Takamatsu-Okayama travel 2023-1
Published 2024-07-13
Ritsurin Park, located in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, is a kaiyushiki style daimyo's garden (Japanese garden) designated as a special place of scenic beauty by the Japanese government. It is operated as a city park of Kagawa Prefecture.
Located at the eastern foot of Mt. Shiun, it is a feudal lord's garden with a history of nearly 400 years, with six ponds and 13 artificial mountains. It is said to be rich in the elegance of wood and stone, with an excellent site layout and masonry. With an area of approximately 75 hectares, it is one of the largest cultural property gardens in Japan.
The foundation of Ritsurin Park was laid in the late 16th century by the Sato clan, a powerful family, and was taken over by the first lord of Takamatsu, Matsudaira Yorishige (elder brother of Mitsukuni Mito), in 1642. Subsequently, successive lords of the clan continued to repair the property, and it was used as the Matsudaira family's villa until the Meiji Restoration. In 1871, the Takamatsu clan was abolished and the property became the property of the new government, and is now open to the public as a prefectural park.
The park has three types of specimen trees from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The three specimen trees in the park are the plum tree in the North Plum Grove, the cherry tree (Someiyoshino) in front of the Sanuki Folk Crafts Museum, and the maple tree in the Kaebigishi area. The Takamatsu District Meteorological Observatory's declarations of "bloom," "full bloom," and "autumn foliage" are based on these specimen trees.
Yashima www.yashima-navi.jp/en/?lang=save
Yashima is a roof-shaped rocky plateau known as the ancient battlefield of the Genpei War, and from the mountain top you can see the city of Takamatsu and the beauty of the many islands, which are united with the calm waves of the Seto Sea.
Around Dannoura, where the battle of Genpei took place some 800 years ago, there are many historic sites that tell the story of the battle, such as "Funakakakushi" where the Heike clan hid their warship and "Prayer Rock" where Yoichi Nasu prayed for a hit with an arrow from the target of his fan.
On the mountain there is "Yashima-dera Temple," the 84th temple of the Shikoku Sacred Sites, and the New Yashima Aquarium, a world-class aquarium on top of the mountain, and the view from the Yashima Skyway is also very popular.