Takaya-Jinja Shrine is known for “Torii in the sky”. (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
After pulling into Kagawa Prefecture on a recent road trip, everything felt better here than being in Tokyo or Osaka’s hustle and bustle. The roads weren’t congested with traffic, the air was clean and the views of greenery were pretty. I couldn’t wait to get our adventure started, to try some tasty local udon and visit the local attractions.
(Illustration by Stripes Japan)
Kagawa is like the Las Vegas of udon. Or, at least that’s how it felt to me. During our stay we tried many different udon shops and at the suggestion of our friends from Kobe, we made sure to not let the dingy ones deter us from entering.
Traveling on a budget, I would recommend coming to Kagawa. The food was the cheapest in almost all the local places we visited and there are a lot of things to do here worth an adventure for.
Merikenya Udon
Our first bowls of udon were at Merikenya. This self-serve restaurant gave army basic training cafeteria vibes as we slid our trays across waiting for our bowl in a line. Much like a usual ramen shop, it was quiet inside except for the loud slurps of patrons eating their meals. The udon was delicious and the best part, for 2 people it was around 600 yen (about 4 dollars). These noodles are not a heavy meal, so it’s easy to eat more after, but it’s insane how cheap this meal costs.
Merikenya Udon (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Merikenya Udon (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Address: 6-20 Nishinomarucho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 760-0021 *Parking is not available here. Paid parking lots are needed.
Hours: 7 a.m., – 8 p.m., daily
Website
Matsushita Seimenjo
Our second restaurant was a local restaurant we found using google maps called Matsushita Seimenjo. This udon shop establishment was unique. There was just size and sides items on the menu, but everything is self-serve, even washing your own udon. The sides are Tempura, Potato croquettes, Inari sushi and raw eggs and that’s it. I went with absolute basics and got plain, and the cost was only 280 yen. There are many types of Udon restaurants like this one, but the best local shops are the simplest. This shop was the dingiest but still amazing.
Udon Matsushita (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Udon Matsushita (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Address: 2-2 Nakanocho, Takamatsu city, Kagawa 760-0008
Hours: Mon., – Sat., 6:40 a.m., – 3 p.m., Closed Sunday
Hinode Seimenjyo
Hinode Seimenjyo in Sakaide City, was another place we visited. This shop is unique because it is an udon factory that turns into a restaurant for one hour per day. The line was long, but it was fast to enter since patrons only had two options, hot or cold udon.
When we were waiting, the staff kept calling out atsui (hot) or samui (cold). There was no organization, just raise your hand and wait to be served. To me, this was practical and incredibly amusing. It felt like a mom-and-pop restaurant.
This was the freshest udon I have ever eaten. It was the best thing ever. The thought of how much this cost didn’t even phase my mind but imagine my surprise when we paid 330 yen (about $2.30) for two bowls. It tasted better slurping every noodle and broth loudly and I wish I had seconds. To me, this was better than any Michelin restaurant.
Hinode Seimenjyo (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Hinode Seimenjyo (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Address: 1-8-5 Fujimicho, Sakaide city, Kagawa 762-0046 *Parking is available and free. Limited spaces only.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (1 hour only), daily
To enhance our feeling of having escaped the big city crowds, we stopped for a quiet visit to Ritsurin Garden in the heart of Takamatsu.
There was plenty of parking and tickets to enter the garden were 410 yen (about $2.77) per person. The price might make it seem like this was a small garden, but it spreads about 40 acres, or the equivalent of about 30 football fields.
Ritsurin Garden (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Ritsurin is home to six ponds filled with Koi fish and snapping turtles. Inside there are two teahouses where you can enjoy a fresh brew in the park as well as kiosks that sell fish food.
Construction on this park took over 100 years and was finally completed in 1745, according to Shikoku-tourism.com. The park was impressive, and I felt like I was walking through history. An incredible place to visit and for a little under three bucks!
