Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [526]
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UDON RESTAURANTS
Goemon (821-2711; 13-15 Furubaba-chō; 6pm-3am, closed Sun) The Japanese-only menu at this no-nonsense spot in the heart of the entertainment district has a long list of udon dishes to choose from, including tsukimi udon (udon with raw egg on top; ¥600) and asari udon (udon with clams; ¥700). It’s opposite a club called Heaven’s Door (with an English sign) and there’s an illuminated sign outside advertising ‘te-uchi udon’.
Kanaizumi (822-0123; 9-3 Konyamachi; 9.30am-5pm) A popular self-service place by the Takamatsu art museum, where you choose between shō (small), chū (medium) or dai (large) helpings of kake udon (udon in broth) or zaru udon (cold udon, with a dipping sauce), and then help yourself to a wide variety of toppings. A medium serving of noodles with two toppings comes to less than ¥500.
Tsurumaru (821-3780; 9-34 Furubaba-chō; 8pm-3am, closed Sun) Sit at the counter and watch the noodles being pounded by hand in this popular spot, which is busy with the bar-hopping crowd until late into the night. The delicious karē udon (curry udon; ¥700) is the most popular choice here. Look for the curtain over the door with a picture of a crane on it.
OTHER
Bijin-tei (861-0275; 2-2-10 Kawara-machi; 5-10pm, closed Sun) An unpretentious izakaya with bags of local flavour, the Bijin-tei serves up excellent seafood, bought fresh every morning by the friendly owner. As a result, there’s no menu to speak of – but most of the fish is within pointing range on top of the counter, and you can be sure that whatever you plump for will be beautifully prepared and fairly priced. It’s on the ground floor of a building containing several snack bars and karaoke joints. Look for the sign with the shop’s name on it in kanji: .
Mikayla (811-5357; 8-40 Sunport; set courses from ¥4200; 11am-10pm) A romantic spot on the Sunport Takamatsu esplanade north of the station, this seaside restaurant-bar is the perfect place for a sundowner overlooking the Inland Sea. The food is mostly European-accented seafood, and an English menu is available.
Tokiwa Saryō (861-5577; 1-8-2 Tokiwa-chō; lunch & dinner) This former ryokan is an elegant spot for lunch or dinner, with tatami rooms set around a beautiful garden and pond. The Japanese-only menu has some pictures, and focuses on local seafood. O-susume kōsu (chef’s courses) are in the ¥3500 to ¥4500 range, and there are several Seto sashimi moriawase (selections of seasonal sashimi from the Seto Inland Sea; ¥1800). Enter the Tokiwa arcade from Ferry Dōri and take the second left; it’s the building on the right with the big white lantern.
Drinking
Anbar (822-1339; 1F Dai-ichi Bldg, 8-15 Furubaba-chō; 8pm-midnight, closed Thu) This mellow feline-themed bar has an impressive collection of whiskies. There’s an English sign outside.
Cancun (821-1550; 6-23 Furubaba-chō; 6pm-3am, closed Sun) Every inch of space is crammed with knick-knacks and paraphernalia in this relaxed bar in the heart of the entertainment district. There’s a wide range of drinks (most ¥700 to ¥800), and the friendly young bar-staff speak some English.
Getting There & Away
Takamatsu airport, 16km south of the city, is easily reached by bus (¥740, 35 minutes, hourly from the front of JR Takamatsu station). There are direct flights to/from Tokyo (¥29,600, 1¼ hours, 10 daily).
Thanks to the Seto-ōhashi bridge, completed in 1988, Takamatsu is the only city in Shikoku with regular rail links to Honshū. There are frequent trains to Okayama (¥1470, 55 minutes, every half-hour), where you can connect to shinkansen (bullet train) services that will whizz you to any of the major cities in just a few hours.
From Takamatsu, tokkyū trains on the JR Kōtoku line run southeast to Tokushima (¥2560, one hour and seven minutes, hourly); the JR Yosan line runs west to Matsuyama (¥5500, 2½ hours, hourly); and the JR Dosan line runs to Kōchi