THE PORT AT TAKAMATSU WAS A PLEASANT EXCEPTION. The ferry dock is adjacent to the cruise terminal and the harbor has a park-like feel, with the Takamatsu Castle as a centerpiece. Japan is currently experiencing a heat-wave — like everyplace else on the planet — and also, it seems, a plague of cicadas. The little buggers are everywhere and their chirping is deafening.
Takamatsu Castle Cicada
Despite the stifling heat and humidity we decided to walk to Ritsurin Garden, a straight shot two-miles from the harbor. Like other Japanese gardens we have visited, Ritsurin’s charm is in its simplicity. A network of well-swept trails meanders around ponds, through copses of trees with detours to teahouses and resting areas.
Ritsurin Boat Ride
Sun Protection
Points of View, Ritsurin Garden
Despite the crowds — many from the Maasdam — we could always find bits of solitude with inspiring views. A single iris blooming alongside a pond. Stepping stones across a stream. A pink lotus in a sea of green. A delicate bridge across the lake.
Perfection
