07 Jun 2024

Stunning parks and captivating artwork

The last day of our Japan’s National Parks, Art & Culture expedition saw us have an action-packed day in Takamatsu and Naoshima. The arts group got an early start for the full day on Naoshima. 

Over the day, we visited both the red pumpkin at the ferry terminal and the yellow pumpkin at the beach where we had our traditional Bento Box lunch and enjoyed the other various public artworks.

We delved into the Honmura Art House District, an immersive art project that saw us explore the area searching for art installations in converted abandoned houses and other spaces. 

We visited the Chichu and Benesse Art Museums – both housed in dramatic structures designed by the renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. We navigated through the naturally lit and dramatically scaled rooms, stairways and hallways to visit works by Walter De Maria, James Turrell, Claude Monet and many others. The ferry ride back to Takamatsu saw us share impressions and our understanding that there is nowhere else in Japan, or the world, quite like Naoshima.
 
Those choosing the parks option headed to Takamatsu in the morning, visiting the Kinashi Bonsai village. This area is one of the largest bonsai production centres in Japan, supplying exquisite Bonsai trees to enthusiasts worldwide. We were met by a lovely local guide, who told us the story of the area and shared her knowledge about different bonsai styles, where they get seeds from, and how they plant and look after these miniature trees. We enjoyed a tour of the area and visited one of the farms with lots of bonsai trees that were at least 200-300 years old. The specialist showed us how to look after a tree, and we had a chance to check out the souvenir shop. 

Afterwards, we continued exploring Takamatsu and its stunning Ritsurin Garden, a designated Special Place of Scenic Beauty. It is one of Japan’s famous historical gardens, known for its beautiful landscape that harmoniously blends natural features with artful design. We spent an hour discovering charming teahouses, traditional wooden bridges and seasonal flowers and the Karps and turtles were a great addition to the stunning nature.

After lunch, our exploration of Takamatsu continued with a visit to Mount Yashima, a historic mountain that played a significant role in the Genpei War during the late 12th century. We went through the temple area to Yashima viewpoint enjoying panoramic views of the city and the Seto inland Sea. Shikoku Mura was our next stop. An open-air museum that showcases traditional buildings from across Shikoku Island. We checked out the art gallery showing paintings and sculptures by modern artists from around the world. 

After visiting Shikoku-mura we visited Takamatsu Castle, our final destination for the day and our voyage. The Castle was built in 1590 and is one of the few Japanese Castles built along a waterfront. It was quite special to visit the park and garden that showcased a variety of signature Takamatsu-Bonsai trees, of different shapes, sizes and ages.
 
Our return to the Heritage Adventurer was followed by an impressive display of firearms and swordsmanship by modern-day samurai as a farewell, followed by our Captain’s Cocktails and final slideshow.

Images © E Bell, Heritage Expeditions