Takamatsu is the capital of Kagawa Prefecture, which has taditionally been called the gateway to Shikoku, with the whole land of the prefecture jutting out into the Seto Inland Sea like a porch.
JR TAkamatsu Station next to Takamatsu Harbor is the terminal of the kotoku Line for Tokushima Pref. , theYosan Line for Ehime Pref. and the Dosan Line for Kochi Pref. , while serving as the bus terminal to Tokusima, Matsuyama and Kochi City.
Takamatsu chikko just opposite JR Station is the terminal of kotoden trams to and from Kotohira, the seat of 'Konpira-san.'
The New Takamatsu Airport handles non-stop flights to and from Seoul, Korea.
Another place in Takamatsu approprite as a gateway to Shikoku is the Takamatsu Heike Monogatari Historical Museum TAKAMATSUHEIKEMONOGATARIREKISHIKAN that features not only the famouse historical literature called Heike Monogatari but also about 50 great historical figures closely associated with Shikoku or native to Shikoku.
Takamatsu became the capital in 1587 with the advent of Lord Ikoma I as governor of Sanuki Provice. The castle he built on the harbor was succeeded by 4 generations of his descendants, ans then by 11 generations of Matudaira lords, governing Takamatsu Province with a fief of 120,000 koku.
One ninth of the former castle ground is preserved as Tamamo Koen Park TAMAMOKOEN across the street from JR Takamatsu Station. The donjon is gone, but two of the 15 turrets and Mizute Gomon GAte from the 17th century (Important Cultural Properties) survived the air raid in 1945. Admission:\100.
Traditionally the popular sightseeing spots in Takamatsu are Ritsurin Park near downtown and Yashima Plateau overlooking the city and the city and the Inland sea. They are accessible by bus or tram, with terminals at Takamatsu Chikko TAKAMATSUCHIKKO just oppasite JR Station.
30 minutes' walk from JR Takamatsu Station.
The busy street in front of JR Takamatsu is the main streer of downtown Takamatsu, and leads to the main gate to Ritsurin Koen Park, a National Special Scenic Spot. This spacious garden laid out with shapely mounds, cool pondas and about 160 varieties of trees and flowers provides a classic example of a Japanese garden or even a Chinese Taoist paradise fit for meditation.
Originally it belonged to a local warlord, and then to Lord ikoma. When it was transferred to the Matsudairas, they spent five generations developing it into a larger stroll-type garden for their villa.
Seasonal charms of flowers and bolossoms such as ume (japanese plum blossoms) in Feburuary, camellias in Mach, cherry blossoms in April, wisteria and azaleas in May, Irises and water lilies in June, giant lotuses in august, and Japanese bush clover in September, and brilliant maple leaves in November add to the pleasure of stolling.
Kikuge-tsutei KIKUGETSU-TEI, one of the pond-side teahouses, was originally one of tje Matsudairas' formal buildings. The museum just inside the main gate SANUKIMINGEIKAN houses a variety of mostly local handicrafts. There is a zoo, too, inside the gate. Open daialy. Admission to the park: About \300.
Bus: 30 minutes' ride from Chikko to the terminal (Kotoden Bus for Yashima-sanjo or Yashima Hilltop YASHIMASANJOU).
tram + Cable: 30 minutes' tram ride from Chikko to YAshima (Shido-sen Line SHIDOSEN) + 5 minutes' cable-car ride.
Yashima, a pine-wooded tableland to the northeast of downtown Tkamatsu, is one of the world's rare lavamesas, about 290 m high, 3 km wide, jutting 5 km out into the sea.
The hilltop, overlooling the archipelago of the Inland Sea, features Yashima-ji (No.84) YASHIMAJI, an aquarium and observatories all linked by forest promenades.
One of the observatories, Dankorei DANKOREI, commands aview of the inlet fringed with memorials to the Gempei Yashima Battle ( the second last battle in Gempei War fought between the two rival clans, the Minamotos and the Tairas).
Once a British poet, Edmund Blunden, visited Yashima and wrote a poem that was engraved on a stone here at Dankorei observatory: Like a long roof, men say, and will they say, This hill of warrior ghosts surmounts the plain...
In 794 Kyoyo became the capital of Japan and it enjoyed peace for abot 350 years (811-1155) ---the longest peace Japan has ever attained in her history.
The last 30 years of this period, however, were far from peaceful. In 1156 the first battle took place in the capital, thus opening up a new era dominated by martial emotions. Two martial clans --- the Minamoto and Taira clans --- began to acquire greater and greater influence in politics through fighting against each other in the name of "the Emperor" or " the Ex-Emperor".
