Takamatsu 2019: Takamatsu Castle (高松城)

From Mt Yashima I took public transit across town to reach the Takamatsu ferry port for my planned sightseeing on nearby Ogijima Island. On my way there, however, I realized that I had misread the ferry schedule and I would be arriving in downtown Takamatsu with about an hour to spare before the next ferry departed. The ruins of Takamatsu Castle were just a few minutes walk from the ferry port, so I figured I’d pay it a visit. Inside the castle’s northwest entrance there was a small gardening expo being held with flowers and miniature landscapes on display, and beyond that was the castle’s central garden. Takamatsu Castle’s garden was fairly dry compared to many of the other castle gardens I saw in Japan and it featured a lot of pine trees and sculpted bushes.

Takamatsu Castle was completed in 1590 but in the late 1800s many of the castle’s buildings were dismantled and most of the outer grounds were redeveloped. The air raids of World War 2 badly damaged the remaining parts of Takamatsu Castle, and consequently not much of the original castle remains, but the walls, foundation stones, moats, and two of the castle’s turrets have survived to this day.

Because it was built right by the waterfront and uses seawater for its moats, Takamatsu Castle is sometimes called Tamomo Castle, which translates to “seaweed castle.” Entrance to the castle grounds only costs 200 yen and for me it was a nice way to spend 40 minutes before I headed over to the ferry port. I’ve read online that Takamatsu Castle’s main tower is going to get rebuilt one day, so if you visit the castle a few years from now there might be a new building there to explore.