Last Updated: Aug 30, 2025

Takamatsu City

The Quaint Capital of Kagawa Prefecture

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

Today folks, we are going to talk about Takamatsu City. Formerly a castle town found on the northeastern part of Shikoku, one of Japan’s four main islands, Takamatsu used to be the main gateway port from Honshu before the construction of the Great Seto Bridge in 1988. Home to one of the best surviving examples of a seaside castle, as well as one of the top traditional Japanese gardens in the entire country, Takamatsu is a city that is rife with all sorts of sightseeing spots. Moreover, it’s a logistically sound stop on any route that explores Shikoku too, making it an easy addition.

As the capital of Kagawa Prefecture, Takamatsu City has plenty to see and do. Historically, it was the seat of power for the lords who ruled over Sanuki Province during the Edo period (1603–1868). Since the clans in charge changed a few times in the centuries leading up to the Meiji Restoration in 1868, all you really need to know is that it eventually ended up in the hands of the Matsudaira, a branch family of the Tokugawa. Given this, it should come as no surprise that Takamatsu was a special place of strategic importance to the shogunate due to its position on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea.