Which Kagawa attractions suit your trip?
Choose Ritsurin Garden for a relaxed walk among pines and ponds, or Tamamo Park for a castle site and moat beside the harbour. At Kotohira-gu Shrine, climb the stone steps to the main shrine; at Yashimaru, look out over the Seto Inland Sea. Chichu Art Museum on Naoshima combines Monet’s paintings with architecture. Each visit has different demands, from the shrine steps and summit shuttle to museum reservations and boat connections.
Attraction fees and access
Ritsurin Garden
栗林公園
Walk at a leisurely pace among Ritsurin Garden’s pines and ponds. The views change as you follow the paths. Garden admission is separate from boat and teahouse charges. Choose the East or North Gate to suit the station you will use for your return journey.
- AdmissionAdmission costs ¥500 for adults and ¥170 for primary and junior high school pupils. Children below school age enter free. Boats and teahouses cost extra.
- HoursOpening hours in October are 06:00–17:30. January/December: 07:00–17:00; February: 07:00–17:30; March: 06:30–18:00; April–May: 05:30–18:30; June–August: 05:30–19:00; September: 05:30–18:30; November: 06:30–17:00. Storm warnings may cause temporary closure.
- Getting thereWalk about 7 minutes towards the East Gate from Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen, or about 3 minutes towards the North Gate from JR Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi. These official estimates exclude traffic lights, ticket purchases and time spent in the garden. Stations with Ritsurin in their names are separate stations.
- What to seeWalk among pines and ponds, enjoying garden views that change with your direction.
Fees and seasonal hoursOfficial access informationRitsurin Garden’s pines, ponds and walking scenery
Tamamo Park
玉藻公園
Visit Tamamo Park near the port to explore the old castle site and moat filled with seawater. This is not a visit inside a keep. Opening hours differ by gate.
- AdmissionGeneral admission costs ¥300. Check official free-admission conditions for under-18s and students.
- HoursIn October, the west gate opens 06:00–17:30 and the east gate 08:30–17:00. Gate hours change in other months. The park closes 29–31 December.
- Getting thereWalk about 3 minutes from JR Takamatsu Station to the park, which is beside Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station. Remember your entrance gate for an easier return to the port or station.
- What to seeExplore the former Takamatsu Castle site and its moat filled with seawater.
Current admission and gate hoursTakamatsu city visitor informationTakamatsu city: Tamamo Park’s seawater moat
Kotohira-gu
Kotohiragu Shrine金刀比羅宮
Explore the shops along Kotohira’s shrine approach, then climb the 785 stone steps to Kotohira-gu’s main shrine. Compare a day trip with a night in Kotohira, allowing time for worship, browsing, rests and the descent.
- Separate admission chargesThe shrine approach and associated museums have separate visitor information. Additional buildings and prayers cost extra. Check official admission and opening hours separately if visiting associated buildings.
- Worship hoursThe main gate opens 06:00–18:00 and the main-shrine gates open 07:00–17:00. Official guidance gives about 1 hour one way from the first stone step to the main shrine, excluding descending and breaks. Check the shrine’s official hours.
- Getting thereWalk about 10 minutes from JR Kotohira or Kotoden Kotohira to the shrine approach. This is not a 10-minute station-to-main-shrine walk. Use the designated approach rather than vehicle roads closed to pedestrians.
Shrine official hoursStation-to-approach and steps informationWalking-route precautions
Yashimaru
Yashimāruやしまーる
Yashimaru’s viewing spaces overlook the Seto Inland Sea and Takamatsu. General admission is free; paid exhibitions and transport cost extra. Take a summit shuttle from the station at the foot of the mountain, and choose your return service too.
- AdmissionGeneral admission is free. Paid exhibitions, parking and transport cost extra.
- HoursYashimaru opens 09:00–17:00, extending to 21:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and the day before public holidays. It closes on Tuesdays, or the next weekday if Tuesday is a public holiday. Evening opening does not imply a late return bus.
