Ritsurin Garden
The largest of Japan's cultural-property gardens, with six ponds and thirteen landscaped hills.
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Ritsurin Garden
SaveThe largest of Japan's cultural-property gardens, with six ponds and thirteen landscaped hills.
A boatman rows visitors around the south pond, so the garden can be seen from the water.
MoreWhat kind of place
Ritsurin sits on ground whose stonework still shows Muromachi-era technique. The lords of the Sanuki Takamatsu domain spent more than a century in the Edo period turning it into the garden of their villa.
It holds six ponds, thirteen landscaped hills, and long stands of pine — the largest of Japan's cultural-property gardens.
The country lists it as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, the rank reserved for gardens of particular importance.
The Michelin Green Guide Japon gave the garden three stars, its top rating, and starred four features inside it as well — nine stars in all.
Sources and evidence (14)
- Built on ground whose stonework preserves Muromachi-period technique, the garden was completed over more than a century by successive lords of the Sanuki Takamatsu domain during the Edo period, who used it as their lower residence.source
- It is designated a national Special Place of Scenic Beauty as a cultural-property garden of particular importance.source
- The Michelin Green Guide Japon gave it three stars, the top rating, meaning a place worth a special journey.source
- The Michelin stars break down as three for the garden as a whole, two each for the pines of Ritsurin and for Kikugetsu-tei, and one each for the Engetsu-kyo bridge and the Hiraiho hill — nine stars in all.source
- The wide grounds hold six ponds, thirteen landscaped hills, and handsome stands of pine.source
- It is the largest of Japan's cultural-property gardens, and its scenery is described as changing with every step you take.source
- The Commerce and Industry Promotion Hall inside the garden was built in 1899, has a floor area of 1,262 square meters (about 13,600 square feet), and served at the time as the Kagawa Prefectural Museum.source
- That hall is built symmetrically, like the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in in Uji, and works Western technique into a traditional Japanese style.source
- Nursing rooms are at three points: the east wing of the Commerce and Industry Promotion Hall, the Kobusha restrooms, and the tourist office.source
- The boat carries six passengers on a loop of the south pond with commentary from the boatman, and takes about 30 minutes including getting on and off.source
- There are 30 coin lockers near the east gate and 6 near the north gate, priced at 200, 300, or 400 yen depending on size.source
- Bags too large for the lockers can be left at the Ritsurin Garden tourist office for 400 yen each.source
- The prefectural parking lots hold 30 cars and 13 buses at the east gate, and 32 cars in front of the north gate.source
- The garden is run by Kagawa Prefecture's Ritsurin Garden tourist office, through its general affairs and landscaping sections, at 087-833-7411.source
With kidsThe part that matters
The paths are spread with round gravel, so a wheeled suitcase goes into a locker before you enter, and a separate map marks a route for anyone pushing a stroller or a wheelchair.
Strollers and wheelchairs are lent free at the ticket window, and there are nursing rooms at three spots inside.
A boatman rows a wooden boat around the south pond, and children ride from age three, with an adult aboard for anyone of elementary age or younger.
Walking the grounds takes about two hours, and there is no lighting anywhere, so start back for the gate by sunset — half an hour later it goes very dark.
