Real traditional Japan: visiting the smallest major island in the country

Takamatsu is one of the main cities on Shikoku, Japan’s smallest major island. In this video, you’ll see some of the main things to do in town.

Takamatsu has a significant samurai heritage, with historical connections to prominent samurai clans such as the Matsudaira. We visit 3 locations linked to the family: their castle (considered one of the 3 great sea castles of Japan), their villa (today, Japan’s largest garden), and their temple (one of the most impressive Buddhist temples in the entire country).

We also visit the islands of Ogijima and Megijima, while relaxing at a hotel with a private onsen in our room overlooking the city. Last but not least, this is also the udon capital of Japan, so a visit to Takamatsu and Kagawa Prefecture is never complete without trying udon… multiple times!

Thanks to the city of Takamatsu for inviting us to experience an authentic Japan and for supporting our work by sponsoring this video.

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Things to do in Takamatsu, Japan:
00:00 What do you know about Takamatsu, Japan?
01:22 Lovely park and castle grounds in the city center
05:05 Japan’s largest garden
08:49 Lunch and tea at the park 😍
11:58 The most impressive Japanese temple
14:36 Private onsen in our hotel room!
18:52 Day trip to the islands
19:26 The charm of Ogijima
23:31 This restaurant alone is worth a trip to Megijima
26:32 Trendy revitalized warehouse district
28:15 We dined in a 300-year-old room!

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► WHO AM I?

I am a Brazilian-American journalist living in Florida. After traveling the world working with sports, news, and events for over 15 years, I realized that what I really love is the travel part of it all. So I exchanged life in the newsrooms and stadiums for the daily challenge of being an independent content producer. I created this channel to share the beauties of the world… stuff that, for so long, I only kept to myself. Also to help people planning similar trips and to inspire more people to venture out and enjoy life!

P.S.: The funny guy who appears in the vlogs is my husband, Gordon. He is Canadian-American, and he’s actually camera-shy. That’s why he’s behind the camera most of the time 😉

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There’s something I bet you didn’t see or didn’t realize. – Yeah, I did already. – Love. – Love. – You’re so smart. One of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen. We’re back in Japan. First time during winter. – It’s spring. Look at here. – Yeah. Beautiful. Actually it’s good for a change.

We’ve been feeling hot too much recently. Hello from Takamatsu. Now you may wonder, where’s Takamatsu? Hang on, we’ll get there. First, let me explain to you why people visit this city. In summary, it has the right combination of natural beauty, cultural heritage and traditional cuisine. This is the Udon capital of Japan.

It’s our first time visiting a different Japanese island. – I’ll stay all day. – Takamatsu is the capital of Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku, Japan’s smallest major island. Also, it’s the island with fewer foreigners, so you can expect a very genuine Japanese experience here. Thank you so much! [in Japanese]

Takamatsu is a sister city to St. Petersburg, Florida, very close to our home base. In common, not only the waterfront, but also a vibrant art and cultural scene you’ll discover along the video. Takamatsu has a long history, dating back to ancient times. It was originally established as a castle town

In the 16th century. In the first day of the trip, we’re visiting some of the main areas connected to the historical feudal lords and samurai. We are in one of the most famous landmarks in Takamatsu: the castle, but there’s no castle anymore, so you have to imagine.

The castle tower was demolished in 1884 due to aging. Nice view from here. – So from here, they could see if enemies would come. – Definitely, yeah. The construction of the castle started in 1588 and lasted for two years. The keep’s base has now been restored. – There are 58 foundation stones,

Like the Chinese character of rice paddy. – How, interesting. – Rice is the most important thing in Japan. – This is one of the few castles in Japan where the moat has seawater. – Fish? – Yeah, for the fish. – Yeah. – Instead of just throwing, you can put the food right here.

And it goes there. This is so creative. Don’t waste your food. Give them directly to the fish. – The old name of Kagawa is Sanuki. – Sanuki, okay. – We have precious stones. This is sanukite. – See? – Wow, there’s a big difference there. – Yeah. – Yeah.