- Getting thereTake a Yashima Sanjo shuttle from JR Yashima or Kotoden Yashima, then follow facility signs on foot after getting off at the summit. The official roughly 10-minute walk starts at Yashima Sanjo visitor car park. On the summit map, locate the visitor car park, Yashima-ji and Yashimaru at number 11, then follow the path towards Yashimaru. Check the leaflet’s main entrance too, and leave time to find and walk the route after alighting. Adult shuttle fares are ¥340 each way from JR Yashima or ¥300 from Kotoden Yashima. Choose summit-bound and return services together in your date’s official timetable. The direct service from Takamatsu Station stand 7 costs ¥700 each way and operates under Saturday, Sunday, public-holiday and designated school-holiday conditions; do not assume daily weekday service. Yashima Sanjo Kanko parking lot · 屋島山上観光駐車場
Official walk from the visitor car park to the facilityYashimaru current operationCurrent shuttle fares and timetableYashima official summit mapYashimaru shuttle access and main entrance layout
Naoshima Miyanoura Port
Miyanoura Port直島 宮浦港
For Naoshima, choose a Miyanoura-bound boat from Takamatsu Port. This is a different route from boats departing Uno Port.
- FaresAdult one-way fares cost ¥680 for the ferry and ¥1,590 for the high-speed boat. Two one-way ferry fares total ¥1,360 return.
- Outward and return sailingsCheck your date’s outward and final return sailings in the official route timetable. Tickets and sales offices differ by boat type; check operation and capacity on the day.
- BoardingThe official walking estimate to the port is about 5 minutes from JR Takamatsu Station or 3 minutes from Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko. Ferry tickets go on sale 40 minutes before departure and high-speed boat tickets 30 minutes before, at separate offices about a 3-minute walk apart. Find the office for your boat first. Shikoku Kisen does not accept ordinary boarding reservations; passengers board in order of arrival. Weather and sea conditions may delay or suspend sailings.
Chichu Art Museum
地中美術館
Visit Chichu Art Museum for Monet’s Water Lilies and Tadao Ando’s architecture. Most of the building is underground, yet natural light changes the appearance of works and spaces through the day. Book a dated, timed ticket, then choose return boat and island bus connections.
- Admission and reservationsOnline adult admission costs ¥2,500 weekdays or ¥2,700 Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. On-site prices are ¥2,800 and ¥3,000 respectively; ages 15 and under are free. Book a date and time. On-site tickets are not sold when online tickets are sold out.
- HoursThe museum opens 10:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:00. It closes on Mondays, or the next day when Monday is a public holiday. Maintenance closure runs 12 January–19 March 2027; do not include Chichu during that period. For other dates, check the opening calendar and booking screen together.
- Access from the portTake a local bus from Miyanoura Port to Tsutsuji-so, then a free shuttle to Chichu Ticket Center. On the official Benesse House area map, G marks the Ticket Center and shuttle stop. Follow the path towards the museum shown separately to the southwest. Reaching the Ticket Center is not museum entry. Allow time for the walk to the entrance and admission queue when choosing buses to reach your booked slot.
- Art and architectureSee Monet’s Water Lilies in a building designed by Tadao Ando. Natural light changes the appearance of the works and spaces.
Facility and reservationsOpening calendar by visit dateChichu Art Museum 2027 maintenance closure noticeLocal busFree shuttleOfficial Chichu Ticket Center and museum access map
Frequently asked questions
Which station should I use for Ritsurin Garden?
From Kotoden Ritsurin-Koen Station, walk about 7 minutes towards the East Gate. From JR Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi Station, walk about 3 minutes towards the North Gate. These are separate stations. Allow additional time to buy tickets and explore the garden.
Is the main shrine only 10 minutes from Kotohira Station?
The roughly 10-minute walk takes you from the station to the approach street. From the first step, there are 785 steps to the main shrine. The official estimate of about an hour covers the climb only; allow extra time to descend and rest.
Station-to-approach and steps informationShrine official hours
Official sources and check dates
- Fees and seasonal hours ·
- Official access information ·
- Current admission and gate hours ·
- Takamatsu city visitor information ·
- Shrine official hours ·
- Station-to-approach and steps information ·
- Walking-route precautions ·
- Official walk from the visitor car park to the facility ·
- Yashimaru current operation ·
- Current shuttle fares and timetable ·
- Facility and reservations ·
- Opening calendar by visit date ·
- Local bus ·
- Free shuttle ·
- Takamatsu–Miyanoura timetable, fares and boarding points ·
- Ritsurin Garden’s pines, ponds and walking scenery ·
- Takamatsu city: Tamamo Park’s seawater moat ·
- Chichu Art Museum 2027 maintenance closure notice ·
- Yashima official summit map ·
- Yashimaru shuttle access and main entrance layout ·
- Official Chichu Ticket Center and museum access map ·