In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Takamatsu
高松
Give Takamatsu 2 nights: one full day for Ritsurin Garden and udon, one for Yashima or a Naoshima ferry day. Skip it as a base for the whole of Shikoku.
Takamatsu is the ferry and rail gateway to Shikoku, on the Seto Inland Sea, and the cheapest place in Japan to eat well: Sanuki udon is a local staple, with bowls from about ¥400. The city itself is compact and bike-friendly, but the big draws — Ritsurin Garden, Yashima, the art islands — sit outside the centre. Two nights covers the city and one island or peninsula day; three if you want Naoshima and Teshima as well.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 高松
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August festival crowds
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Kake udon (plain bowl) | ¥400–600 |
| Udon with toppings | ¥600–1,000 |
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Kotoden tram ride | ¥200–400 |
| Ritsurin Garden entry | ¥400 adults, ¥170 children |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TAK · Takamatsu Airport
- Limousine bus to Takamatsu Station, about 40 min, ¥760
- KIX · Kansai International
- Direct limousine bus to Takamatsu, about 3 h 30 min, ¥5,150 one-way
Typical fares
- Marine Liner, Okayama → Takamatsu
- ¥1,470, about 55 min
- Ferry Takamatsu → Naoshima
- ¥520, about 50–60 min
- Airport limousine bus, TAK → Takamatsu Station
- ¥760, about 40 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is flat and bike-friendly: rental cycles cost about ¥100 per 24 hours from seven stations, including one by Takamatsu Station, and can be kept overnight. The Kotoden tram links the station, Kawaramachi and Ritsurin Kōen. JR local trains run to Yashima but not often; buses fill the gaps. Walking between sights is possible but slow — many are spread out.
See and do
Known for
- Ritsurin Garden
- Sanuki udon
- Yashima peninsula and the Genpei War battle site
- Ferries to Naoshima and the Seto Inland Sea art islands
- Kotoden tram and the shōtengai arcades
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Naoshima | Ferry from Takamatsu port, about 50–60 min (¥520) or speedboat about 25 min (¥1,220) | About 1.5 h each way |
| Teshima | Ferry from Takamatsu port | About 1.5–2 h each way |
| Shodoshima | Ferry from Takamatsu port | About 1.5–2 h each way |
| Kotohira | Kotoden train from Takamatsu-Chikkō, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Marugame | JR limited express from Takamatsu Station, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Yashima | JR train from Takamatsu Station or Kotoden with one transfer, about 15 min, then bus or walk uphill | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Takamatsu Station and Sunport
- Ferry terminal, JR and Kotoden access, Symbol Tower; best for one night with bags or an early island ferry.
- Kawaramachi and the arcades
- Central shōtengai shopping streets, udon shops and bars; 10–15 min walk from the station.
- Ritsurin Park area
- Quiet, near the garden and Kotoden Ritsurin Kōen Station; good for a second night if you want an early garden start.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| One kake udon, please | かけうどん一つくださいkake udon hitotsu kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the ferry terminal? | フェリーターミナルはどこですか？ferī tāminaru wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Udon shops often close by mid-afternoon and sell out; go at lunch, not dinner.
- Isamu Noguchi Museum entry is by reservation only, with tours at set times; no booking, no entry.
- Ferries to Naoshima and Teshima fill on weekends and holidays; buy a return ticket and check the last sailing before you go.
- Summer heat and humidity in July–August; carry water and plan indoor stops at midday.
Takamatsu is a calm, low-crime city; the real risks are summer heat, bicycles on shared paths and ferry timetables — miss the last boat and you sleep on the island.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Takamatsu yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ritsurin Garden
- Sanuki udon
- Yashima peninsula and the Genpei War battle site
- Ferries to Naoshima and the Seto Inland Sea art islands
- Kotoden tram and the shōtengai arcades
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Experience Takamatsu (city official guide): www.art-takamatsu.com/en/
- Takamatsu city: www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/
- Takamatsu Airport: www.takamatsu-airport.com/
- Kotoden (Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad): www.kotoden.co.jp/publichtm/kotoden/eg/index.html
- Wikivoyage: Takamatsu, revision 5298334 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5298334
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Takamatsu高松
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Takamatsu; most countries use their embassies or consulates in Osaka or Tokyo.
Ferry timetables change by season; confirm the last sailing the morning you travel.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/takamatsu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.