Photo: KimonBerlin / CC BY-SA 2.0Seventy-five hectares, six ponds and thirteen landscaped hills, begun by a local lord in the early 1600s and worked on for over a century by successive Matsudaira daimyo. Mount Shiun stands directly behind it and is treated as part of the composition — borrowed scenery, on a scale few gardens attempt.
It is bigger than Kenroku-en and Koraku-en, is often argued to be the finest garden in Japan, and is not one of the official Three Great Gardens — a slight the prefecture has never fully forgiven. The practical consequence for you is that it is far less crowded.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Walk the south circuit if you only do one. It holds the classic pine-and-bridge views.
- The Kikugetsu-tei teahouse serves matcha and a seasonal sweet overlooking the pond for ¥800 (9:00–16:30). Take it.
- It opens very early in summer — before 6am — and an empty Ritsurin at dawn is a different garden.
- Around 1,400 pines are hand-pruned. Look for the gardeners on ladders; they work year round.
- The Kotoden train from Takamatsu-Chikko is cheap (¥250) and Ritsurin-Koen station is a 7 min walk from the east gate. No need for a taxi.
The practical consequence for you is that it is far less crowded.
Guided days from Takamatsu
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
More in Takamatsu
Spot guideNaoshima
A smelting island that gave itself to art
Open the guide →
Spot guideTakamatsu Castle
A moat full of sea bream, ten minutes from the gangway
Open the guide →
Spot guideKotohira-gu (Konpira-san)
The sea-travellers' shrine up 785 stone steps, one direct train from the waterfront
Open the guide →Questions people ask here
Is Ritsurin Garden better than Kenroku-en?
It is considerably larger — about seventy-five hectares against Kenroku-en’s eleven — took over a century to complete, and uses Mount Shiun behind it as borrowed scenery. It is not counted among Japan’s official Three Great Gardens, which is a long-standing local grievance and the reason it is far quieter than the three that are.
How long do you need at Ritsurin Garden?
Sixty minutes for the south circuit, which holds the classic views, and ninety to do both circuits properly. Add twenty-five to thirty minutes each way from the cruise berth by Kotoden train and on foot, which still makes it workable on a three-hour stop ashore.