We make a musical instrument using the stone. – See? The castle doesn’t exist anymore, but the watchtower does, and it’s original. – This is from Edo Period. – Look at the stairs. I don’t think the camera gives an idea of how steep this is. Coming down will be worse. – These are fish

Fishes in the water. – Yes. – This means the protection against fire. – Okay. – Okay. Wish me luck. [laughs] The castle is surrounded by a gorgeous park called Tamamo. One single piece of stone used to make this bridge. – Amazing how it’s still green. – Yes, and it’s winter.

Green means longevity in Japan. Shikoku is considered rural Japan, but Takamatsu is way bigger than I expected. And it is far from being isolated. You can come here by car, plane, train, or ferry. – So we’ll go to another garden. – Mm-hmm. – Ritsurin Garden. So this is the residence and political center,

– Okay. – And the Ritsurin Garden is a holiday house, almost all for pleasure. We have 400,000 people in this city. – It’s a big city, huh? Not so big, not so small. We have almost everything we need for living. – And it seems very quiet, right? – Calm. – Calm, very calm.

Yeah. So recently, people from the cities, Osaka, Tokyo,… (have) come to live here. – Okay. – Here we are. – So we’ll go to one of the great viewpoints directly. If we follow the pamphlet, the point will be at the end. – We’ll do at the beginning, huh? We’re now at Ritsurin Garden,

Which is the largest Japanese garden in the entire country. That’s because the mountains here are also part of the area of the garden. And wow, it is so beautiful. Shining, beautiful green. – Yeah. – Some parts of this garden here are 400 years old. You’ve been seeing all this beauty, right? – Mm-hmm.

– But there’s something I bet you didn’t see or didn’t realize. – Yeah, I did already. – You did already? – There’s a sign back there. – What was it? – Honeymoon. Love. – Ahhh, you’re so smart. One of the most beautiful gardens ever. And look at all this during winter.

– Please look at that mountain. It’s similar to Mount Fuji. – Mount Fuji, yeah. – Mount Fuji. They made a microcosm of Japanese nature. The motif is Mount Fuji. – Mount Fuji. – …in Kagawa! Nice, huh? – Look at that beautiful view. – So beautiful. The word “Ritsurin” in Japanese means chestnut grove.

But actually, most of what you see here are pine trees. All pine trees here are like big bonsais. Wow. Kagawa is the number one producer of pine bonsai in Japan. Look at them. They think I have food. This was a 30 centimeter bonsai that became a 9 meter tall pine tree.

– The shogunate gave this bonsai tree as a wedding gift. But the gift from a shogunate is so important. They might have been afraid of killing the bonsai. – Wow. – So they planted it close to the water and it grew! – Wow. Very beautiful.

– Do you know the reason why the trees are so low? – So that you can see? – Yes. – Look at this. I already love this boat ride. For my collection, maybe? Hey! – This garden is the biggest garden in Japan. The tour is on a traditional Japanese wooden boat

And it makes you feel like a feudal lord of the past. You enjoy views of the garden that only they could have and that can only be seen from the lake. Here’s the heart shape. During spring, it’s pink. This was not trimmed in a heart shape on purpose. It became like this.

This teahouse has been handed down from generation to generation of feudal lords and it’s still in the family. The boat tour is not only for the beauty. You learn a lot about the history here too and the meaning of everything. – Did you enjoy? – Very much. Thank you very much [in Japanese]

– Thank you so much. [in Japanese] – Yes, thank you. [in Japanese] – We’re having lunch right here at the park. Look how charming. I appreciate (the meal) [in Japanese] Thank you so much. [in Japanese] This is what I like about Japanese food. I have no idea what I’m eating.

But everything is so good. Oh my goodness. It melts in your mouth. – This is white miso. White miso in Kagawa is very very good. – My favorite new dish in Japan. Whatever has white miso on it. This is fantastic. For some reason I thought it was sweet, but no.

