The Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad, or Kotoden, is a local railway in Kagawa Prefecture. Many rail fans visit the adorable trains. Let's take a tour of sights of Takamatsu on the Kotohira Line, one of the railroad's three lines (Kotohira Line, Nagao Line, and Shido Line).
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7:00
STARTTakamatsu-Chikko Station
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Kotoden Kotohira Line 7 minutes
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7:07
Ritsurin Koen Station
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Rent a bike
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7:20
Ritsurin Garden East Gate
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Ritsurin Garden area
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7:20
1Ritsurin Garden, Special Place of Scenic Beauty
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Rental bike 15 minutes
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10:55
Downtown area
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14:00
2The Kagawa Prefectural Government Office East Building and the observation room on the 21st floor of the main building
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3Lunch : Sanuki udon shop
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Rental bike 10 minutes
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13:05
Kawaramachi Station Return rental bike
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Kotoden 13 minutes
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Busshozan Station
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Busshozan area
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13:40
4Walking the streets of Busshozan
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15:40
5Busshozan Onsen
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Walk 10 minutes
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16:40
Busshozan Station
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Kotoden 17 minutes
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17:13
GOALTakamatsu-Chikko Station
Ritsurin Garden area
Ritsurin Garden, a place of special scenic beauty, was built as part of the vacation home of the lord of the Takamatsu Domain in the Edo Period. It opens at 5:30 am in summer and 7 am in winter. We recommend waking early and walking through the garden in the morning mist. When you get hungry, enjoy morning congee at Hanazonotei near Hokko (the north pond). On your way out, be sure to check the souvenirs at Ritsurin-An Gift Shop.
Rental bike
You can also return rental bikes at the rental bike ports at the JR Takamatsu Station plaza or Kawaramachi underground.
Rental location
Rental bike port near Kotoden Ritsurin Koen Station
Rental times
7:00-23:00
Rent a bike
SPOT 01 Ritsurin Garden, Special Place of Scenic Beauty
Ritsurin Garden is a richly varied circuit-style garden with 6 ponds and 13 miniature hills. Every step uncovers a different landscape.
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Hanazonotei
A restaurant where you can enjoy morning congee, kaiseki meals, or sweets along with scenes of the garden. In winter, they also offer an mochi zoni (soup with red bean mochi), a local specialty.
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Kagawa Gift Shop
Ritsurin-AnA gift shop featuring Kagawa specialty goods, such as sanuki udon, olive products, snacks, and craft goods.
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- Ritsurin Garden A Trip in Search of Traditional Japanese Sweets
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- An Elegant Time Eating Morning Congee at a Teahouse in the Park
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- Opening and closing times at Ritsurin Garden are timed to match the times of sunrise and sunset. During the day, the garden is busy and bustling with crowds of tourists, but it is also gaining popu...
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- Special Place of Scenic Beauty Ritsurin Garden
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- An authoritative French travel guide (The Michelin Green Guide Japan) gave the Ritsurin Garden a top class three-star rating, saying that just the gardens alone were worth making a trip to visit. T...
Rental bike15minutes
Downtown area
Under the leadership of Governor Kaneko, who was also known as Governor Design, modernist architecture and art flourished in the prefecture in the 1950's and 60's, and became rooted in Kagawa culture. This is represented by the Kagawa Prefectural Government Office East Building designed by architect Kenzo Tange and the public art of Masayuki Nagare and Takeshi Kawashima. Various pieces of art can be seen walking around the area. Enjoy lunch at a sanuki udon shop in the city.
SPOT 02 The Kagawa Prefectural Government Office East Building and the observation room on the 21st floor of the main building
The East Building is a national important cultural property. The observation room on the 21st floor of the main building is open to the public (weekdays only). The views are outstanding with no tall buildings nearby.
SPOT 03 Lunch
In this town with a highly competitive udon market, the menus are full of ingenious items to impress udon connoisseurs.
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- Here are some tips and useful information to help you order Udon noodles with confidence in the heart of Sanuki Udon Country!
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- Sanuki Udon noodles' rules released! Kagawa locals tell you “How to behave at self-served udon shops”.
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- Gourmet
- The real pleasure of visiting Sanuki Udon is visiting a "self-served shop" where you can customize as you like. I wonder if some beginners are worried that it is difficult to understand the manners...
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- Stroll around the spots! Experience Modernist architecture and works in Takamatsu, the city of art.
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- Strolling Art Must-see tourist attractions
- Did you know about this distinctive building?
Rental bike15minutes
Kawaramachi Station :
Return rental bike
Kawaramachi Station
Kotoden13minutes
Busshozan Station
Busshozan area
Busshozan developed as a gateway town to Honenji Temple, the family temple of the lords of the Takamatsu Domain. The main street is known as Onari-Kaido, or "Visiting Path." This street of old-fashioned houses with traces of the past now features unique cafes and shops, shining with the fusion of old and new. The journey ends at Busshozan Onsen, which was awarded the Good Design Award.
Kotoden Hot Spring & Rail Pass
(fan-shaped special ticket)
This combination ticket of train fare, entrance to Busshozan Onsen, a special Busshozan Onsen towel, and fan is sold at six Kotoden stations.
Return rental bike
Electric bikes are available to rent.
Rental location
Busshozan Station
Rental times
8:30-19:00
SPOT 03 Walking the streets of Busshozan
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Kotoden retro trains near Busshozan Station
Train fans come to photograph the retro trains on display next to the station.
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Gasoline Road
Remnants of the Shionoe Onsen Railway, which operated from Busshozan to Shionoe in the early Showa Period, are still visible.
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Busshozan-no-Mori
A gardening farm where you can enjoy a variety of Busshozan experiences, including nature, food, and farming.
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Honenji Temple
Family temple for generations of Takamatsu Domain lords. The five-story pagoda seen from the Shoro Gate is a sight to behold.
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Chikiri Shrine
A shrine dedicated to a girl who was buried alive in medieval times to ensure success in constructing a reservoir.
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Busshozan Shopping Street
Enjoy interactions with shop owners along this shopping street shining with character.
SPOT 05 Busshozan Onsen
A modern hot spring facility with a popular open-air bath. You can also relax here in the reading corner or at the cafe.
Nearby spots
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Busshozan Park
Busshozan Onsen
Walk10minutes
Busshozan Station
Busshozan Station
Kotoden17minutes
Takamatsu-Chikko Station
