Japan consists of four larger islands plus over 6000 smaller islands. We spent most of our trip on the main island, Honshu. Today, we are travelling to the country’s fourth largest island, Shikoku. According to my guide book, the island is “synonymous with natural beauty and the pursuit of spiritual perfection”. Shikoko is also renowned for its 88 sacred temples, which form a popular pilgrimage. We’re going to do a parkrun. We are starting our journey with a train ride across the sea to the island’s second biggest city, Takamatsu.
Takamatsu in 1 Day Itinerary
| Day 1 | Train to Takamatsu Seto Ohashi Bridge Accommodation – Comfort Hotel Takamatsu Ritsurin Garden Tamachi Shopping Arcade Dinner at Yoshinoya Takamatsu Castle |
Train to Takamatsu
Shikoku is separated from Honshu by the Seto Inland Sea. By train, you cross via an 8 mile long double decker series of bridges. This involves a 53 minute trip on a train which changes name part way along the route. So, we start on the Seto-Ohashi Line and complete our journey on the Yosan Line Rapid Mariner, all on the same train. The old man is most perturbed by such chicanery and is primed to leap out of the evil, name-shifting train at any moment. We reach our destination despite the cunning train’s attempt to trick us.
Seto Ohashi Bridge
The Seto Ohashi Bridge is actually a set of 11 bridges connecting Honshu and Shikoku via a series of islands. Although it sounds fascinating to be crossing one of the biggest bridge complexes in the world, we’re actually on the lower deck with the road bridge above us, so there’s not such a great view. In addition, there’s a lot of girders. Much as I lament a good photo op, if I’m on a train on a bridge over the sea, the more girders the better!
We reach tonight’s destination, the port city of Takamatsu. To be honest, we’re only staying here because we had planned to go to the art island of Naoshimi, but it is closed this week for maintenance.
Accommodation – Comfort Hotel Takamatsu
Tonight’s accommodation is the Comfort Hotel Takamatsu. It’s a budget hotel, but still very clean and comfortable and with all the gadgets we’ve come to expect from a Japanese hote.
The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast (which is, I suspect, why the old man picked it). The food turns out to be an eclectic mix and contains a number of items I don’t understand how you’d eat with chopsticks. As the only other option is baby cutlery, I choose that and eat my scrambled egg and pasta bolognaise with a teeny tiny fork and spoon.
Ritsurin Garden
We walk from our hotel to Ritsurin Garden, which claims to be is one of the most beautiful gardens in the country. The garden dates from the 17th Century and apparently took more than 100 years to complete.
It was designed as strolling garden for the enjoyment of the regional lord. The park winds around a series of ponds, tearooms, bridges and islands all with a mountain backdrop. The theory is that the scenery changes with every step. As I walk along, I wonder which ten shots of this visual feast the garden’s designer would have picked to post to his Instagram?
Again, we are in luck with blossom spotting, as some of the trees in the Apricot Orchard are coming into bloom.
The gardens are open daily. Adult entry costs Y500.
Tamachi Shopping Arcade
We walk back towards town via Tamachi Shopping Arcade. This covered shopping area is one of 8 converging arcades, which form the longest arcade in Japan, totalling almost two miles in length.
Dinner at Yoshinoya
We pick a noodle bar at random; Yoshinoya. The old man orders the hot pot, which really is a hot pot as it comes with its own little burner. I go for the Cheese Curry. Not one of my better decisions and not something I would pick again.
Takamastsu Castle
In the opposite direction from our hotel to the gardens is Takamatsu Castle; a (restored) 16th Century Castle in a seaside park with a sea water moat.
The views are good, but there’s not much of the castle or its infrastructure left.
The castle remains are open daily from 7 am until 5 pm. Adult entry costs Y200.
We round the evening off with a snack in our hotel room. Today’s crisp choice; grilled plum. To be honest, I thought the photo on the packet was of peppercorns, so the sweetness was a bit of a shock. On the culinary front it’s not been the most successful day.
- Trip taken: January 2023
- Updated: April 2026
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
More Blogs about Japan
- Japan 3 Week Itinerary
- Tokyo in 3 Days
- Tokyo: Top 10 Things to do
- Nikko in 1 Day
- Hakone in 1 Day
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- Kyoto: Top 10 Things to do
- Nara in 1 Day
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- Osaka Top 10
- Okayama in 1 Day
- Matsuyama in 1 Day
- Hiroshima in 2 Days
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- Hikarigaokakoen parkrun
- Horinouchi Park parkrun
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