Oh, Gordon, I guess this is for you… with the wasabi, huh? Right? You loved it I’m sure. – Is this your first visit to Shikoku? – Mm-hmm. We’ve only been to Honshu before. – Oh really? – Only. – So not Kyushu? – No. – Hokkaido? – Uh-huh

– There are lots of good places in Kagawa. – I’m sure there are. Thank you very much. [in Japanese] Kaisaki meals keep surprising, right? – Yes, delicious. – And every time is different. It’s amazing. We were so lucky because there was a festival yesterday

And we ate a dish that they only eat once a year. It’s a New Year’s dish. It’s not New Year’s Day here but we were lucky. Look at Gordon’s face. Just happy. Built around 1640. – Wow. Look at this view. Thank you very much [in Japanese]

There’s the right way to drink matcha. – Turn…two… – And then you drink. Did you turn it back the right way? – Did you feel that? – The heat? – The floor is heated. – Yeah, it’s so nice. You’re comfortable there, aren’t you? – Yeah, I’ll stay all day.

– What I already love about this place is that it is very traditional. You sit on the floor and just admire the view. – You are very lucky! – Why? – No one. – Nobody here! This beautiful construction… The lake… The boats… It almost feels like I’m in a movie.

You know what’s this? For the feudal lord. It’s so interesting how when you’re there inside, although everything is open, you don’t feel cold. The heated floor makes a whole difference. Our next stop is Busshozan. It’s a historical neighborhood with a beautiful temple.

A few shops built over the last 400 years are still standing. And we’re here to visit Honenji, one of the most impressive temples in Japan. What do you smell? It’s exactly what I was about to ask you. It could be a rookie mistake if you think these are cherry blossoms No.

These pink trees here are plum trees. – So we see many bridges in the temples. This means the boundary between this world and that world. – The interior of Honenji temple is considered the pure land of Amitabha Buddha. And the bridge is the only way to get to this world.

This is the family crest. This is the same that we saw in the tea house, right? – Yes. The 3 are closely connected. Office and residence at Tamamo. – Okay. – Villa at the Ritsuin garden. And this is their family temple. – Oh, wow.

So all three places we visited belong to the family? – Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course – Wow, how interesting. Okay. I didn’t make the connection before. – Yeah, yeah. – Interesting, wow. – Matsudaira family. Grandson of the first shogunate. So these statues are made from the ashes of the followers of the temple.

– Wow, I’m very impressed. Imagine that you can come here and reconnect with a family member through these statues. That is very thoughtful. – So please touch. – I’m going to touch him all over. He has healing powers. Just his foot? – Just the big toe. – You’ve been walking too much?

– Yeah – These are the statues of the masters of this temple. – Wow. Oh, wow. Oh, my God! – Oh, jeez! – This is so impressive. This depicts the story of Buddha’s death. – Look at that disciple Look at him. He fainted. He lost his master.

– It’s so interesting how every temple in Japan is different, very different from each other. This is a Buddhist temple and obviously everything here has a meaning. – Welcome to Hanajyukai Hotel. – Thank you so much! [in Japanese] This room is at a totally different level. We have our working space here.

Here are the beds. There’s a place to relax, watch some TV if you want. Now the best part. Not the bathroom, although this is where you have a shower. Because over here there’s a private onsen. Overlooking the city. It’s out in the open. Can this get any better? Ahhhh!

– Guess where I’m sleeping? – [Laughing] It’s where you’re sleeping? – Yeah. – Not sure about that. – I can sleep. – Ahhhh [Laughing] Thank you so much. [in Japanese] Oh, my goodness! How thoughtful. They put knife and fork… thinking… – For you. – For me? No.

I’ll go like the pros here. Cheers! [in Japanese] – Plum sake – Non-alcoholic. Like a plum juice, it’s delicious. This I can have a shot. Ready for another kaisaki meal? Thank you so much [in Japanese] Of course, even a kaiseki meal in Takamatsu had to have udon.

Because we are in the udon capital of Japan. That’s because both the production and the consumption in the region are the highest in the country. There are hundreds of udon restaurants as you walk on the streets you go seeing one after the other. And wow, I love this. What’s in this udon, Gordon?

– Mushrooms, tofu, a little bit of squid, green. – Okay, but what’s your favorite? What’s your favorite? Come on. – Bacon. – Ahhhh! These kaiseki meals are a whole experience in Japan because you never know what you’re gonna get. It’s always different. And it’s also different from region to region

Because they’re made with fresh and local ingredients. It’s a must-have experience in Japan. It might be pricey, but very worth it. – They taste like they’re bubbles of icing. – They mysteriously disappear in your mouth. It was delicious. – Thank you. – Everything very delicious. Something very interesting about onsens in Japan

Is that they’re all different because the water is naturally different. Our last onsen experience was in Kazatsu where the pH level of the water is 2. The water is very acidic. It has a ton of health benefits. Here it is the exact opposite. The water is alkaline, pH level 9,

And it has different benefits. This is considered the onsen for the beautiful skin. As it’s very good for your skin, leaves your skin very, very smooth. So I’ll wake up like a princess. Cheers… [in Japanese] …with apple juice, right? – Mm-hmm.

