If you’ve already visited Tokyo and Osaka a few times, there comes a point when you start craving a different kind of scenery for your next trip to Japan.
Takamatsu is the gateway city to Shikoku. It’s easy to reach — with direct flights from Incheon — while still offering the slow, small-city rhythm that’s hard to find in Tokyo or Osaka.
- If you love garden trips: Ritsurin Garden
- If you love islands and art: island-hopping around the Seto Inland Sea
- If you’re all about the food: Sanuki udon
- If you just want to relax without a packed itinerary: hot springs and a stroll through downtown
- If you want to explore on foot: Marugamemachi Shopping Street
What makes Takamatsu especially appealing is that it doesn’t stop there. From Takamatsu Port, a short ferry ride takes you to Naoshima, the art island floating in the Seto Inland Sea. In other words, a trip here isn’t limited to the city itself — through Miyanoura Port, you can extend it into a full day trip around the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.
That means you can build a trip around resting in the city, spending a day out on the islands, eating your fill of udon, and heading back into town by evening. If it’s your first time in Takamatsu, it’s worth putting together an itinerary that combines the city, the Seto Inland Sea islands, and Sanuki udon to fit your own travel style.
Getting There
Takamatsu Airport has direct flights from Incheon operated by Air Seoul and Jin Air, with a flight time of around 1 hour 40 minutes — short enough to make it a realistic option even for a long weekend.
Ritsurin Garden
Ritsurin Garden was originally the retreat of the Matsudaira clan, the feudal lords of the Takamatsu domain, and took shape over roughly 300 years of construction and revisions. The flat garden area alone covers 16 hectares, and including Mt. Shiun, which serves as its backdrop, the grounds stretch to about 75 hectares — making it one of the larger Japanese gardens still intact today. Ponds, stone bridges, and pine trees are arranged so that the scenery changes with every turn along the walking path.
Naoshima, the Art Island
Ferries from Takamatsu Port connect directly to Naoshima, an island known internationally for contemporary art. Highlights include outdoor sculptures like Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkin installations, along with Tadao Ando-designed museums such as Benesse House and the Chichu Art Museum. Naoshima is also one of the main venues of the Setouchi Triennale, a major international art festival held every three years across the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.
For those who want to island-hop further, Megijima and Ogijima are also reachable by ferry from Takamatsu Port and make for an easy add-on day trip — Megijima for its legendary “ogre’s cave,” and Ogijima for its steep, narrow lanes lined with old wooden houses and a laid-back, cat-filled atmosphere.