Sources and evidence (6)
- Ask at the entrance for the free stamp rally. Two hours round the grounds past 1,400 pines, then matcha at the teahouse.source
- Three minutes from JR Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi to the North Gate. Thirty lockers by the East Gate, six by the North.source
- Booked on the day; a boat 30 minutes later had room. You get an umbrella and a life jacket. Geishun bridge is very low.source
- Book the morning porridge at Kaen-tei, eat it at Hanka-tei: three groups a day. In at 8:00, boat at 9:00, out at 13:06.source
- The tatami room at Kikugetsu-tei has heated carpet, and wide-set pillars leave the pond filling the view from your seat.source
- Senshu-maru and Geishun-maru take 30 minutes past Engetsu bridge, Token-sho and Fugan. Heart-shaped azaleas in spring.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1Children below school age get in free. Ask at the ticket window and they lend a stroller at no charge, so the baby can ride while you go around the six ponds, thirteen landscaped hills and pine groves. The garden is called ippo ikkei, a new view at every step.There are three nursing rooms: in the east wing of the Shoko Shoreikan, at the Kobusha restroom, and at the tourism office. Strollers and wheelchairs are lent free of charge; ask at the ticket window. The paths are laid with gravel, and visitors are asked to leave suitcases and other wheeled bags in a locker before entering (30 lockers by the East Gate, 6 by the North Gate, at 200, 300 or 400 yen). A separate park map (PDF) is prepared for people using a stroller or wheelchair, so look at it first to plan your route. The garden has no lighting and gets very dark 30 minutes after sunset.
- Ages 2-3From age three a child can ride the wasen boat around the south pond. A boatman rows one lap of Nanko with commentary, about 30 minutes including getting on and off. The boat is 420 yen a ride for children through junior high, and garden admission is free below school age.The wasen boat takes children from age three, and a guardian must come along for anyone of elementary school age or under; the boat holds six. Tickets are sold only for the same day, from 8:30 at the boat ticket window, and sales close once the day's capacity is reached. You can also book ahead by phone on 087-833-7413 (8:30-17:00) or through the Ritsurin Garden website, but even then the booking lapses unless you buy the ticket by 30 minutes before your departure time. The paths are laid with gravel. Balls and other play equipment may not be brought in. The three nursing rooms are in the east wing of the Shoko Shoreikan, at the Kobusha restroom, and at the tourism office.
- Ages 4-6Six ponds and thirteen landscaped hills give a child something to count off on their own two feet. On the wasen boat a boatman rows one lap of the south pond with commentary, about 30 minutes including boarding (420 yen a ride for children). The Shoko Shoreikan inside the garden was built in 1899 and is symmetrical left to right, like the Phoenix Hall of Byodoin in Uji. Admission is free below school age.Walking the grounds once through takes about two hours (from a 2025 visit report). Balls and other play equipment may not be brought in, and running or jogging in the garden is not allowed. Picking plants or insects, catching fish or birds, and bringing feed are all prohibited, so plan it as a day for looking and walking. The garden has no lighting and gets very dark 30 minutes after sunset. After closing time you leave by the service gate, the East Gate only. The wasen boat needs a guardian along for children of elementary school age or under, and same-day tickets go on sale at the boat ticket window from 8:30.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThis is a garden you walk through, past six ponds, thirteen landscaped hills, and pine groves. The grounds are laid with gravel, and the boat around the south pond takes about 30 minutes including boarding.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2–5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (6)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Official family-friendly certification, Best-fit ages (guide), Crowding (guide), Lost-child support
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
First-hand
Ask at the entrance for the free stamp rally. Two hours round the grounds past 1,400 pines, then matcha at the teahouse.
Takamatsu One-Day Itinerary: Ritsurin Garden, Mt. Yashima and More
Guide
Three minutes from JR Ritsurin-Koen-Kitaguchi to the North Gate. Thirty lockers by the East Gate, six by the North.
Ritsurin Garden Kagawa Guide: Daimyo Garden & Six Ponds
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Booked on the day; a boat 30 minutes later had room. You get an umbrella and a life jacket. Geishun bridge is very low.
Things to do in October: the wooden boat at Ritsurin Garden
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Book the morning porridge at Kaen-tei, eat it at Hanka-tei: three groups a day. In at 8:00, boat at 9:00, out at 13:06.
Autumn in Tokushima and Kagawa (6): five hours in Ritsurin Garden - morning porridge, the boat, the guided tour
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
The tatami room at Kikugetsu-tei has heated carpet, and wide-set pillars leave the pond filling the view from your seat.
