Sanuki udon讃岐うどん
Firm, chewy wheat noodles eaten hot or cold, often for breakfast, at shops across the prefecture.
Shikoku
Kagawa Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
Japan’s smallest prefecture and its udon capital. Takamatsu has Ritsurin Garden, Kotohira has the hillside Konpira-san shrine, and ferries run to the art islands of Naoshima and Teshima and to Shodoshima.
Open Kagawa on the map39 places on the map · 8 local favourites
Local tips
- TipTakamatsu port is the ferry hub for Naoshima, Teshima and Shodoshima; check return sailings before you go.
- TipAt self-service (serufu) udon shops, order noodles, add toppings yourself, pay, then return your tray.
- TipMany udon shops open early and close when the noodles run out, so go in the morning or at lunch.
- Heads upKonpira-san’s main shrine is hundreds of steep stone steps up; wear good shoes and avoid midday in summer.
- Heads upIn Setouchi Triennale years, the islands get very busy; many art sites also close one weekday, so check first.
What to eat
Honetsuki-dori骨付鳥
A whole chicken leg roasted with garlic and pepper, a Marugame speciality best with beer.
Shodoshima olives小豆島オリーブ
Shodoshima is known as the birthplace of olive growing in Japan; try the oil and freshly pickled olives.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Hiketa Sanshu Izutsu Yashiki
讃州井筒屋敷 ShoppingSights & HistoryRestored soy-sauce and sake merchant house in Hiketa's old port town, now with craft shops and cafés. The historic streets around it are worth a slow walk.
● Mostly localsMitani Seito (Wasanbon Sugar)
三谷製糖 羽根さぬき本舗 Local FoodExperiencesFamily sugar maker in Higashikagawa producing wasanbon, a fine handmade sugar used for wagashi. Try a class to press your own sugar sweets.
● Mostly localsFurubaba
古馬場町 NightlifeTakamatsu's old nightlife district, a grid of izakaya, bars and snack pubs. Finish the night with udon, as locals do.
● Mostly localsShionoe Onsen
塩江温泉郷 Hot SpringsHot-spring village in the mountains south of Takamatsu, with a riverside public bath and a free footbath. Fireflies appear along the river in early summer.
● Mostly localsIyadani-ji
弥谷寺 Temples & GoshuinchoNature & SceneryTemple 71, carved into a mountain cliff with rock-cut Buddhas and incense-darkened caves. Climb the long stone steps through the forest.
● Mostly localsUchiwa no Minato Museum
うちわの港ミュージアム ExperiencesMarugame makes most of Japan's paper fans. This museum demonstrates the craft and lets you make your own uchiwa.
● Mostly localsTamura Shrine
田村神社 Temples & GoshuinchoThe principal shrine of old Sanuki province in Takamatsu, with many small sub-shrines tucked around the grounds. Known for attractive goshuin designs.
● Mostly localsYamaroku Soy Sauce
ヤマロク醤油 Local FoodShoppingShodoshima brewery still making soy sauce in huge wooden barrels. Look inside the old storehouse and taste the rich, aged soy sauces in the shop.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Chichu Art Museum
地中美術館 Sights & HistoryTadao Ando's museum on Naoshima, built mostly underground and lit by daylight, holding Monet water lilies, James Turrell and Walter De Maria. Book a timed ticket ahead.
Kotohira-gu
金刀比羅宮 Temples & GoshuinchoSights & HistoryShrine to seafarers reached by 785 stone steps up Mt Zozu, with views over the Sanuki plain. Keep climbing to the inner shrine if you have the legs.
Naoshima Bath I Love Yu
直島銭湯「I♥湯」 Hot SpringsSights & HistoryWorking public bath on Naoshima designed by Shinro Ohtake, covered in collage and with an elephant statue over the bath. Bring your own towel or buy one.
Ritsurin Garden
栗林公園 Nature & SceneryOne of Japan's finest stroll gardens, with ponds, pine trees and teahouses beneath Mt Shiun. Take a wasen boat ride on the south pond.
Teshima Art Museum
豊島美術館 Sights & HistoryA single concrete shell on a Teshima hillside with openings to the sky, where drops of water move across the floor. One of Japan's most peaceful spaces.
Chichibugahama Beach
父母ヶ浜 Nature & SceneryBeach in Mitoyo famous for mirror-like tidal pools that reflect the sunset sky. Arrive around sunset at low tide on a calm day.
Yamagoe Udon
山越うどん Local FoodFamous self-service udon shop in Ayagawa known for kama-tama: hot noodles tossed with raw egg and soy sauce. Eat at the tables in the garden.
Udon Bakaichidai
うどんバカ一代 Local FoodTakamatsu shop known for kama-butter udon: hot noodles with butter, raw egg and black pepper, like a carbonara. Self-service and fast-moving.