Ritsurin Garden, Takamatsu, Japan
One of the many joys of Japan is visiting the country’s wonderful gardens. They are traditional gardens that incorporate Japanese aesthetics and philosophies to create a serene, natural-looking landscape with elements like water, rocks, carefully pruned plants, and features like arched bridges and stone lanterns.
They are designed to evoke emotion and a sense of harmony between man and nature, often incorporating techniques like “borrowed scenery” to blend the garden with its surroundings. Famous examples include the Karesansui (dry rock gardens) designed for meditation and the strolling gardens that feature elements like ponds and waterfalls.
Perhaps my favourite Japanese garden is the Ritsurin Garden, a large, historic garden in Takamatsu. Ritsurin Garden is a bit off the beaten track, being in the north-east corner of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands.
Shikoku is also the only one of the four main Japanese islands without access by the Shinkansen, Japan’s famous high-speed bullet train. But you can take the Shinkansen to Okayama, and then take a regional train across the Seto Inland Sea to Takamatsu.
The Ritsurin Garden is regularly ranked among Japan’s top ten gardens and one of the largest strolling gardens. It was completed in 1745 as a private strolling garden and villa for the local feudal lords, and opened to the public in 1875.
The garden features six ponds and thirteen landscaped hills in front of the green vista of Mt. Shiun, along with stunning rock arrangements and a wide variety of beautiful plants. Seasonal flowers and one thousand carefully maintained pine trees create gorgeous scenery that changes throughout the seasons. The garden was designed to be leisurely strolled through, and each step offers a new perspective on the garden’s scenery.
You could easily enjoy many hours in the Ritsurin Garden, and make visits during the different seasons to appreciate the seasonality of the vegetation. On my recent visit I was able to take a boat trip, as well do some healthy walking. This only inspired me to go back again soon.