Area Characteristics
Kagawa Prefecture which is located on the northeastern area of Shikoku is Japan’s smallest prefecture in terms of area（1,876km2＝724mile2）and is similar to Hong Kong in size.（1,104km24＝426mile2）. The world’s largest bridge at a length of 9.4km, the Seto Ohashi Bridge, which links the main island of Honshu and Shikoku, is the gateway to the smaller island. With 110 islands of varying sizes including Shodo Island, Naoshima Island and Teshima Island are world famous with art spots covering both islands.
Major Sites
Sites symbolizing Kagawa include the nation’s largest Japanese garden, Ritsurin Garden, the much-beloved Kotohira-gu Shrine and Marugame Castle with its beautiful stone walls. On the islands of Naoshima and Teshima, there are artistic sites such as the Tadao Ando-designed Chichu Art Museum, the Teshima Art Museum, the Ie Project which has made entire old houses into works of art, and the Benesse House Museum. Also popular are the Seto Ohashi Bridge, the Konpira Grand Theater, Zentsu-ji Temple, and the Nijyushinohitomi Eigamura (Twenty-Four Eyes Movie Village) located on Shodo Island.
Food
There are over 600 udon restaurants in Kagawa among the population of 100,000 people which makes the prefecture No. 1 in the country. You will want to try as many shops as possible since there are many different types such as regular restaurants, self-serve shops and establishments that make their own noodles. There is a rich variety of intriguing dishes such as Sakaide pippimeshi which is a rice dish that mixes in chopped udon noodles, and Tadotsu pot udon. Grilled chicken on the bone and Shodo Island olive oil are also popular products.
Transportation
Reaching Kagawa from Tokyo by air is common. From Haneda Airport, it takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach Takamatsu Airport. By limousine bus, Takamatsu Station can be reached easily from the airport within 45 minutes. For major tourist spots in the Takamatsu area, there are plenty of trains, buses and trolleys. There are also the unique taxis and buses specifically used for a tour of the udon restaurants.
Accommodations
Accommodations are available in the Takamatsu Station area, the onsen district of Kotohira and on Shodo Island.