Ritsurin Garden Vlog | Explore a UNESCO-Level Japanese Paradise!
[Music] Hello, this is Nuko. I’m in Takit Station in Ko Prefecture. I love the design of the station building. It looks like the station is smiling at the front, isn’t it? We’re going to the returning garden. [Music] a dolphin. Why? I found out that this was the mascot character of this railway company. [Music] Today we are taking a local train from Takma station by stop returning co the gateway to one of Japan’s most remarkable garden. The train is full of student on their way to school. We quietly join the flow and step at reaching co. After getting off the train, we notice all the high school students heading to other way probably off to class. My husband and I take the flight route straight 450 m walk about 7 minutes to east gate of the retaining garden. Richard garden is vast over 60 hectares or about 40 acres. Imagine a garden so large that it takes nearly an hour to walk around. But here, size isn’t everything. What makes the return truly unique is the way the scenery shifts with every step. Locals calls iik a new view with every pace you take. Pine trees, quiet ponds, small bridges, distance mountains. It’s a living painting changing with the light and the seasons. It’s still early in the morning and before we begin exploring the vast garden, my husband and I have a little tour, a special breakfast reserved in advance at the tea house inside the park. We’re heading to Hanazong, a quiet spot known for its asagayu, a simple but nourishing Japanese rice porridge. As we walk closer, we see Han, a slightly old-fashioned house, but beautifully maintained. It feels warm and inviting with a quiet charm you can see right away. It’s the perfect way to start a slow morning in such a peaceful place. [Music] I always thought Saitama Omia was the most famous place for bonsai in Japan. But it turns out Takamat is actually Japan’s for producer. Most of the beautiful pine bonesai you see around the country start right here. These small trees shaped with years of skill are known even exported inside the garden. Their asagay, a Japanese rice porridge breakfast, is a perfect way to start the slow morning. Every bowl is cooked with care using seasonal ingredients and even the water is adjusted depending on the time of year. The set includes simmered vegetables, grilled fish, kako’s famous soy beans and pickles made from plums, grown rice here in the garden’s ochre orchard. One of the specialities in tea porridge made from gocha, a rare fermented tea from Kochi perfection. Inspired by an old dish from the set inland sea islands. This breakfast isn’t just food. It’s gentle way to wake up your body and a chance to taste the flavors of the garden and the region. Inside you’ll spot lots of tradition decorations. Most of them are for New Year’s I think. But honestly, as long as they are beautiful, it doesn’t really matter what season it is. [Music] Reservations are required by 5:00 p.m. the day before, but both solo travelers and groups are welcome. If you want to start your day in calm and beautiful way, I can’t recommend this experience enough. It’s a perfect way to start the slow morning in such a peaceful place. That was the perfect start to the day. Now, shall we say what’s waiting in the garden. But why is there such a huge garden here in Takamat? Briting began nearly 400 years ago a small villa garden. But it grew thanks to a surprising reason water. In the early 1600s, local roads invested in large scale water works and land development. The pond and the streams you see will once part of a much bigger project controlling water for rice fields irrigation and the people living nearby. During times of the hardship, the future laws even hired people to help build the garden, offering work and relief in difficult years. [Music] This is Kik tea house. This skirt style tea house is one of the main buildings of the garden and was dearly loved by the successive generations of future laws of the Takamas domain in the past. The name Kiku gets cames from the line in the Tang era Chinese poem which reads when I scoop up the water I had a moon in my lungs. Views from the Nango pond from the tea house are worth seeing. [Music] This is the Nag Nagari Goyomomas are exported root Japanese definite white pie. It’s the only white pine is kind in Britain garden standing over 8 m tall with a trunk measuring 3.5 m round. What makes it unique? It is their dramatic roots that rise more than a meter above the ground exposed the after years of soil slowly washing away by the mort’s gauge. This tree was once a tiny bonsai. In 1833, the 11th Takuga Shogun Yari presented it as a gift to Matairo Yoshihiro, the ninth load of its estimated age over 200 years matches this historic moment. Right next to its stand Kuge, a traditional tea house built in the late 17th century. Enjoy a cup of tea here with the view of the Nagari Goyomomas is truly one of the highlights of returning garden. [Music] This pagoda was created by a ceramic master named Kitar Chigtoshi who was invited from Kyoto in 1647 by the first load of tamata. [Music] You can also take one of these little wooden boats around the pl. The boatman wears traditional clothes and straw hat and so do the passengers. It looks like such a peaceful way to see the garden from the water. We didn’t ride this time, but honestly, I was a bit jealous watching everyone float by. Maybe next time I’ll give it a try. Sometimes just seeing people enjoying themselves like this is enough to make the whole place feel even more special. We are now on the Gish bridge. Gish means welcoming the spring. In the Edo period there was a building named Rushukak on the west side of the building. Also, there were many ter blossom trees representing the spring of Japan around there. Just a little kid, my husband spotted the koi and decided to wanted to feed them. So, we ended up buying some koi snacks and having a go. If you want to see the whole feeding frame, I posted the uncut version in a separate video. