Kagawa Prefecture, located in the northeast of Shikoku, has its capital in Takamatsu City. In ancient times it belonged to Sanuki Province, and its modern name comes from the old Kagawa District. Although it is the smallest prefecture in Japan by area, its plains are extensive and its urban functions compact, weaving together modern convenience with the gentle seascapes of the Seto Inland Sea. Bordered by the island-dotted sea to the north and the Sanuki Mountains to the south, the land slopes from high to low. With scarce rainfall and short rivers since antiquity, the people of Kagawa have long wrestled with drought, digging more than ten thousand reservoirs across the land. From the Manno Pond—first improved under Kūkai—to today’s Kagawa irrigation projects, the dialogue between land and water has shaped the prefecture. The climate is typical of the Seto Inland Sea region: many sunny days, little rain, rare snow in winter, and hot summers with occasional nagi calms and dry foehn winds. This dryness and long sunshine once nourished Kagawa’s history as the “Kingdom of Salt Fields.”
Takamatsu serves as Shikoku’s gateway and administrative hub. The Marine Liner express train crosses the Seto Ohashi Bridge, linking Takamatsu with Okayama on Honshu in about an hour, forming the close “Okayama–Takamatsu life zone.” The coastal Sakaide Chemical Complex connects with the Setouchi industrial belt, while key companies like Shikoku Electric Power and JR Shikoku are headquartered here. The prefectural office building, designed by Tange Kenzō, brings modernist elegance to Takamatsu’s skyline.
For city walks, the classic starting point is Ritsurin Garden, designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty. This daimyo garden combines strolling ponds and borrowed landscapes of surrounding mountains, with seasonal changes painting new views at every step. For a climb with spiritual resonance, Kotohira-gū Shrine at Mount Zōzu embodies the famous Konpira-san faith: its long stone stairway, cypress-bark roofs, charms, and bustling temple town together create a unique mountain-foot scenery. Zentsū-ji, birthplace of Kūkai, is a solemn temple and an important stop along the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage. In the west, Kotohiki Park in Kan’onji features the giant sand drawing of the Kan’ei Tsuho coin, which glows with charm when viewed against the bay at sunset.
The islands scattered offshore are among Kagawa’s greatest treasures. Shōdoshima boasts the dramatic Kankakei Gorge, whose cliffs and autumn maples are best appreciated from a ropeway, while olive terraces and port-town rhythms create a Mediterranean air. Naoshima, Teshima, and Inujima are globally renowned for contemporary art, where museums, installations, and daily island life interweave—sunlight, abandoned schools, and old houses becoming canvases themselves. Ferries thread the islands together at a slow pace, offering travelers a journey of art and seascape across blue straits.
Kagawa is truly the “Udon Kingdom.” Sanuki Udon, with its firm texture and clear broth, is enjoyed in styles such as kamatama, kamaage, and bukkake, paired with toppings like tempura, scallions, and ginger. The most authentic experience is visiting a local seimenjo (noodle workshop), carrying a tray to select noodles and toppings, and savoring steaming bowls amid everyday life. In winter and spring, some areas preserve the custom of eating anmochi-zōni—miso soup with sweet red-bean-filled rice cakes—a flavor unique to Kagawa’s New Year. Local dining is enriched with fresh Seto Inland Sea fish, citrus fruits, olive-based products, and Shōdoshima’s soy sauce culture.
Kagawa’s charm lies in how seamlessly it blends transport and culture. On land, highways and railways link plains and mountains; on the sea, ferries connect the islands, tying art and daily life. In the air lingers the brightness of Seto’s light and salt; in the streets, the bustle of shopping arcades and the aroma of udon. Though small in size, it condenses Western Japan’s gentle sunshine, island poetry, and layered aesthetics of life. Here one can quietly wander between gardens and shrines, sail to islands of art, slip into an alley for a fresh bowl of noodles, or climb Sanuki Fuji (Mt. Iino) to gaze upon the plains and sea. Kagawa is truly a place “small yet grand,” distilling scenery, culture, and daily life into a journey worth savoring again and again.
