“You can visit Japan countless times!” As someone who’s not particularly obsessed with Japanese pop culture, I’ve recently come to agree with this statement. I’ve been to bustling Tokyo and Osaka, but it wasn’t until I returned from Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku that I truly fell in love with the country. I used to think it was difficult to pack美食, shopping, art, attractions, hot springs, hands-on experiences, and even natural scenery into one trip—both due to time constraints and the scattered locations. But Kagawa, though small, has it all. A 5-day itinerary here can fulfill multiple wishes. This time, I’ll start by learning to make the local specialty Sanuki udon and paper fans in Takamatsu City, then head to Kotohira-gu Shrine for blessings. (The other 4-day itinerary to come...)
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Traveling from Hong Kong to Takamatsu in Kagawa Prefecture used to be quite complicated, requiring transfers via Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka, taking nearly 2-4 hours one way. However, since HK Express launched direct flights between Hong Kong and Takamatsu on July 6, the journey has become much more convenient and faster. (Transportation info provided at the end of the page)
Singing & Kneading: Make Your Own Udon
Sanuki udon is Kagawa’s signature dish, with locals eating over 300 bowls per year on average. But for the best bowl in town, I recommend “Nakano Udon School Kotohira Campus,” because making your own udon is guaranteed to be the most delicious. This udon-making school, with a century-long history, has a ground floor selling local specialties and souvenirs. Follow the staff upstairs to the classroom, where Principal Sumiko is already waiting. With her cartoon-like face, she actually appeared in the “Detective Conan” anime, and even the late manga master Osamu Tezuka and Taiwanese celebrity Lin Chi-ling were her students.
Classes require a minimum of 2 people and are divided into two sessions. After putting on aprons, the lesson begins with simple instructions on how to roll out the dough and cut it into strips. After some practice, the principal hands out saltwater and flour for each person to knead their own dough. Just as everyone is focused on making it, suddenly the “BELI BALA BELI BALA~~” theme song from Doraemon plays, and the principal starts shaking a bell while singing and dancing, turning the quiet classroom lively. Everyone unconsciously starts kneading to the beat. Then, the principal puts the dough we made into transparent plastic bags, lays out a straw mat on the floor, and places the dough on it—turns out the key to making delicious udon is... stepping on the dough!! The principal plays upbeat songs like “Gangnam Style” and AKB 48, and has everyone stomp on the dough repeatedly. Suddenly, the cooking class turns into a workout session, but everyone gets more and more excited, laughter filling the room. In the end, participants receive a diploma-shaped certificate along with the recipe, plus they can take home the dough they stepped on. The udon served during the class is the first batch we made. It’s smooth, soft, and especially delicious because we made it ourselves.
Nakano Udon School Kotohira Campus
Address: 796 Kotohira-cho, Nakatado District, Kagawa
Business Hours: 09:00-17:00
Price: 2 to 14 people
Website: www.nakanoya.net
How to get there: A 10-minute walk from JR "Kotohira Station"
P.S. It is recommended to make an online reservation in advance, as walk-ins may not have available slots.
Handcrafted Value – The Heritage of Paper Fan Making
“The value of a paper fan is something you can’t truly understand until you’ve tried making one yourself.” That was my biggest takeaway after the paper fan-making experience. Paper fans hold an iconic status in Japan. Tourists might only use them as accessories with kimono, but to the Japanese, it’s a craft passed down through generations. I used to wonder why an ordinary paper fan could cost nearly a hundred Hong Kong dollars or even more. But after visiting the “Uchiwa no Minato Museum,” I learned that even a simple design can take up to 100 hours to make, while more complex ones may take as long as 100 days.
It all starts with cutting bamboo, slicing each bamboo tube, and then carefully loosening each bamboo strip—tasks that seem simple but are surprisingly labor-intensive. What’s even more admirable is that each master craftsman here is a grandmotherly figure. Of course, the visitor experience is much simpler. After receiving the basic frame of the fan, you can choose your desired pattern, apply glue, and attach it to the fan. Then you let it dry for a while before moving on to trimming and edging. The whole process takes about 40 minutes and costs 500 yen. You can take your finished piece home after the experience.
Uchiwa no Minato Museum
Address: 7-15 Marunouchi, Marugame, Kagawa, Japan
Hours: 09:30–16:30, closed on Mondays
Workshop times: (1) 9:30–11:30, (2) 13:30–15:30
Experience fee: 500 yen
Website: www.city.marugame.kagawa.jp
Phytoncide Green World – A Leisurely Stroll in Ritsurin Garden
Urban dwellers surrounded by concrete jungles often can’t be bothered to walk along seaside promenades, yet they’ll actually pay to visit Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu. As one of Shikoku’s most famous Special Places of Scenic Beauty, it took nearly a century to complete. The garden is divided into a South and a North garden, covering a total area of 75 hectares. This time, I chose the South garden, which features a stroll-style design. *Stroll-style gardens are designed so visitors must walk through paths, ponds, and rockeries to fully appreciate the scenery.
