NEW! Sanuki Kagawa Uncovered – A Resident’s Intimate Travel Guide

Sanuki. The name may not ring an immediate bell. Even if I add Shikoku’s Sanuki region you might still shake your head.

While Shikoku is one of the four main islands it is the one less visited, off the usual foreign tourist’s beat, although increasingly it appears in global media (including CNN, Travel & Leisure, and the BBC) as a bucket list destination.

There are good reasons for its appearance. Read on to find out why…

Get my free Japan Travel Bulletin:

In fact there are many good reasons why Shikoku appears on those websites to the extent that it offers something for everyone.

In no particular order these include the unique food, spectacular scenery and hiking, beautiful beaches, it has the world famous 88 temple pilgrimage (that has been a thing since the 17th century), and art museums showcasing some of the world’s best contemporary art. It is also home of the bonsai tree.

All this wrapped up in one neat package – it being the smallest of the four main islands.

SEE ALSO: Discover Shikoku – Island Travel Guide

On its northern side lies the beautiful Seto Inland Sea, celebrated by tourists since the 19th century. Rudyard Kipling once described it thus:

“That is to say, we have for the last twenty hours been steaming through a huge lake, studded as far as the eye can reach with islands of every size, from four miles long and two wide to little cocked-hat hummocks no bigger than a decent hayrick. Messrs. Cook and Son charge about one hundred rupees extra for the run through this part of the world, but they do not know how to farm the beauties of nature. Under any skies the islands—purple, amber, grey, green, and black—are worth five times the money asked.“

On its southern edge is the Pacific where the Kuroshio Current (or Black Current) swells up from the southern Pacific bringing an amazingly rich bio-diversity including turtles, whales and dolphins that can all be spotted off- and onshore.

In short, there exists a lifetime of places to explore. So where’s best to start? As it’s within easy reach from Honshu I’ve chosen the district (not the town) known as Sanuki in the middle of Kagawa Prefecture.

I recommend taking the Shinkansen to Okayama and then a local train that crosses the Seto Ohashi Bridge to Marugame. The bridge is one of the longest in the world, a modern engineering and architectural wonder, and the benefit of taking the train is the magnificent view over the Seto Inland Sea.

Plus, by sitting on the righthand side of the carriage, the historic lighthouse built by the Scotsman Richard Henry Brunton in 1870 can be seen, perched on a small island below the bridge. He is celebrated as the Father of Japan’s lighthouses and transformed the ease of navigation around Japan’s often treacherous coastline.

Marugame is compact, peaceful, and a most convenient base for exploration. Plan to stay in one of the city centre hotels or guest houses, as all are an easy walk from the station. However if you really want to splash out, the Marugame Castle Experience, currently ¥1,265,000 for 2 people, is one of a limited number of castles that now offer this once-in-a-lifetime overnight stay.

Otherwise the casual visitor can visit the castle for free. Over 400 years old, it has a deep and forbidding moat, the highest ramparts in Japan (and they are truly magnificent), you might spot a heart-melting Racoon Dog, and the view from the castle’s tenshu is spectacular. (NB: there is a small entrance fee to enter the tenshu, one of only 12 original examples in Japan.)

In the city centre stands the very good Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art that’s home to the national collection of the artist as well as mounting one-off exhibitions. As a piece of architecture it has much merit, and you can relax in a rather pleasant café and buy gifts in two museum shops.

The Nakazu Bansho garden is a compact but overwhelmingly romantic strolling garden that dates from 1688 – even older is the umbrella shaped pine that has been growing for over 600 years.

The garden also houses the Uchiawa fan museum, Maruagmae being the home of this type of fan which make a worthwhile souvenir or gift. The best way to reach the garden is a 5-10 minute taxi ride from the rank outside the station.

Further afield is the Isamo Noguchi Garden Museum a walled compound containing his house, studio and sculptures. Reservations need to be made at least one week in advance via their website. (See the Resources below and where you’ll also find information about access.) A worthwhile day trip would be to visit here by taking trains via Takamatsu and then combine it with a visit to the Ritsurin Koen garden, one of the largest and certainly one of the five best in Japan.