Matcha and plum blossoms at Ritsurin Garden, Takamatsu
More to look at
Ritsurin Garden · Links & reads ▾
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Where it is
1-20-16 Ritsurincho, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa 760-0073source
Before you go
- There is no lighting inside the garden, and it turns very dark within 30 minutes of sunset.source
- Free entry for visitors 65 and over applies only to people with an address in Kagawa Prefecture, who must show a longevity handbook or similar document at the gate.source
- The paths are covered with round gravel, so visitors are asked to leave suitcases and other wheeled bags in a locker before going in.source
- Balls and other play equipment cannot be brought in.source
- You may not collect plants or insects, catch fish or birds, or bring in food to feed them.source
More notes (10)
- Some stretches are difficult to get through in a wheelchair, and the garden map marks a suggested wheelchair route.source
- Running and jogging are not permitted.source
- Pets cannot enter, apart from service dogs for people with disabilities — guide, mobility, and hearing dogs.source
- Flying a drone is prohibited.source
- Children under three cannot ride the boat.source
- Boat tickets are sold only for the same day, from 8:30 at the boat ticket window, and sales close once the day's places are taken.source
- You can book the boat ahead by phone at 087-833-7413 (8:30 to 17:00) or through the Ritsurin Garden website, but the booking is void unless you buy the ticket at least 30 minutes before your departure time.source
- Volunteer guides run a scheduled tour every Sunday at 10:30, meeting in front of the east gate ticket window; it runs about 60 minutes, costs nothing, and needs no booking.source
- Guides can also be booked up to a week in advance for groups of 10 or fewer, any time between 9:00 and 16:00, for about 60 minutes, and an English-speaking guide can be requested.source
- The footer of the ritsuringarden site reads Copyright (c) 2023 Fairytale Inc, which shows the site is published by a private company rather than by Kagawa Prefecture, the operator of the garden.source
Basics
- Fee：Adults ¥500, elementary and junior-high students ¥170, preschool children free. Groups of 20 or more pay ¥400 and ¥140. Admission is free on 1 January and on 16 March, the garden's anniversary. Free entry for holders of a disability certificate or a medical certificate for a designated intractable or chronic childhood disease (a carer comes in free too), and for residents of Kagawa Prefecture aged 65 and over on showing a longevity handbook - the age discount does not apply to visitors from outside the prefecture. Prices went up on 1 June 2025; the children's rate did not change.source23
- Hours：Open every day of the year, roughly from sunrise to sunset, so the hours change every month: 7:00-17:00 in January, 6:30-18:00 in March, 5:30-18:30 in April and May, 5:30-19:00 from June to August, 6:00-17:30 in October, 7:00-17:00 in December. There are no lights in the garden and it gets very dark half an hour after sunset. After closing time you leave by the East Gate. The garden closes at short notice when a storm warning is issued for the Takamatsu area.source2
- Time to allow：2–5 hsource2
- Booking：Admission tickets are sold at the gate, with nothing to book in advance. The boat ride on the south lake is separate and can be reserved by phone.source
Basics in detail (19)
Hours and closures
- The garden is open every day of the year, closing only when a storm warning, including a snowstorm warning, is issued for the Takamatsu area.source
- Hours run roughly from sunrise to sunset and shift by month: January 7:00-17:00, February 7:00-17:30, March 6:30-18:00, April and May 5:30-18:30, June through August 5:30-19:00, September 5:30-18:30, October 6:00-17:30, November 6:30-17:00, and December 7:00-17:00.source
- After closing time you leave through the service gate, which is the east gate only.source
Fees
- Admission is 500 yen for adults and 170 yen for children.source
- The child rate covers elementary and middle school students, and children under school age get in free.source
- Groups of 20 or more pay 400 yen for adults and 140 yen for children.source
- A book of 11 tickets costs 5,000 yen for adults, or 1,700 yen for elementary and middle school students.source
- An annual pass costs 3,180 yen for one person or 6,380 yen for three, with the three-person pass good for one entry per day.source
- Admission is free on New Year's Day, January 1, and on the garden's anniversary, March 16.source
- Entry is free for holders of a physical, intellectual, or mental health disability certificate, or a medical recipient or registration certificate for a designated intractable disease or chronic pediatric condition, and for a caregiver where care is needed.source
