Kagawa : Takamatsu Castle, Ritsurin Park, Marugame Castle Trip

I would like to inform Takamatsu Castle, Ritsurin Paark, Marugame Castle Trip.

From Okayama, through Seto-Ohashi-Bridge, I trip to Kagawa prefecture.

First visit is Takamatsu Castle.
Takamatsu Castle is in front of Takamatsu station, only 5 minutes walking.

This castle is built near the sea at 1587.
Current this castle does not have Tenshukaku, but has Yagura, stone wall, garden.
Yagura is weapon house, and gate.

Moat is connected to sea, and use sea water.
Sea bream and red sea bream, sea bass are swimming in this moak.
It is amazing.
Yagura is available to enter.
Please enter this yagura.
From Tako bridge, go to Tenshukaku site.
Under this bridge, sea breams are swimming.
Tenshukaku site stone wall is repairing.
You can not enter this site.

I buy fish bait, only 100yen, I sow fish baits to moak.
Sea breams are gathering and jumping around fish baits.
You can see sea bream that has a light blue eyes.

This garden has a lot of pine trees that are cut beautifully.

Next is Yashima.
Ride a Kotohira Dentetsu, and get off at Kotoden Yashima station.
Then ride a bus to Top of mount Yashima.

Yashima is a battle field of Genji and Heishi Samurai.
Small gulf under the Yashima is a sea battle field.
Current Yashima is not island, connected to Shikoku, but at old days, it is island.

Next is Historical Heike Story museum.
This is between Takamatsu station and Yashima.
Entrance fee is expensive 1200yen, but this museum has many Heike story scenes using dolls.


I stay at hotel near Ritsurin Park.
Next day, early in the morning, I go to Ritsurin Park.
This park opening time is according to sun rising.
This park is a national japanese garden.
This park area is 75ha, very big.
Many Chestnut trees are existing before making this park, so this park is called Ritsurin Park.

Famous point of this park is Engetsu bridge.
This bridge picture is used for calender.
From south side hill of this bridge, you see a wonderful bridge view, this is the vest view of this park.
Please take a picture.
Sightseeing this park needs one hour.

Next is Marugame Castle.
From Marugame station, after 10minutes walking, you arrive at this Castle.

This castle charge is only 200yen.
This castle has a highest stone wall in Japan, and has 400years history.
Original wooden castles in Japan are only 12 castles.
12castles are Himeji, Hikone, Inuyama, Matsumoto, Kochi, Matsue, Uwajima, Bicchu-Matsuyama, Matsuyama, Hirosaki, Marugame, Maruoka castles.

Enter this castle, sloping road starts.
Slope angle is big, walking this road makes you tired.
Stone wall shape is steep.
Stone wall is 4 overlapping, total height is 60m, it is highest in Japan.
About 15minutes walking, you arrive at Tenshukaku.
This Tenshukaku is small.

In the Tenshukaku, climb steep stairs 3 times, you reach top floor.
Top floor, you can see a wonderful view of Setonaikai sea.
Near Tenshukaku, observatory is existing, please take a picture.
360 angles view is available.

Marugame is famous for producing Uchiwa, that is hand fan.
Uchiwa museum is near the harbour.
This museum shows many kinds of Uchiwa.
You can produce Uchiwa at this museum.
I buy small oldish Uchiwa.

Shikoku has 4 famous castles, please visit these castles.

That's it.