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey. [Music] Hey. Hey. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] We’re back to the Kik T house. A lady dressed in kimono served as matcha tea and sweets. Sitting here on the tatami enjoying a cup of matcha and a sweet chestnut bum. I can’t help but wonder does it really mean chestnut grow. Today the gardening is famous for the its pine trees but long ago it says there were chestnut trees here too. Now you won’t find many chestnut trees but this kurimanju is a delicious nod to the garden’s name. The subtle sweetness of the bang goes perfectly with the rich slightly bitter matcha. It’s the kind of quiet sifful moment that makes traditional Japanese garden so special. Kik is a traditional tea house, but you can actually explore the inside of the building as well. The matcher and sweet set cost 700 yen. But for that price, you get to sit and enjoy the view wand through the rooms and rarely take in the courtyard garden up close. [Music] The seats closest into the garden were already full. So my husband I found a quiet spot a little further back to the rest. Some people were completely absorbed in the beautiful view while just nearby a group of children were happily playing games on their phone. I thought it was a bit of shame but everyone enjoyed travel in their own way in the end. That’s why makes trips memorable. Stepping out of daily life trying something new and exploring a little bit of difference. Even if it means just relaxing in a beautiful place. [Music] It’s believed that these palms were a gift from the sat main to the maser loss of takamat brought all the way from the rukyu island. That must have been quite a feat in the Edo period. Sago parms always remind me of a little story from my student days. Once on a trip to an onen with friends, we hadn’t even left Tokyo yet. When one of them said, “Wow, this scenery is just so easy.” But when we finally did reach is she looked at the rows of tago palms along the road and said, “Oh, is it’s like Hawaii. I haven’t been there in my life, though.” [Music] Here at the rising garden, you’ll find a remarkable row of five tall pine trees, each with a story to tell. These pine trees were planted by members of the Japanese imperative family and the British royal family to commemorable their visit to garden between 1914 and 1925. From right to left they were planted by Prince Takamat’s Emperor Shaw or Prince Tibu. Ed was s when he was still prince of wells and the princess Tomico of the Kitacha family. In Japanese garden tradition there’s a saying about how to appreciate pine trees. First look at the hada the texture of the trunk which shows a trees age and resilience. Second notice the fury the spread and movement of the branches. answer the scutta the overall shape and the presence of the tree. [Music] As the year passed, the garden changed hands from roads to the people. It became a public park edited museum and opened its past self to everyone. Today, Richard is both a traditional treasure and a living part of Takama’s life. In spring, plum and cherry blossoms in autumn fairy red maples. Every season, every pass a new story. And even after centuries, the water keeps flowing. The pines are carefully trimmed and people keep coming, searching for beauty, peace, or just a quiet place to breathe. That’s it all for today. I usually explore places in Japan that tourists often miss with stories from local history and culture. If that sounds fun, subscribe and join me next time. [Music]
Explore Ritsurin Garden, one of Japan’s most beautiful traditional gardens, located in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture.
Join me as I wander through stunning landscapes, pine forests, and tranquil ponds. This garden is so vast, it takes nearly an hour just to walk around! We’ll try a traditional Japanese breakfast, enjoy matcha and sweets at a historic teahouse, and discover the stories behind Ritsurin’s ancient pine trees—including some planted by Japanese royalty and a British prince.
If you’re planning a trip to Shikoku or love Japanese gardens, don’t miss this UNESCO-level paradise!
✨ Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Arrival
1:37 Garden Walk
3:38 Japanese Breakfast
5:15 Exploring the Ponds
15:24 Matcha & Sweets at the Teahouse
17:32 Sago-Palms in Takamatsu
18:35 Pine Trees & History
19:38 Final Impressions
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You can also check out my previous video on koi feeding at Ritsurin Garden 🐟
#RitsurinGarden #JapanTravel #JapaneseGarden #Takamatsu #Shikoku #Nobuko
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1 Comment
Thanks for the great video! Subscribed