- Admission was revised on June 1, 2025, taking the general individual rate from 410 yen to 500 yen, while the 170 yen rate for elementary and middle school students stayed unchanged.source
- The boat ride around the south pond costs 850 yen per adult and 420 yen per child (middle school age and under) each time, on top of the garden admission.source
- Chartering the boat for an hour, for up to six people, costs 10,200 yen.source
- Parking costs 100 yen per 25 minutes for cars and other small vehicles, and 510 yen per 30 minutes for buses and other large vehicles.source
Getting there
- A separate garden map (PDF) is prepared for visitors using wheelchairs, strollers, and the like.source
- Accessible parking is on the entrance side of the east gate parking lot.source
- Wheelchair users heading to Kikugetsu-tei or Fukiage-tei, along with anyone accompanying them, can enter through the emergency gate at the prefectural east gate parking lot, and the route up to that gate is paved.source
- The address is 1-20-16 Ritsurin-cho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 760-0073, and the phone number is 087-833-7411 for the Ritsurin Garden tourist office.source
- It is a 3-minute walk from JR Ritsurin-koen-Kitaguchi Station, 10 minutes from Kotoden Ritsurin-koen Station, and 1 minute from the Ritsurin-koen-mae bus stop; by car it is about 7 minutes from JR Takamatsu Station and about 30 minutes from Takamatsu Airport.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (6)
- my-kagawa.jp: Stroller friendly, Nursing space, Indoor / outdoor
- ritsuringarden.com: Stroller friendly, Nursing space, Stroller access notes
- Official: main site
The lords of Takamatsu spent more than a century finishing this garden, which served as their villa. Six ponds and thirteen landscaped hills fill the grounds, and the view changes with every step. A boatman rows a small wooden boat around the south pond. The Shoko Shorei-kan, a symmetrical hall of 1899, was once the prefectural museum. Paths are laid with gravel, and strollers and wheelchairs are lent at the ticket window. There are no lights, and it goes dark soon after sunset.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers, wheelchairs and walking trolleys are lent free at the ticket window. The paths are laid with gravel, and rolling suitcases are asked to go in a locker before you enter. A separate garden map for people using a stroller or a wheelchair is published, because some stretches are hard to push through. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | my-kagawa.jpritsuringarden.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing space | Yes (3) | Three rooms: in the east wing of the Shoko Shorei-kan, by the Kobusha toilets, and at the tourism office. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | my-kagawa.jpritsuringarden.com |
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor | A garden you walk through in the open air. There are no lights, and it gets very dark half an hour after sunset. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | my-kagawa.jp |
| Family restroom | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | English-speaking staff | A free English volunteer guide walks the model course on the first and second Sunday of the month, except in July and August. English guides can also be arranged for a booked tour, up to a week ahead, on 087-833-7411. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | my-kagawa.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Crowding (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Quietness (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | Balls and play equipment cannot be brought in, and running or jogging is not allowed. Picking plants or insects, catching fish or birds, and feeding animals are also out. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | my-kagawa.jp |
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Three minutes on foot from JR Ritsurin-koen-Kitaguchi station, ten from Kotoden Ritsurin-koen station, one from the Ritsurin-koen-mae bus stop, about seven minutes by car from JR Takamatsu station and about thirty from Takamatsu airport. The prefectural parking lots hold 30 cars at the East Gate and 32 at the North Gate, at ¥100 per 25 minutes, with the accessible spaces on the entrance side of the East Gate parking lot. Coin lockers stand by the East Gate (30) and the North Gate (6) at ¥200-400; anything that will not fit is held at the tourism office for ¥400 a piece. Only guide dogs and other assistance dogs may come in. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | ritsuringarden.commy-kagawa.jp |
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