In 1159, the Tairas succeeded temporarily in staving off the Minamotos. The 20 years that followed saw the Tairas rise to increasingly control the Imperial Family, inviting animosity from the reigning Emperors, the Ex-Emperors, powerful priests, warriors and lords, to say nothing of the Minamotos in exile.
In 1181 the patriarch of the clan Taira no Kiyomori died just when the Tairas faced more battles against the Minamotos, who were gradually consolidating their power.
In 1183 the Tairas were driven from the Capital along with the 6-year-old Emperor An toku and his mother, who was Kiyomori's daughter. They wandered far in seach of supporters, while fighting losing battles.
Now in 1185, Minamoto no Yoshitsune attacked the remaining Tairas here at Yashima, then at Dan-no-ura in the westernmost corner of the Inland Sea, where the proud Taira finally fell, the noblewomen casting themselves into the sea with the child Emperor Antoku.
Thus the age of ancient nobility yielded to the age of Shoguns (1185-1867).
Yashima-ji Temple YASHIMA-JI treasures in its museum a folding screen depicting the Gempei no Kassen Battles. The bell in the belfry, cast in Kyoto in 1223, was dedicated here for the repose of the defeated Tairas. But no one can strike the bell, as there is no hanner. they say, "Strike the bell, and invoke the ghosts of the Tairas."
On the last weekend in March the Gempei Yashima Festival is held, whose highlight is the Warriors' Pageant.
It was an insurrection caused by the discord between Emperor Goshirakawa (1127-92) and Ex-Emperor Sutoku (1119-64). Sutoku was defeated and banished to Sanuki (Kagawa Pref.) todie a miserable death 8 years later. His ashes were buried at Temple 81. In 1184 the cout elevated him to Shinto deity to placate his ghost.
Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89) : By bringing about vactory in the civil war, Yoshitsune had greatly helped Minamoto no Yoritomo, his elder brother, who in 1192 was to establish the first Shogunate at kamakura. But Yoshitsune had to spend the rest of his life escaping Yorimoto, until four years later he killed himself. His tragic life and death was so appealing to Japanese sentiment that he has taken on heroic proportion in Kabuki, Noh and Joruri plays, based on what is called Yoshitsune Literature.
Very few Japanese visit Yashima without being reminded of an episode shown in the picture above:
It was on the afternoon of February 19, 1185, that Minamoto no Yoshitsune mounted another surprise attack against the Tairas at the then Yashima Island. Frightened by the imagined immensity of enemy forces, the Tairas jumped into their boats and sailed off. A fierce battle lasted for hours.
Now the sun was setting. Both sides began to retreat, when a fair vessel parted from the Taira legions and stopped about 80 m from the beach. then a beautiful lady appeared from the cabin, produced a pole with a bright red fan on its top and beckoned to the puzzled warriors on the shore.
"What does she mean?" said Yoshitsune.
"Perhaps she is inviting one of us to shoot the fan. Or she may be inviting you to come out onto the front line for her archers," said his attendant.
"Then let it be shot down by someone," said Yoshitsune.
Soon a young man called nasu no Yoichi appeared on horseback with bow and arrow in his hands. The north wind was strong. The boat was tossing up and down. The fan painted with the golden sun at its center was fluttering on the pole.
All the Tairas in the boats and all the Minamotos on the shore were watching Yoichi. What would he do? would he succeed?
Yoichi rode into the water as far as he could. But it was still about 70 m to the target. He closed his eyes and prayed. Then the wind fell for a moment. He shot. The arrow pierced through a little above the rivet. The fan, flying up a moment or two, came floating down, glittering in the setting sun. There was great applause from both sides.
Then a man in armor appeared in the same boat. He began to dance an elegant dance perhaps in genuine appreciation of Yoichi's archery. Then Yoichi got another order and shot down the dancing man, too. Some said, "Good shot!" But others said, "Now fair."
The Tairas were silent this time. Was it a precursor of their demise? Two months later, the Tairas finally fell.
3 minites' walk after leaving the bus at Toshou-mae TOUSYOUGUUMAE. (Kotoden Bus: Yasima-sanjo---Chikko)
3 minutes' walk from the cable-car station.
This is an open-air museum laid out at the foot of Yashima Plateau. About 20 old rural buildings from various parts of Shikoku have been reassembled here, including a Farmers' Kabuki Theater, peasants' houses, a fisherman's house, a sugar mill, ashed for steaming mulberry bark to make paper, and workshops for making soy sauce and so on. There is reprica of Kazura-bashi from Nishi Iyayama-son, too.
open daily: 8:30-16:30. Admission:\500