Locals will tell you that there are two essential dishes to eat while in Marugame: udon (which is a lunch time dish), and chicken on the bone for supper. Sanuki udon really is the best in the world and people travel from all over Japan to enjoy it – you’ll find many restaurants in the area that specialise in these delightful noodles.

If you fancy trying your hand at making some Sanuki udon noodles, the Nakano Udon School in Kotohira runs Sanuki udon making experiences you can book online. You get to eat the noodles for lunch along with some noodle souvenirs to take home with you.

The second dish is Honetsuki tori, chicken on the bone, and Ikkaku (317 Hamamachi) is the original chicken shop close to the train station. No advance booking can be made so be prepared to stand in line for a few minutes. There are no vegetarian/vegan options and the menu is in Japanese but has pictures of the dishes. (I also recommend looking at the online menu and knowing what you want before visiting the restaurant.)

An alternative for supper is Juan (33-1 Uoyamachi) one of the best value kaiseki meals in the country. The chef is from Kyoto and his food is stunning. Ask your hotel to book ahead though. Usually there are two or three set meal prices, the hotel or your host will tell you what they are and you can then chose. This means that you don’t have any decisions to make in the restaurant. The food will be brought to you.

SEE ALSO: 15 Must-Try Japanese Foods

At some stage take an early evening taxi to the spirit boosting Utazu Rinkai Park for spectacular sunsets over the Seto Inland Sea and the illuminations of the Seto Ohashi Bridge. Or visit the Gold Tower, 158m tall, for more spectacular views, and an aquarium, 127 meters above ground level, where 3,333 fish swim with no sign of vertigo.

A second uplifting excursion is to the Konpira Shrine in Kotohira, one of Shinto’s most sacred sites. Around 4 million visitors come annually and walk up 785 stone steps to reach the main shrine, a climb that takes about 45 minutes. You will be following in the footsteps of pilgrims who have made this climb for over a thousand years, possibly longer.

More steps can be taken to reach the second shrine. At both, sweeping views over the Sanuki Plain open up, and you’ll be able to appreciate the unique geography of the landscape as the plain is dotted with perfectly shaped conical mountains formed by volcanic activity.

Kotohira oozes charm including the souvenir shops at the start of the steps, a sake museum to help with revitalisation after the climb, and the oldest kabuki theatre in Japan (and which is open for tours and not just performances.). The town can be reached directly by a short train ride and the station itself is historic as it retains the Showa era building.

Close by stands the three-story Takatoro Lantern completed in 1860, reaching 27 meters in height and the tallest wooden lantern in the country. It was originally designed as a lighthouse for sailors in the Seto Inland Sea, who also used it as a landmark to guide their way here and offer their prayers to Konpira.

It is perfectly possible to split the day in two: spend the morning in Kotohira and the afternoon in Zentsuji, one of the three great spiritual homes of Buddhism in Japan, the birthplace of Kobo Daishi, and where he built his Zentsuji temple in 807. In all, the town has seven of the temples that make up the 88 Temple Shikoku pilgrimage.

Kobo Daishi is hailed as the father of Japanese culture, from creating a new form of Buddhism, to making singular achievements as an academic, poet, calligrapher, sculptor, architect and, it is claimed, many other skills. Even a civil engineer as he repaired the Manno-ike reservoir which is still a utility today.

As noted at the beginning there are endless possibilities. A return day ferry trip can be taken to one of the nearby islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Honjima has Kasashima Town, a beautifully preserved port town dating from the Edo period and is also a venue for the Setouchi Triennale.

While Sanuki-Hiroshima Island has golden sandy beaches, the Onoe residence – a historical landmark and now a guest house – and the much celebrated and unusual 19th century grave of a British naval officer. Indeed there are several delightful guest houses on the island where you can experience up close a more traditional way of Japanese life.

Sanuki enjoys a low rainfall but during the summer it can get very hot and very humid. Autumn and spring are good times to visit but whatever time of the year, it won’t fail to delight.

Discover Shikoku – Island Guide

https://shikoku-tourism.com/

https://www.my-kagawa.jp

http://www.love-marugame.jp

https://marugame-castle.com