– It’s a little vinegary, a mix of apple juice and vinegar. But it works. Let’s see what’s the surprise today for breakfast. Vegetables and sardine. Mackerel, maybe. – There’s a menu. – Yeah. – In Japanese only this time. Miso soup and rice, all you can eat. Thank you very much [in Japanese]

Our plans are to visit those two islands over there, but it’s raining. Not sure how much we can do, but we’ll try anyways. Here’s our ferry. Please enjoy the ride Let’s go inside. We are in Ogijima. – Do you see some patterns on the roof? – They look like letters. – Yes.

So how many languages? – There are different alphabets here. – Latin, Arabic, I think there’s Hebrew. – Yes. – Chinese, Japanese, I don’t know. – There is Cyrillic. The idea is to reflect the cultural exchange that happens here and the universal language of art and creativity. Ogijima!

In Japan, Ogijima is famous for a contemporary art festival held every three years on 12 small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. The sea separating two of Japan’s main islands. Takamatsu is the base to explore the festival. This is the other similarity between Takamatsu and St. Petersburg, Florida I mentioned initially.

Both cities have vibrant art and cultural scenes. – First, we’ll go to the shrine… …to pray. – Do you bow here normally? – Not in the middle. – Ahhhh. – Maybe a little bit… – Here? – Side. – The middle, just for God. Oh, some heavy exercise here, huh? Hills everywhere here.

Wow, the view already from here! What happened? I didn’t throw inside. – It’s okay. This is how you pay respect at Japanese shrines – Never ever clap your hands at temples. – At temples, okay. This is the hand for humans? – Human and God. – And God. Wow.

– But at the temple, this is for human and this is God. – Ahhhhh. – Opposite. – Wow. – We have a pilgrimage route all around Shikoku. Altogether 88 temples. – I even wanted to ask you about that yesterday and I forgot. That temple that we went, is it part of the pilgrimage?

– No, no. – Ah, no? – That’s a very special temple. – Oh, okay. – Feudal Lord’s temple. – Is this one here part of the pilgrimage? Although it’s Shinto. – Shinto, yeah. – It’s only Buddhist temples, part of the pilgrimage? – Uh-hum. – Okay. Please imagine the cherry blossom. – Oh, here.

Wow. Imagine it all pink with a blue ocean in the background. It’s cool to share the space here. Do a lot of people here commute to the city? – Yes. – Yeah. Ogijima is a lovely place for you to come here, walk around, see the architecture.

A lot of these houses actually, they have art installations that you can appreciate during spring, summer, maybe fall. We’re here on a Monday though, during winter. That’s why there’s not much going on. A lot of shops closed, but imagine this place during high season. So beautiful. There’s a lot of artwork, cafes,

Small shops, very charming. Walking towards the site of the 2011 tsunami, here in Japan It’s a very symbolic artwork. During summer, how busy does it get here? A lot of tourists, I imagine. All the cafes are probably busy. – Yes. The boats… …full of people.

– Do people come here also for the beaches? Are there beaches? – For the beaches, maybe Megijima Island. – Ok. That’s where we’re headed next. So the trip between the two islands is just like 20 minutes, right? – Yes. Megijima has a different vibe compared to Ogijima.

For instance, the village is protected from the winds by high stone walls, and people here are very proud of them. New island, and we immediately go eat, and we came directly to the restaurant. Isn’t this like the coziest, most charming place ever? I love it. – Kaburamushi – Kabu-kabu. – Kabu-kabu.

– Seafood, especially from here, the local… called namako. – Namako. – Fish from fishermen, not from the market, directly from the fishermen. – Wow, the freshest ones, huh? – Also, this is soy sauce with citrus. If you want to add taste to the fish… – Uh-huh. How interesting.

