wineshark: Wineshark Japan Trip - Kagawa 2023 (Day 3)

Waking up to some thunderstorm, the weather turns bad today, and we begin to worry the effects of the typhoon to our remaining trip, especially looking at the heavy downpours coming towards Takamatsu.

Anyway, we go for breakfast first, which is served at the same restaurant Yunagi 夕凪. Starting with a glass of Healthy Black Vinegar Mixed with Apple Juice 健康黒酢入り林檎じゅーす as pre-meal beverage.

The breakfast set is appealing, with a wide range of food, including a variety of local delicacies as side dishes: てっぱい, 法蓮草のお浸し, 白身魚の揚げ三杯, 切り干し大根, しょうゆ豆, ひじきの煮物.

It is a true feast with 鯖塩焼き染おろし, 温地野菜ひしほ味噌添え, 讃岐コーチンの卵を使ったオリーブ地鶏の羽二重蒸し, 讃岐特産米綾川産こしひかり, 香の物盛合せ昆布佃煮壬生菜漬け梅干, いりこ香る讃岐の合せ味噌仕立て若芽葱麩, and キウイのヨーグルト掛け.

With the rain dying down we decide to proceed to Ritsurin Garden 栗林公園. It is a strolling-style daimyo (feudal lord) garden built in the Edo Period, covering 16.2 hectares, almost 3.5 times the size of Tokyo Dome.

There are 6 ponds and 13 landscaped hills strategically placed in front of the green vista of Mt. Shiun 紫雲山, divided into the north and south garden. Seasonal flowers and 1,000 well-cared pine trees create variety of great scenery in the garden throughout the year.

It is believed that Ritsurin Garden was originally started in the late 16^th century, from a garden of the Sato clan 佐藤氏. When Ikoma Takatoshi 生駒高俊 was ruling the Sanuki Province around 1625, the current area of Nanko Pond was formed.

In 1642, Matsudaira Yorishige 松平頼重 began ruling the Takamatsu Domain and inherited the garden. He and his successive generations kept developing the garden over 100 years, before it was finally completed in 1745.

When the domain’s fifth lord, Matsudaira Yoritaka 松平頼位 was in power, the garden’s 60 scenic spots were named. The garden was used as the family’s villa for 228 years, and eventually became a public garden in 1875. In 1953, the garden was designated as one of Japan’s Special Places of Scenic Beauty.

After paying the entry fee of 410 yen, we decide to follow the South Garden Recommended Course, which requires about one hour to complete. The first spot is Sanuki Folk Craft Museum 讃岐民芸館 where a great variety of collections are exhibited, including local pottery, woodcraft, lacquer-ware and traditional tools.

Commerce and Industry Promotion Hall 商工奨励館 was originally built as Kagawa Prefectural Museum in 1899. Information on Ritsurin Garden’s history and local traditional crafts are available. On the second floor, furniture created by the well-known wood worker George Nakashima is exhibited. From the balcony one can also look out to the whole North Garden.

Royal Family Planted Pine Trees お手植え松 are five tall pines that were planted by members of the Japanese Imperial Family and the British Royal Family in commemoration of their visits to the garden between 1914 and 1925.

Crane and Turtle Pine Tree 鶴亀松 looks like a fluttering crane standing on the back of a turtle, and this is probably the most famous and precious one tended by the gardeners.

Box Pine Trees 箱松 have complicated shapes and are found only in Ritsurin Garden, which have been preserved through the careful tending and pruning for over 300 years.

North Pond 北湖 is of 7,000 sqm, the second largest pond in the South Garden. There are many koi in the pond.

There are also many unusual-shaped stones placed around the ponds and on islands to create scenery. One is Mikaeri Lion 見返り獅子 which looks like a lion looking back.

Higurashi Teahouse 日暮亭 is a thatched-roof teahouse built in 1898, with pathways on both sides serving as Roji, or teahouse gardens.

Seki-Heki Wall 赤壁 is on the West Pond, getting its name from the famous site in China’s Yangtze River.

Kyu Higurashi Teahouse 旧日暮亭 is a small teahouse formerly called Kohan-tei, originally built around 1700. After changing its name and location a few times in the garden, it was finally moved to this present location in 1945. The building is culturally and historically valuable, as it represents the style of daimyo teahouse of the early Edo Period.

Okedoi Waterfall 桶樋滝 is in fact a man-made waterfall built in the Edo Period to impress the feudal lord as he travelled in this area.

Kansuichi Pool 涵翠池 reflects not just the excellent rock arrangements and beautiful trees of the Yoto Island 瑶島, but also the vast green vista of Mt. Shiun beyond. In the summer the pond’s surface is decorated with white lilies.

Shofuda 小普陀 is an artificial hill with 110 stones in the center, 15 on east, 17 on west, modelled after the Chinese legend of Penglai Island 蓬莱島.

Kikugetsu-tei Teahouse 掬月亭 is one of the main buildings of the garden and was loved by generations of feudal lords. The name ‘Kikugetsu’ comes from a line in a Tang poem. Here one can enjoy traditional tea ritual in the quiet space where time flows slowly.

