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White Ushitora Turret of Takamatsu Castle on a stone wall above the seawater moat in Tamamo Park
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Kagawa · castle

Takamatsu Castle Ruins (Tamamo Park)

史跡高松城跡玉藻公園

The ruins of a "sea castle" whose moats are filled with Seto Inland Sea water. Next to the station, with stone walls, old turrets and sea bream swimming by.

Tsukimi Turret and the Mizute Gate of Takamatsu Castle under a blue sky
Photo: 投稿者が撮影, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The stone base where the keep of Takamatsu Castle once stood
Photo: 小池 隆, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A "water castle" filled by the sea

Takamatsu Castle was built in 1590 by Ikoma Chikamasa. Later Matsudaira Yorishige became its lord, and the castle was extensively rebuilt under the Matsudaira family. Its north side faced the Seto Inland Sea, and seawater was channelled into its moats. That is why it counts, together with Imabari Castle in Ehime Prefecture and Nakatsu Castle in Oita Prefecture, as one of Japan's three great mizujiro, or "water castles" that used water for defence.

The outer and inner moats are still filled with seawater today, and sea bream (tai) swim in them. The castle ruins are a National Historic Site and are open to the public as Takamatsu city's Tamamo Park. "Tamamo" is a word the poet Kakinomoto no Hitomaro used in connection with Sanuki (the old name for Kagawa Prefecture) in the Man'yoshu, Japan's oldest poetry anthology, and the sea around here was once called Tamamo-no-ura.

The keep base and the surviving turrets and gates

The three-tiered keep was pulled down in 1884 after it had fallen into serious disrepair. What remains is the tenshudai, the stone platform the keep stood on, whose walls were repaired between 2006 and 2012. Takamatsu city is researching a possible reconstruction of the keep, but not enough records, such as drawings showing how it looked, have been found.

The park has five Important Cultural Properties: the Tsukimi Yagura (Moon-Viewing Turret) facing the sea, the Watari Yagura (a connecting turret), the Mizute Gomon (the Water Gate), the Ushitora Yagura (the north-east turret), and Hiunkaku, built in 1917 (Taisho 6) as a second residence for the Matsudaira family. Hiunkaku's garden is a nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty. The inside of the Tsukimi Yagura opens on set days of the week, and from the top you can look out over the Seto Inland Sea and the castle grounds. There is also an exhibition room on the upper floor of the reconstructed Sakura Gomon (Cherry Blossom Gate).

Feeding the sea bream in the moat

In the park you can feed the sea bream in the moat. It is something you can only do in a seawater moat, and watching the fish crowd to the surface is a big hit with children. There are seasonal events too, such as cherry blossom in spring and a chrysanthemum show in autumn.

You can also tour the inner moat in a small boat on the Shirobune (castle boat) experience. Sailing days and how to book can change, so check the official website.

Getting there

It is about a 3-minute walk from JR Takamatsu Station and right next to Takamatsu-Chikko Station on the Kotoden (the local Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway). It is also close to the high-speed boat and ferry terminals at Takamatsu Port, so you can drop in before or after crossing to islands such as Shodoshima or Naoshima. Opening hours vary by season and there is an admission fee. Check the official website for the latest information.

Tips

  • If you want to see inside the Tsukimi Yagura or the exhibition room in the Sakura Gomon, check the opening days on the official website before you go.
  • Earthquake-proofing work on Hiunkaku is being carried out room by room, so some rooms have restricted access. The official website also introduces a VR tour that lets you see the interior while the work is going on.
  • It is right by the station and the port, so a lap of the park is a good way to fill time while waiting for a ferry.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

Kagawa · garden Ritsurin Garden 栗林公園 A lord's garden built over 100+ years for the Matsudaira of Takamatsu: six ponds and 13 hills below Mount Shiun, with a new view at every step.
Kagawa · coast Angel Road エンジェルロード A sandbar on Shodoshima that appears only at low tide. Twice a day you can walk across it to a small island offshore.
Kagawa · theme park NEW Reoma World NEWレオマワールド One of the largest theme parks in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, in Kagawa's hills: rides, recreated Asian temples, flower gardens and 2.5 million lights.
Okayama · viewpoint Mount Washu (Washuzan) Second Observation Deck 鷲羽山 第二展望台 A viewpoint taking in both the Seto Ohashi Bridge, linking Honshu and Shikoku, and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Close to the car park and famous for sunsets.
Kagawa · castle Marugame Castle 丸亀城 One of the few castles in Japan whose Edo-period keep still stands. Its four tiers of stone walls are said to be the tallest in the country combined.
Kagawa · shrine Kotohira-gu Shrine (Konpira-san) 金刀比羅宮 Known as Konpira-san, this Kotohira shrine honours a guardian of the sea; climbing its 785 stone steps to the main hall is the experience itself.