It gives a totally different flavor. Fish with vegetables here and mushroom. So delicious. Wow. You finished before I even filmed you eating. [Laughing] – All done. No more. – It was that good, huh? – She is an owner and the chef. – Okay. – He’s a volunteer staff. – Oh, okay.

– But a couple. – Thank you so much [in Japanese] I think it smells fruity. And after lunch, all guests leave a message. Oh, that’s so sweet. I had a lot to say. – What’s the book for? – It’s a message for them. You have to come here to read.

You have to come here to read. – So should people come here? – Oh, absolutely. – For the food? – For the food, for the atmosphere, for everything. – And? – And for the owners. – To leave a message. – Yes. Some of the vegetables we ate

Came from here, their garden, right next to the restaurant. As it started raining, our visit was cut short, but our hosts insisted on showing us the traditional Japanese house they’re renovating to welcome tourists visiting the island. And they’re very proud of the proximity to the stone wall. We’re right behind the wall.

– Population? 120 registered, but actually 80 people live here. – Permanently? – Yeah – Thank you very much! [in Japanese] Bye. She’s the sweetest. – Nice memory. – Yeah, for sure. Such a charming cafe, huh? Wow. And the views here. From Megijima, we came back to Takamatsu. Very short and easy boat ride.

Just 20 minutes, right? – Um-hum. – …the ferry ride. And we walked to this very cool area here called Kitahama Alley. How do you describe Kitahama Alley? – Warehouse district. – Exactly. Warehouse turned into very cool shops and cafes. What else? – Shops and cafes. – And it’s very close to the sea.

So you can stay at some places with a very nice view. We’re at a beautiful coffee shop on the fifth floor of a building, and we have this amazing view in front of us. Perfect for a rainy day, right? Beautiful. Thank you very much. [in Japanese] – What did you order?

– Thank you. [in Japanese] Coffee and… [in Portuguese] What’s that in a champagne glass? – It’s not a champagne. It appears to be a smoothie. Based on what I understood from the menu, it should be like a smoothie. Milk and fruits. Delicious. It is a smoothie. It looks like it’s berries.

– Do you recognize? That’s where we came from. – Mm-hmm. – Those islands. – Which one is which? – That’s that, and this is this. Ogijima took 40 minutes to get there, and Megijima 20. Which one is which? – The close one is the 20. The far one is the 40.

– Thank you very much. [in Japanese] We then drove 20 minutes out of the city center to try the most famous handmade Sanuki Udon noodles in one of the most traditional mansions in Takamatsu. Welcome to Goyashiki. – A very traditional building. – Ohhh, how beautiful. Hello [in Japanese]

We arrived before they opened to the public and got a full tour of the restaurant. Such a beautiful space with various private rooms. We got their special room with a very unique table. Wow, how beautiful. – This is from a (single) piece of wood.

– Have you ever had dinner in a more traditional room? – I don’t think so. 300 years old. – Yes. – No. – Mmmmm. So explain to me, Gordon, what did you get? Kijoyu, kijoyu udon. – Hot or cold? – Mine is cold. – Now, what is so unique about this one?

– It’s very local, the soy sauce. – And mine is Bukkake udon. One of the main differences is that mine is hot, Gordon’s is cold. I have soy sauce here already together with the udon. It’s a soup with broth. Very excited because I love udon and obviously we couldn’t come to Takamatsu, Kagawa,

And don’t try udon here. This is the udon capital of Japan. High expectations here. Udon, in case you’re not familiar with, you see? It’s a thick noodle. Look at the difference… …compared to other noodles you might have tried before. – Only one is this long! This long. – Woooooowwwww.

– The noodles are chewy, very thick. – Mmmmm. The combination of the soy sauce with the udon is just perfect. Wow. This is amazing. – Thank you very much! [in Japanese] We had a wonderful time here in Takamatsu thanks to our guide Hiroko-san. – My great pleasure.

– Yeah, she did a wonderful job. She was always behind the scenes. She didn’t appear as much. I should have introduced her before in this video, but she’s fantastic. If you’re coming to Takamatsu, look for her. Thank you so much. – Thank you very much. [in Japanese] – Thank you [in Portuguese]

– I’ll miss you. Ahhh! Bye.