Nanko 南湖 is about 7,900 sqm in size, with the landscape constructed so that there are changing scenery while walking around, with a lot of attention to create a sense of rich artistry.

Soon we have returned to the starting point and decide not to continue to the North Garden because of time. But we also visit the souvenir shop Ritsurinan 栗林庵 to buy something before we go.

Coming to Kagawa we must try its udon. Knowing that there is a famous place nearby Ritsurin Garden, we decide to walk to Sankui Udon Ueharaya Main Store 讃岐うどん上原屋本店 for lunch. The quality of udon is determined by three factors. First, the essence of udon is its elasticity, determined by how many layers of udon dough are folded. Second, the water must be good, best to be from those purified from well or water pumped from underground. Third, the dashi soup must be made fresh. In early morning the dashi stock should be prepared, extracted from dried fish and carefully selected soy sauce.

The restaurant has free seating, and there is a queue of customers. But since everyone is quick and will leave after finish, getting a seat is not that difficult. We pick the most basic Kake Udon かけうどん (Large 420 yen, Small 320 yen), along with Prawn Tempura (220 yen) and Fish Paste ねり天 (220 yen). We then need to go to the heating station to warm up the udon in hot water by ourselves, before adding the dashi and condiments. It might seem simple, but frankly it is the best udon I have ever tried, with its al dente texture, smoothness on the surface, the flavours of the dashi, everything are perfect.

We then drive to Kotohira Shrine 金刀比羅宮, located on Mt. Zozu 象頭山 in Kotohira 琴平町. The deities at the main shrine are Daimononushi 大物主神 and Emperor Sutoku 崇徳天皇. Since ancient times, they are worshipped as god of agriculture, breeding, medicine, and maritime protection.

There are 785 steps along the Sandoguchi 表参道 to main shrine, which takes about 30 minutes. On the sides are lined with souvenir shops, udon restaurants and inns.

Unfortunately for us, the weather is not that good on the day, with the rain continuing and also making the road a bit slippery. With limited time for us to take it slow, and the tiring long flight of steps still ahead, we decide to make a U-turn, hoping to have chance to return again and visit the shrine.

On way back to the car we visit Kinryo Sake Museum 金陵の郷. Kinryo 金陵 is a famous local brewery in Kagawa. The brewery has three main storage facilities, one at the main approach to Kotohira Shrine, where they have converted partially to this sake museum, so visitors can see in detail how the original manufacturing facility worked.

This facility is approximately 2,900 sqm. in size, with the walls have been kept white to recreate the true atmosphere of the sake-production facility. We first go through a garden where one can take a relaxing rest under the shade of an 800 years old camphor tree.

We get a good understanding of the original sake production at Kinryo after viewing all ancient sake making tools, genuine exhibits, life size models, and audio-visual information. There is also a room showing all the containers for sake, as well as cups and pots, which are eye-opening.

Finishing the tour there is also sake tasting opportunity at the shop. I decide to buy a bottle to bring back, and choosing the very limited and special 金陵琴平蔵 The First 25 (22,000 yen). With only 200 bottles made, this bottle is the pinnacle of the brewery in quality.

We then drive to our hotel, Asan Kotonami 湯山荘阿讃琴南. Kotonami 琴南 is a curve of the mountain stream, close to the border between Kagawa and Tokushima 徳島. With all 28 rooms in the main building overlooking the mountains, the Satoyama hut 里山の別荘 all with spacious wooden terrace.

As it is beside a clean stream, during early summer night one can see fireflies. Surrounded by woodlands, one can take a little trip to the nearby river and do hiking. There is also a footbath near the entrance, ideal place to relax after the hiking.

The staff greets us warmly and brings us refreshments while handling the registration. The lobby is very nicely designed, with a fireplace in the centre and bookshelves on both sides. With warm lighting the whole ambience is cozy and comfortable.

We are then shown to Room 315, a Japanese-Western Style Room with Private Open-Air Bath Type F. The room is spacious with a total area of 94 sqm. Including dinner and breakfast for two, it costs 81,700 yen per night.

Right after the entrance there is the Japanese style room with tatami, 4.5 mat in size.

Further in is the Western style room, with twin beds and living room. Very neatly decorated, the windows look out to a small garden.

The makeup room is brightly lit and leads to the bathing area.

Which leads to the large terrace, comprising of two sections. One being the open-air bath, facing the forest. The spring water comes from Miai Onsen 美合温泉, the hotel’s private hot spring, a Carbon Dioxide Spring 二酸化炭素泉.

The other half has outdoor seating and is an ideal spot to look at the forest and the stars at night. There is a movable partition between these two sections so one can close it for privacy purpose.

The public baths of the hotel are also very nice. Riverside Bath せせらぎ is surrounded by the forest, with a variety of baths, including open-air rock bath, a low-temperature bath for lying down, and a deep bath of 100 cm, plus a sauna. For those who prefer privacy there is the rental bath Nagomiyu なごみ湯.

We have our dinner at the main dining room Kokuu 穀雨, offering authentic Satoyama cuisine 里山料理, using vegetable and rice from local farmers, ingredients from Shikoku and Asan.