Moopon

Looking like a forested hat in the Seto Island Sea, Ogijima Island (男木島) is a charming island with strong traditional as well as artistic connections. Ogijima is the brother island of Megijima. A rather small island, the length of the island is 2 kilometers long with a width of 1 kilometer.  The ferry terminal is located on the southern end of the island with a lighthouse located on the northern end.  Within the mountain, visitors can a famous shrine.  And along the paths are many cats.

Famous for being one of the venues of the Setouchi Triennale Art Festival, visitors can view the pieces during the festival. In addition, 10 art pieces from the 2010 and 2013 festival have a permanent home on Ogijima.  The artwork range from indoor pieces to outdoor pieces which incorporate entire homes.  
Note:  Many of the artwork cannot be seen on weekdays or in the winter.

Ogijima is also home to 200 villagers and visitors can walk through the village, with its traditional wooden houses and confusing narrow streets.  Halfway up the mountains on this small island, visitors can find the Toyotamahime Shrine.  Many people visit Toyotamahime Shrine to pray for a safe childbirth. 

Access Information:
From Takamatsu Port, board a ferry.  There is one ferry every two hours.  The one-way journey takes about 40 minutes and the fare is 510 yen.

Off the coast of Kagawa Prefecture is Megijima Island (女木島), a small island well known for being the basis the popular Japanese folklore Momotaro.  In addition to its association to Momotaro, visitors will a cave, sandy beaches, and an observation deck atop the mountain.

According to the legend of Momotaro, a small boy set upon defeating the resident ogres on Onigashima, the Ogre Island. Within Megijima’s mountains, visitors will find a cave near the highest peak. Caves were known to be the ogres’ fortress.  And the cave on Megijima Mountain will not disappoint its visitors, with some chambers displaying scenes from the Momotaro story.

Visitors will enjoy the mountaintop park near the cave showing off breathtaking views of the Seto Inland Sea and its islands from its observation deck. Opposite the observation deck, visitors will find a statue of Nichiren, the founder of the Nichiren sect of Japanese Buddhism.

In the summer, visitors can enjoy the sandy beaches located not too far away from the ferry port.  There are many Japanese style bread and breakfasts called minshuku here where visitors can spend the night as well.

Walking through the island, visitors will feel a sense of nostalgia, examining the old wooden homes and narrow streets.  The terminal building is one of the few modern buildings on the island.  Visitors can find an information counter here. Bicycles to explore the island can be rented here as well.  Snacks can also be purchased here.
Megijima is also the one of the venues used in the Setouchi Triennale Art Festival. The island is the permanent home to a few art pieces for the 2010 and 2013 show.  
Note:  Many of the pieces may not be seen during the week and in the winter.

Access Information:
From Takamatsu Port, there is a ferry which operates between the port, Megijima and Ogijima.  There is a ferry every two hours.  The one-way journey will take about 20 minutes and the fare is 370 yen.

Known for the bridges at the Hiroshima Peace Park, garden at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and many others, Isamu Noguchi is an important Japanese American artists, sculptor and landscape artist.  The Isamu Noguchi Museum in Mure Town near central Takamatsu is Noguchi’s former Japanese residence and workshop.  Though this museum features his art, work and living space, it can only be entered through a guided tour with advance reservation.

Within the grounds is a storehouse from the Edo Period.  Outside the storehouse are about 150 stone sculptures, the majority of which are unfinished. The finished sculptures are stored in a warehouse from the Meiji Period.  Visitors can see the 3.6 meter tall black Swedish granite sculptor named “Energy Void” on the premises.

From his work area, tour members are taken across the street to Noguchi’s former residence.  Noguchi redesigned his Edo Period merchant residence to accommodate his preferences while maintaining Japanese traditional aesthetic elements. Visitors are also able to see the garden Noguchi designed for his 80th birthday. The garden is located on the hill behind his house.
 
Tours are conducted on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 10am 1pm and 3pm. There are no tours during New Years and Japanese Obon Holidays (mid August).

To make a reservation:
Outside of Japan:
Please fax the following information to  (+81 87 845 0505) at least 2 weeks before the intended visit. Visitors will receive confirmation of their tour date.

Please fax:
*number of people in group
*names of people in group
*ages of people in group
*contact address
*preferred tour time and two alternative tour time

Within Japan:
Please write the same information on a self-addressed , stamped return postcard ("ofuku hagaki"). The request must arrive at the museum (Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, 3519 Mure, Mure-cho, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa-ken, 761-0121) at least two weeks before the date of your intended visit.  Visitors will receive a reply with the tour time written on the return envelope.

The cost of admission 2160 yen per person.

Access Information:
Via Kotoden train
From Takamatsu-Chikko Station board a train to Kawaramachi Station (5 minutes) and change to the Kotoden Shido Line to Yakuri Station (20 minutes). The cost is 340 yen. 
From Yakuri Station, visitors can walk (25 minutes) or take a taxi (5 minutes).

Via JR train
From Takamatsu Station board a local train to Furutakamatsu Minami Station (20 minutes). The cost is 260 yen.
From the station, visitors can walk (30-40 minutes) or take a taxi (10 minutes). 

Via bus
From Takamatsu Station board the number 73 Kotoden Bus bound for Aji Onsen (庵治温泉) and disembark at Inori Iwa Yoichi Koen-mae (祈り岩与一公園前). The one way journey takes about 30 minutes and the cost is 490 yen. 
From Inori Iwa Yoichi Koen-mae bus stop, the museum is a 5-10 minute walk.

Lying along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea in Kagawa Prefecture is the Takamatsu Castle. This castle, also known as the Tamomo Castle, is one of the few castles built along the water.  The moat of the Takamatsu Castle actually draws directly from the sea.

Built in 1590 by Ikoma Chikamasa, the Ikoma Clan were the original rulers of this castle. Relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun, the Matsudaira Clan overtook the castle 54 years later. The Matsudaira Clan ruled for the rest of the Edo Period.  During the Meiji Period, the castle main keep was torn down.  Currently, there is a strong movement to reconstruct this castle, known as one of the three Great Waterfront Castles in Japan.

Within the castle grounds, there are only a few of the castle’s original buildings.  Originally twenty, only two turrets, the Ushitora Yagura and the Tsukimi Yagura, remain today. Visitors can also see the Asahimon Gate as well as the moats and walls to imagine how glorious Takamatsu castle was in its heyday. The castle garden is well maintained and visitors can appreciate the beauty of Japanese gardens here.

Hiunkaku building lies in the center of the castle park.  With its large tatami mat rooms, this building is used as an exhibition space/community hall.  Tea ceremony and flower arrangement classes are held here.

The hours of entry to the castle vary according to the month.
April to May: 5:50 to 18:30
June to August: 5:30 to 19:00
September: 5:30 to 18:30
October: 6:00 to 17:30
November: 6:30 to 17:00
December to January: 7:00 to 17:00
February: 7:00 to 17:30
March: 6:30 to 18:00
Closed: December 29th to 31st
Admission: 200 yen

Access Information:
Takamatsu Castle is located next to Kotoden Takamatsu-Chikko Station.
It is also a short walk from the JR Takamatsu Station.