Ritsurin Garden: Takamatsu Travel Guide (4.5★)

Pines, ponds and Mount Shiun

Ritsurin is built around one borrowed backdrop. Mount Shiun’s wooded slope rises straight behind the west side of the grounds, so every pond seems to end in forest. The Matsudaira lords of the Takamatsu domain shaped the garden over more than a century, and it was finished in the mid-1700s. Today it holds Japan’s Special Place of Scenic Beauty designation.

The pines are what you will remember. More than a thousand are trained into clipped clouds, low sprawls and the tight box shapes known as hakomatsu. Gardeners still prune them by hand. Six ponds and thirteen artificial hills are linked by gravel paths, so the view changes every few steps.

The route through the south garden

The south garden, Nantei, is the classic stroll garden. The north garden, Hokutei, is more open and lawned. Most people loop the south side, which takes about 90 minutes to two hours at an easy pace.

Points to aim for:

• Hiraiho: a small hill above the South Pond. It gives the postcard view of Engetsu-kyō bridge and the pines across the water.
• Engetsu-kyō: the arched bridge whose reflection draws a full circle on calm water.
• Kikugetsu-tei: the lakeside teahouse. You sit on tatami and are served matcha with a seasonal sweet, looking out over the South Pond.
• The wasen boat ride: a wooden boat poled slowly around the South Pond, giving you the bridges and pines at water level.
• Hokutei’s lotus and iris ponds: these are at their best in early summer.

Beating the weekend crowds

This is one of Shikoku’s busiest sights. Plan your timing around that. The gates open at 6am every day, and the calmest window is 7am–9am on weekdays and weekends alike. On weekends, try not to arrive between 10am and 4pm, when groups fill the narrow bridges and the Hiraiho viewpoint.

An early start pays off twice. The ponds tend to be stillest in the morning, which is when Engetsu-kyō’s reflection works best. Closing is 5:30pm, except Saturday, when the garden stays open until 6:30pm. Buy your ticket at the gate; current prices are posted there and on the official site.

Some etiquette that matters here:

• Stay on the gravel. The moss and raked areas are not for stepping on.
• At Kikugetsu-tei, take your shoes off at the entrance. Turn the tea bowl slightly before drinking, the way you are shown.
• Ask about the wasen boat at the gate as soon as you arrive. Places are limited and it can fill up on busy days.
• Big tripods and drones are a bad idea on crowded paths. Check the rules posted at the entrance first.

Getting there and what’s nearby

The east gate is the main entrance and faces Chūō-dōri. From JR Takamatsu Station, take a bus south along Chūō-dōri or walk for about 25 minutes.

Two stations are closer:

• JR Ritsurin-Kōen-Kitaguchi Station (Kōtoku Line): a few minutes’ walk to the north gate.
• Kotoden Ritsurin-Kōen Station (Kotohira Line): about 10 minutes’ walk east of the east gate.

Pair the garden with the ruins of Takamatsu Castle in Tamamo Park, beside the port near Takamatsu Station. Kagawa is Japan’s sanuki udon prefecture, and the streets around the garden have plenty of self-service udon counters for a late breakfast after an early visit. Ferries to the art island of Naoshima leave from the same port.