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Takamatsu
Prefecture capital and Core city in Shikoku, Japan

Takamatsu

Takamatsu is the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Plan a trip to Takamatsu→From Okayama

As of 1 November 2022, the city had an estimated population of 414,134 in 190,120 households and a population density of 1,100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 375.41 square kilometres (144.95 sq mi). It is the capital city of the prefecture.

Get in

Getting to Takamatsu

The closest major airport to Takamatsu is Kansai International Airport in Osaka. There is a curiously-named bus called the "Airport Limousine" which runs directly between Kansai Airport and Takamatsu that makes seven round trip runs per day (¥5150 one-way; 3½ hours). It is not, however, a limo.

  1. 01
    Takamatsu Airport

    Takamatsu has a tiny airport but there are only a few places you can get to from it.

  2. 02
    Ticket

    Reserved seating and First Class Green car seating are available in one bi-level car on the train (¥510 and ¥950 from Okayama respectively).

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Ritsurin Park
  2. 02
    Tamamo Park
  3. 03
    The Kagawa Museum
  4. 04
    Takamatsu Art Museum

    The permanent exhibit is rather small, although it does contain a smattering of works by famous artists, such as Andy Warhol.

  5. 05
    Takamatsu Symbol Tower
  6. 06
    Yashima Temple
Do

Things to do

Sanuki Takamatsu Festival (さぬき高松まつり, sanuki takamatsu matsuri) (In front of Takamatsu Station and near the sea.). mid-August. The first day is the opening; the second day is a fireworks festival; the last day is a dance festival. Visitors can enjoy the central park, the shopping arcade, and the "Sunport" district. Winter Festival (高松冬のまつり). mid-to-late December. See beautiful Christmas displays at the central park.

Eat

Where to eat

Takamatsu is famous throughout Japan for its udon noodles, one of the three major types of Japanese noodles. Udon noodles are distinctive in that they are white, fairly thick, and chewy. Although udon is widespread in Japan, Takamatsu does it better and cheaper than anywhere else in the country. There are literally hundreds of udon shops within the city limits.

  1. 01
    Tsurumaru
How locals move

Getting around Takamatsu the local way

  • Go nextShodoshima, the second-largest island in the Seto Inland Sea, known for its soy sauce factories and olive production, is accessible by ferry; the island boasts enough sights to occupy a day or two Easy day trips to the mainland: Okayama, home to the beautiful Korakuen Garden, one of Japan's top three gardens, as well as the beginning of the Kibiji District Trail Kurashiki, famous for the Bikan Historic District, one of Japan's largest and best preserved historic neighborhoods.

From Wikivoyage: Takamatsu, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.