Ritsurin Garden (Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, formerly known as Sanuki Province)
Takamatsu has been the capital of Sanuki Province (present-day Kagawa Prefecture) since the early modern period. At the end of the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's vassal, Ikoma Chikamasa (1526-1603), entered Sanuki and built Takamatsu Castle to draw water from the Seto Inland Sea, strengthening defenses, and seizing maritime interests. The castle town gradually expanded southward, forming districts such as Marugame-cho. While the Ikoma clan was soon dispossessed, Takamatsu, which had developed into one of the leading cities in the western part of Japan, was appointed fief by Matsudaira Yorishige (1622-1695) of the Mito Domain, one of the Tokugawa Gosanke (three main branches of the Tokugawa clan). From then until the end of the Edo period, the Takamatsu Domain was ruled by the Matsudaira clan, who kept a close eye on the developments of the western domains. Thanks to a warm climate with few disasters and an active maritime trade, the Takamatsu domain enjoyed a period of relative stability. Upon retirement, Yorishige chose Ritsurin, located on the southern outskirts of the castle town, as his retirement home. With the rounded shape of Mount Shiun as its backdrop, this area was said to have a tranquil atmosphere despite its proximity to the city, and as early as the time of the Ikoma clan, a mountain villa had been built there.
After Yorishige moved to Ritsurin, successive domain lords improved and expanded the villa, further increasing its size and beauty. Finally, in 1745, during the reign of the fifth lord, Yoriyasu (1711-1771), the villa was completed for the time being. A scholarly man, Yoriyasu ordered Confucian scholars within the domain to create 60 "scenes" within the villa, modeled after Chinese classics. A look at the "Ritsurinso Record," written at the time, reveals that in addition to natural features such as Minami-ko (South Lake), Kaedejima (Maple Island), and Hirai-ho (Flying Peak), man-made structures such as Engetsukyo Bridge, Seika-tei (Seikatei), and Seitokan (Seitokan) line the landscape. The fact that the garden alone boasts over 60 such attractions not only demonstrates the garden's vastness, but also suggests that it was developed with meticulous planning and backed by a solid education.
Following Yoriyasu and subsequent feudal lords, Ritsurinso was carefully protected and repaired as a secondary residence for the domain. As a result, it remains a nationally designated place of scenic beauty today as one of Japan's masterpieces of strolling pond gardens and feudal lord gardens, literally embodying the diverse beauty of "one step, one view." With the end of the Takamatsu domain following the Meiji Restoration, the villa was in danger of being abandoned, but this was avoided thanks to the tireless preservation and maintenance of local volunteers, and in 1875, it was opened to the public as a prefectural park under the name of the Meiji government. Since then, cultural facilities such as the Folk Crafts Museum, showcasing the prefecture's specialties and folk crafts, have been built, and today it has become a representative tourist destination for Kagawa Prefecture, attracting visitors from all over the world.
Today, Ritsurin Garden covers 16.2 hectares in its garden area alone, making it one of the largest feudal lord gardens in Japan. With its rhythmic arrangement of artificial hills and arched bridges that echo the shape of Mount Shiun, the scenery never gets boring. The area around Lake Nanko, the center of the garden, offers a particularly dynamic landscape and an outstanding sense of openness. Kikugetei, standing on the lake's shore, is a sukiya-style residence built in the 17th century, where successive lords of Takamatsu Domain spent their leisure time. Entering the garden, you'll find a veranda that juts out over Lake Nanko, where you can enjoy matcha green tea and Japanese sweets while enjoying the cool breeze that washes across the lake's surface. The design, originally designed to allow direct access to boats passing through Lake Nanko, is still in use today. When you feel the sense of balance that makes it seem as if the mansion itself is floating on the water, you can see that the name, which means "scooping up the moon" floating on the water's surface, is more than just an expression of elegance.
Recommendation for Solo Travelers: ★★★ (There are quite a few people around, but the spaciousness makes it unnoticeable.)
Visited: 3rd week of July, weekday, around 4 PM
Access: Approximately a 7-minute walk from Ritsurin Koen Station
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