As you enter Ritsurin Garden, it feels like stepping into a forest of bliss—there’s nothing but greenery as far as the eye can see. Though I couldn’t distinguish the various species of pine trees, I know the garden is home to over 1,400 prized specimens, including crane-and-tortoise pines, box pines, and screen pines. If you look closely, you’ll notice that some tree trunks are interlinked, creating green tunnels when sunlight filters through—making the whole grove feel especially vibrant. Along the way, you’ll pass ponds and rock formations before arriving at the most iconic feature: South Lake. Spanning the lake is the Engetsukyo (Crescent Moon Bridge), where visitors can be seen feeding the koi fish (fish food is sold on-site). I chose to climb up to the “Hiryufuji” rock hill for a view, admiring the garden’s layout set against the backdrop of Mt. Unzen. A leisurely walk around the South garden takes about an hour.
Ritsurin Garden
Address: 1-20-16 Ritsurincho, Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan
Phone: 087-833-7411
Admission: 400 yen
Getting there: A 5-minute walk from JR Ritsurin Park Kitaguchi Station
1,368 steps to worship at Konpira Shrine
Shrines in Japan are as common as convenience stores and often pop up during trips, so if you haven’t visited Konpira Shrine in Takamatsu, it’s like you’ve never been there. Konpira Shrine is the guardian deity of the sea, much like Hong Kong’s Tin Hau Temple, protecting coastal Takamatsu. During the Edo shogunate era, due to inconvenient transportation, people would send dogs as “proxy worshippers” to climb the mountain on behalf of their owners, and these dogs were called “Konpira dogs.” As such, it’s not hard to find statues of Konpira dogs and omamori (protective amulets) around the shrine.
The pilgrimage path is famous for its long stone steps. To reach the summit and reach the Yashamon Shrine, you need to climb 1,368 steps. On the day I visited, it was pouring rain. The first section passes through a shopping street, and after climbing 365 steps, you’ve only just reached the main gate. Behind the gate, you’ll see five households selling snacks under large umbrellas. It turns out their ancestors were rewarded for their contributions to the shrine, granting them the privilege to exclusively sell “Go-nin Heimin” candy within the shrine grounds. Walking up the stone steps, the stone pillars on both sides are inscribed with the names of benefactors who donated to the shrine—a truly spectacular sight. Trudging through the heavy rain past the main hall, treasure hall, and torii gates, after ascending 785 steps to reach the main sanctuary, I felt like I had accomplished something great—so I bought an omamori as a souvenir.
Konpira Shrine
Address: 892-1, Kotohira-cho, Nakatado-gun, Kagawa Prefecture
Phone: +81 877-75-2121
Website: http://www.konpira.or.jp/
Access: A 10-minute walk from JR “Kotohira Station” (the entrance is near Nakano Udon School Kotohira)
Practical Info:
Getting to Takamatsu
HK Express currently offers the only direct flights between Hong Kong and Shikoku, with three weekly flights (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays), and plans to add an extra flight every Friday starting September 1.
Website: www.hkexpress.com
JetSo: reward-U Rewards Program
Before buying an HK Express ticket, remember to register as a reward-U member. Because when you purchase HK Express tickets and specified add-on services, you earn 10 reward-U points for every HK$1 spent. Compared to regular mileage conversion, this method is much simpler—once you accumulate 40,000 points, you can start redeeming flights and various add-ons from next month.
"You can team up with four friends to pool points together
"You can redeem any bookable flight
"Add-on services that earn points include pre-booked in-flight meals, seat selection, online checked baggage booking, and priority boarding.
Website: http://www.reward-u.com
Transport Info:
From Airport to JR Takamatsu Station
To get from Takamatsu Airport to downtown, take the Airport Limousine Bus from stop ② in front of the arrival hall. The first bus departs at 8:55 AM, and the last at 9:25 PM. The route includes: Youme Town Mall, Ritsurin Park, Hyogo-cho, JR Hotel Clement Takamatsu, Takamatsu Station, etc.
Fare: 760 yen, about 40 minutes
Website: http://www.kotoden.co.jp/publichtm/bus/limousine/index.html
July–August Schedule: http://www.kotoden.co.jp/publichtm/bus/limousine/2012/pdf/201607nobori.pdf
From Airport to JR Kotohira Station
To get from Takamatsu Airport to Kotohira, take the KinKu Bus. The first bus departs at 9:15 AM, and the last at 7:35 PM. The ride takes about 45 minutes. However, the schedule is infrequent and not available daily—be sure to check in advance.
Website: http://kinkuubus.jimdo.com/
Special Thanks: HK
Express, Kagawa Prefecture Tourism Association
~Thanks to my friend for being such a great model~