Takamatsu-jō


The site of Takamatsu's castle now forms delightful Tamamo-kōen, a park where the walls and seawater moat survive, along with several of the original turrets. Each spring a swimming race is held in the moat to honour an age-old chivalrous tradition. The original castle was built in 1588 for Itoma Chikamasa, and was the home of the region's military rulers until the Meiji Restoration, nearly 300 years later. The restored castle keep is open to the public.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Takamatsu City Museum of Art

0.42 MILES

This impressive inner-city gallery is testament to Takamatsu's quality art scene. The light and spacious refitting of a former Bank of Japan building is a…

2. Ritsurin-kōen North Gate

1.32 MILES

The North Gate to Ritsurin-kōen is nearest to the Ritsurinkōen-kitaguchi Station on the JR Kotoku line.

3. Sanuki Folkcraft Museum

1.4 MILES

This museum in Ritsurin-kōen displays local crafts, household goods, furniture and roof tiles in its four halls, dating back to the Tokugawa dynasty.

4. Ritsurin-kōen East Gate

1.41 MILES

The East Gate to Ritsurin-kōen is a beautiful place to start a walking course through the garden.

5. Ritsurin-kōen

1.43 MILES

One of the most beautiful gardens in the country, Ritsurin-kōen dates from the mid-1600s and took more than a century to complete. Designed as a walking…

6. Temple 84: Yashima-ji

2.94 MILES

Yashima-ji, Temple 84 of the 88, sits atop the tabletop mountain of Yashima, to the east of Takamatsu. This was the site of a decisive battle between the…

7. Shikoku-mura

3.28 MILES

About 500m north of Yashima station, Shikoku-mura is an excellent village museum that houses old buildings transported here from all over Shikoku and…

8. Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum

4.27 MILES

Born in Los Angeles to a Japanese poet and an American writer, Noguchi (1904–1988) set up a studio and residence here in 1970. Today the complex is filled…