Ritsurin Koen in Takamatsu is the most beautiful garden we have ever seen.
A 3-minute walk from JR Ritsurin Koen Kitaguchi station is this 400 year-old Japanese garden, sprawled over 185 acres, with Mount Shiun providing a majestic backdrop. It has all types of Japanese plants and bonsai, six koi ponds with pretty bridges, many landscaped hills and one tree that is really special – the Japanese cherry tree which signals the start of the cherry blossom season all over Japan and is monitored carefully each spring. You can feed the fish in a carp pond, both from the shore and from the stepping stones in the water on which you should tread delicately. Scenic bridges and vast swathes of green, crowned by a waterfall and a lotus pond, will soothe and charm your eyes and mind. We even saw a largish snake slithering across the path before us – not really meant as an attraction, we presume!
We were told that spring is the best time to visit, when cherry and peach blossoms adorn the garden. But any time of the year would be delightful because there are spectacular views wherever you look. The artistry that has gone into its design over four centuries is unmatched anywhere else.
A great place to take a break is the Kikugetsu-tei teahouse where you can sip aromatic Japanese green tea while viewing the gorgeous South Pond from the tea house. We had a nice Japanese meal there.
A short ride from Takamatsu station to Marugame station and then a 15-minute walk will bring you to the magnificent Marugame Castle!
The Castle poses an imposing sight with its towering stone walls, sixty meters tall, built with layer upon layer of large rocks. The walls of the Castle are known as Ougi no Kobai as they resemble the shape of a Japanese folding fan. The moat surrounding the castle is the home of many small turtles, many of which can be seen basking in the sunshine.
The tenshu, or castle keep, is the fortified tower that comprises the tallest part of a Japanese castle. The keep here is made entirely of wood, unusual for Japan and well preserved despite being nearly 400 years old.
The small central tower of Marugame Castle has nice little displays of samurai helmets, swords and armour, and photographs of Japan’s other fortresses. If you are lucky you will find a pretty grove of cherry trees in flower on the second top level.
A lovely way to spend a day!
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The garden is fantastic. Of course, one hopes that they also serve sake in the teahouse …
Japan seems like such a cool coutry to visit, I would love to see that with my own eyes 🙂
Japanese gardens are always so tranquil, beautiful and evoke a sense of restfulness. And are truly beautiful during cherry blossoming time.
I love wandering around Japanese gardens…so peaceful and calming. This looks like a great day trip.
So lovely and so much green. I love the peaceful water, too.
The garden looks delightful. I can imagine it’s a quite serene place to sip your green tea. I’d love to visit Japan, I’ve saved this for future reference, thank you!
I’ve only ever wandered around Japanese gardens in the US so it would be a real treat to travel to Japan are explore one actually in Japan.
That looks lovely! I’ve been planning a trip to Japan for ages but never got there. I hadn’t heard of Shikoku though, and it’s definitely on my list now. Thanks for the interesting post.
I’ve never heard of Shikoku. But the two day trips you’ve described sound lovely. Japanese gardens are such tranquil places. The castle is not something I would’ve expected in Japan, but looks like something I would enjoy.
Wow! Japan is so fascinating! I just love and admire the country, even though I’ve never been there. You have some lovely postcard worthy pics of Shikoku out here.
Japanese gardens evoke a feeling of tranquillity.
No one does gardens quite like the Japanese. Their gardens are so well preserved that you walk in the footsteps on shoguns! Haven’t done a “mikaeri” slope yet in all of my castle visits in Japan and this is an interesting one.
Is the water really that green, or is it just the reflections of the trees?
Wow – Japan looks so pretty! Definitely on my bucket list now!
I love Japan and I’ve visited twice so far. I plan to one day return and travel around Shikoku. Thanks for these lovely ideas. The garden looks beautiful. I’m sure in the fall it’s even more beautiful. I also have a fascination for Japanese castles. I had no idea you could take a day trip from Osaka or Kobe to Shikoku either. Great post! Will keep this for future use.
We are sorry to have missed a day trip to Shikoku when we visited Japan. The gardens and ponds would be a relaxing way to spend a few hours. And it would be amazing when cherry blossoms are in bloom. We found the castles in Japan to be fascinating and would not miss a stop at the Marugame Castle. Although I would want to tackle that climb up before my relaxing garden visit.