Ritsurin Garden (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Ritsurin Garden (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
I enjoyed feeding the turtles and fish and strolling in this beautiful park. You can easily spend hours here, but you can probably walk the entirety in about two.
I would recommend visiting this garden for amazing pictures and a peaceful escape from city life.
Address: 1-20-16 Ritsurincho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 760-0073
Hours: 5:30 a.m. – 7 p.m., daily.
Payment: Cards are accepted.
Website
*Be careful when feeding the Koi fish, because snapping turtles may approach, and they bite people.
My wife Kotono and I dedicated almost half a day attempting to walk up one of the largest shrines in Kagawa. I wanted to challenge myself and walk up a thousand stairs to see the views of the city from a bird’s eye view and get a golden charm from the shrine shop.
This was our first time here and we ended up at the wrong shrine that also happened to offer a spectacular view.
Takaya-Jinja Shrine (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Our error happened when we input the wrong place in the GPS. We hopped in the car and drove toward the mountains, unsuspecting there was any mistake. We drove up the curvy mountain road and ended up at a parking lot.
I wondered why the parking lot was all the way up here. Little did we know, we accidentally cheated and drove most of the way up.
Takaya-Jinja Shrine is known for “Torii in the sky”. (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
We figured we should get out and walk to the shrine, anyway, still not realizing we’d made a mistake. We made the five-minute walk to the shrine and admired the stunning views of the sweeping landscape and ocean in the distance. This was Takaya Jinja, not Kotohira.
No problem, we enjoyed the view and then walked back to the car and corrected our course. Mission failed successfully. I would still love to come back but actually start at the bottom. This shrine is only 270 steps from the bottom to the top and it seems easy to complete.
It would probably be a good one to visit if you have elder relatives or small children since it’s not too many steps.
Cheating hike parking address: Ko, Mitoyo, Kagawa 769-1408
Actual starting point address: Kannonji, Kagawa 768-0002
*If you drive to the Ko, Mitoyo parking lot, the road is narrow. Large cars and sedans may be difficult to maneuver.
*Parking is free.
From Takaya Shrine to Kotohiragu shrine, it was a one-hour drive to the nearest parking lot that we found.
We spent a lot of time searching for the right shrine before setting out. However, we were dedicated to reaching the top of Kotohiragu during our time at Kagawa.
At the parking lot entrance, the security guard told us that if we grabbed something to eat, we could get free parking there. After we found a spot, we entered a giant concrete building in search of something to snack on and free parking.
At Kamitsubaki, a cafe, we ordered an overpriced parfait for 850 yen. Though compared to other restaurants we’d visited in the area, this was by far the most expensive. But you can’t beat free parking and a snack.
As we finished securing our free parking, we started walking up some stairs near the exit of the restaurant. Eventually, the path connected to another set of stairs. There was another set of stairs for those who were doing the full hike from the first shrine. That path looked painful.
Kotohiragu Shrine (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Where we started our ascent was a little bit over the halfway mark, so we made it up and I was able to buy my golden Omamori, without issue.
From my experience of being in the military and having that enlisted knee and shin pain from over-running (Army), an opportunity to protect my body from unnecessary pain is welcome. You can still complete these shrines even if you start halfway up and do not go through so much pain which can be a perk for the older folks like me. Traveling is fun and possible sometimes if you are injured. The walk down to the car parking lot did feel like a blessing.
Kotohiragu Shrine (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
This was my last stop exploring Kagawa Prefecture. Overall, I would love to come back and explore some more. The city and country life were amazing and not like Tokyo or Osaka. I wasn’t blinded by neon lights and stuck in traffic. The cost of visiting here was insanely great for my enlisted paycheck, and it was an extremely calm area that was physically and mentally refreshing.
Address to the cafe parking lot (Shortcut point): 80 Sabun, Manno Town, Hotohira, Nakatado Distict, Kagawa 840, 766-0001
Address for correct starting point: 1050 Kotohira, Nakatado District, Kagawa 766-0001
GPS coordinates: 34°11’04.5”N 133°48’54.9”E (Google Maps)
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