Ritsurin Koen Garden
One of Japan's finest historical landscape gardens — 100 years of development by Takamatsu domain lords created 6 ponds, 13 hills, and 1,400 manicured pines.
2–3 hours
¥500 (adult), ¥170 (elementary/junior high); from 1 Jun 2025
7:00–17:00 (extended to 19:00 in some seasons; check website)
Year-round
15 min walk from Takamatsu station
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Dawn entry (before 7am) has the garden almost entirely to yourself
- 2
The Kikugetsu-tei teahouse serves matcha with a direct garden view
- 3
Autumn aki-akari illumination (October–November) transforms the garden at night
Local Tips
Ritsurin is arguably Japan's finest traditional garden — six southern ponds and thirteen hills designed around Mt Shiun as a borrowed landscape backdrop. The garden rewards slow walking; find the tea houses (free matcha ceremony ¥620) inside the garden for the most complete experience. Ritsurin is 30 minutes by train from Takamatsu and often overlooked in favour of smaller Shikoku gardens.
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