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KAGAWA Ritsurin Park
A garden of incomparable beauty,
brilliantly landscaped with ponds and
miniature hills, set against a luxuriantly
green-clad Mt. Shiun.
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- Deservedly designated a 'Special
National Scenic Beauty', Ritsurin Park,
is the largest of such gardens located
on friendly Shikoku Island, in
Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture.
- Definitely worth a long, leisurely look,
the American Journal of Japanese
Garden 2007 ranked Ritsurin Park a
lofty fourth among 755 gardens.
- Ritsurin Park offers a fine choice of trees
and stone landscaping typical of the
elaborate, traditional 'daimyo' (nobleman)
style of gardens centuries old.
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| History |
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The Satos, a local ruling family, originally
developed the current park (near Shofuda)
embracing the traditional feudal Edo Period
garden design, fashionable in the late 15th
Century. A later 'daimyo', Takatoshi Ikoma,
continued to develop a propitious area
surrounding Lake Nanko with more expansion
undertaken by a succeeding brother, Lord
Yorishige Matsudaira (elder brother of famed
Misukuni Tokugawa). Finally, a fifth successive
'daimyo' Yoritaka Matsudaira, completed the
magnificent grounds in 1745, almost a century
after first plans were laid out. For over 200 years it
served as the private villa estate of 11 successive
lords of the Matsudaira clan. With the advent of
the historical Meiji Restoration (1868) leading to
the abolition of the 'han' feudal clan system, the
estate became a prized possession of the new
Meiji Government. As of 1875, the park was
designated a Prefectural Park and since opened
to an appreciative public.
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| Guide to Ritsurin Park |
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The solid blue line on the park's map indicates an easily followed,
eye-pleasing, one-hour walking trail. Also, a solid red line on the plan
indicates a further choice for visitors with more time to spend
surrounded by breathtaking beauty.
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| The park's best viewing points! |
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Since its inception the park was meticulously
designed to take into account the best features
of the existent landscape. The land was endowed
with six ponds and 13 man-made hills cleverly
located to take advantage of Mt. Shiun as a
dramatic, theatrical backdrop. The Southern Garden offers four lovely ponds
harboring no less than 3,000 black and red/gold 'koi' carps, long considered a
presage of good fortune in Japan, leisurely
swimming about in tranquil waters. The Northern
Garden, privileged hunting grounds for
feudal lords, remodeled during the Meiji Restoration,
features two, idyllic ponds. Visitors are
invariably charmed by the beauty of this
invaluable, cultural heritage.
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| Kikugetsu-tei Teahouse (MAP2) | Hako-matsu (MAP4) |
A lovely structure, the park's teahouse dates
back to the grand Edo Period (circa 1640). In
1745, borrowing a phrase from a Tang
dynasty poem, Lord Yoritaka aptly renamed
it, 'kikugetsu-tei' (moon scooping pavilion).
Ancient lore, yet today's visitor sipping a
fragrant cup of green tea, cannot but sense
an aura of timeless elegance and poetic
grace as did this long-ago prince.
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The world over, Japanese gardeners are
famed for creative shaping of trees and
shrubs. It's no less true
here as an amazing
1,000 Black Pine trees
have been artistically
designed and trimmed,
branch by branch, into
geometrical shapes and
figures for nearly three
centuries.
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Tsurukame-matsu
(The Crane and Turtle Pine) (MAP5) | View from Hiraiho (MAP1) |
A fine example of creativity, 'tsurukame-matsu'
is a Black Pine patiently trimmed to resemble a
Japanese crane, gracefully alighting on a
turtle-shaped planter composed of 110
massive stone blocks.
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From the vantage point of
'Hiraiho' hilltop, visitors can
take in a spectacular view of
Nanko Lake with elegant
Engetsu-kyo Bridge set in
contrast against
omni-present Mt. Shiun.
'Sengi', rocks jutting out of
the lake add an aura of
tranquil meditation to the
entire vista.
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| Fugan (MAP6) | View from Fuyoho (MAP3) |
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| Seasonal Flora |
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This superb garden is especially designed to feature abundant flora at its best during each
passing season. The Japanese affection for soul-soothing plum and cherry blossoms is
well-rewarded each spring renewal and the warmth of summer in glorious display with
multitudes of Iris and Lotus blooms. Autumn makes its appearance clad in a kaleidoscope
of fall-tinted leaves and finally winter appears clad in gorgeously evocative Camellia
bushes. Ritsurin Park is immensely enjoyable any time of the year.
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| Spring |
| Feb. - Mar. |
Plum blossoms (Pic A) |
200 trees (approx.) in the South and North Plum Orchards
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| Mar. |
Yulan Magnolia |
Shofuda |
| Mar. - Apr. |
Cherry Blossoms (Pic B)
Azalea |
350 trees throughout the park (approx.)
2300 trees throughout the park (approx.)
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| Apr. |
Wisteria (Pic C) |
Shin-higurashi-tei
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A.
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B.
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C.
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| Summer |
| May |
Rabbit-ear Iris |
Seiko Lake
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| May - June |
Japanese Iris (Pic D) |
Japanese Iris Garden |
| June |
Gardenia |
Throughout the park |
| May - Oct. |
Water Lily (Pic E) |
Kansui-chi Pond
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| July - Aug. |
Lotus (Pic F)
Yabu-kanzo(Day Lilies)
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Fuyosho Pond
Seikei
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| May - Oct. |
Water Lily |
Kansui-chi Pond
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| Aug. - Sep. |
Crape Myrtle |
By the Engetsu-kyo bridge
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D.
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E.
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F.
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| Autumn |
| Sep. |
Japanese Bush Clover (Pic G) |
Throughout the park
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| Oct. |
Orange Osmanthus |
Throughout the park |
| Oct. - Feb. |
Crested Leopard
Azalea |
Throughout the park
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| Nov. |
Maple (Pic H) |
Fugan
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G.
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H.
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| Winter |
| Nov. - Dec. |
Sasanqua (Pic I) |
Throughout the park
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| Feb. - Mar. |
Camellia |
Throughout the park
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I.
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| Illuminated park in Spring and Autumn |
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For ten days, (late March - early April and late Nov. - early Dec.) artistically designed lighting
transform the park
into a fairy-tale
setting. In spring,
fragrant blossoms
adorning boughs of
cherry trees are
magically illuminated
as are a forest of trees
clad in autumn-tinted
foliage. Musical
events enhance the
enchanted land.
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| <info & Access > |
| Park Hours |
January 7:00-17:00
February 7:00-17:30
March 6:30-18:00
April-May 5:30-18:30
* Open from sunrise to sunset
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June-August 5:30-19:00
September 5:30-18:30
October 6:00-17:30
November 6:30-17:00
December 7:00-17:00
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| Admission |
Adults......................................... 400 yen (320 yen)*
Middle, Elementary school students............. 170 yen (140 yen)*
* groups of more than 20 people
For More Information:
www.pref.kagawa.jp/ritsurin/index_e.html
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Access to Ritsurin Park
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