floor). There is internet access in the lobby, and there are LAN connections in all rooms.
Tōyoko Inn Hyōgomachi (821-1045; fax 821-1046; www.toyoko-inn.com; 3-1 Hyōgomachi; s/tw ¥6090/8190; ) About a five-minute walk from the station, this is a good business hotel with cosy rooms, complimentary breakfast, and free internet access in the lobby.
Dormy Inn Takamatsu (832-5489; fax 835-5657; www.hotespa.net/hotels/takamatsu, in Japanese; 1-10-10 Kawaramachi; s/d ¥6500/9000; ) Opened in summer 2008, this immaculate hotel has spacious and well-appointed rooms and an onsen and rotemburo on the top floor. A location within easy distance of the city’s restaurants and bars makes this an ideal option. There are computers with internet access in the lobby, and there’s LAN access in all rooms.
ANA Hotel Clement Takamatsu (811-1111; fax 811-1100; ww.anaclement.com; 1-1 Hamano-chō; s/d ¥12,474/23,100; ) This eye-catching ultramodern hotel is one of the first buildings you see as you exit JR Takamatsu station. The rooms are spacious, and there’s a good selection of bars and restaurants with sweeping views of the Inland Sea.
Eating
Restaurants and bars are clustered in the covered arcades and entertainment district to the west side of the tracks between Kotoden Kataharamachi and Kawaramachi stations.
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SANUKI UDON
People in Takamatsu are serious about their udon (delicious, thick white noodles made from wheat), and no trip here would be complete without at least one bowl of the famous speciality, Sanuki udon. Why ‘Sanuki’? It’s the old name for the province that’s now modern Kagawa-ken.
As with most things in this part of Japan, there is a Kōbō Daishi connection: according to tradition, the great saint was the first to bring the noodles to Japan when he returned from Tang China 1200 years ago. There