This site was originally a villa of the lord of Takamatsu, Matsudaira. It became a park managed and operated by Kagawa Prefecture in 1875 (the Meiji Era). The spacious area features 6 ponds and 13 Tsukiyama (artificial hills), making it one of the largest Daimyo gardens, and the largest among the gardens designated as Cultural Properties.
cultural property : historic sites and places of scenic beauty as natural monuments
type : places of special scenic beauty
1-20-16 Ritsurinchō, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa-ken 760-0073
Tel：087-833-7411
Home page : my-kagawa.jp/ritsuringarden
This garden consists of South Garden and North Garden. South Garden preserves its original state as a Daimyo garden from the early Edo Period, including its Chiwari (layout) and stone arrangements typical of a stroll garden. North Garden was created in the Genroku Era as a duck hunting field but redesigned by Ichikawa Nobuo of the Department of the Imperial Household in the early Taisho Era. The garden was partially renovated again in later years. The garden is located in a vast landscape with Mt. Shiun as background. It features six ponds and 13 Tsukiyama (artificial hills).
Its pond, trees, and stone arrangements are appreciated for their elegance and garden workpieces are effectively placed throughout. Mt. Shiun’s dense foliage adds a taste of wilderness, and visitors can enjoy a picturesque view from the summit. In 1897 (the Meiji Era), a national forest on the mountain’s east slope was added to the site, which it includes today.
The area including Mt. Shiun reaches approximately 75ha, which makes it the largest garden that has been designated as a cultural property.