The new face of travel is slow and considered. Through five comprehensive city guides that promote living like a local, Vogue Singapore’s May ‘Escape’ issue takes you into the heart of the underrated creative capitals around the world that are ripe for exploration. Don’t expect any of the usual haunts or Instagram-famous tourist spots. Here, you’ll find insider recommendations driven by authenticity and connection.
Perched among lush lava-formed hills overlooking the Seto Inland Sea, Takamatsu is the biggest city on Shikoku Island. In comparison to Japan’s innumerable tourist hotspots—from Tokyo to Osaka—this city might be lesser known, but it has plenty to offer in the realm of culture.
Takamatsu is home to a remarkable number of modernist treasures built by masters of design and architecture—names every art-lover will recognise. The studio in which Isamu Noguchi spent half of each year working in, for example, is now an open-air garden museum which beautifully preserves its original atmosphere. Meanwhile, the Teshima Art Museum is the brainchild of artist Rei Naito and architect Ryue Nishizawa, and seems straight out of a sci-fi movie.
There is also plenty of natural beauty to take in, what with the feudal-era Ritsurin garden at the foot of Mount Shuin, sprawling over 750,000 square metres of land. Designed for long, serene strolls the scenic landscape is studded with pine and chestnut trees, alongside lotus ponds and arching red bridges. Make some time in your itinerary for food, as Takamatsu is famous for its delicious Sanuki udon. Here, we round up three restaurants scattered across the city where you can indulge in a bowl of the thick, chewy, irresistible noodles—alongside the best places to stay and visit during your trip.
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Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum
Far from a sterile and conventional art museum, the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum brims with the creative energy of its legendary namesake sculptor. Established in 1969, what was once the studio where Noguchi spent half of each year working in is now an open-air garden museum which beautifully preserves its original atmosphere. The free-to-peruse, sprawling estate allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in the sculptor’s unparalleled artistry through a vast collection of his creations—including over 150 naturalistic sculptures in varying degrees of completion.
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Teshima Art Museum
With an arresting facade—the building resembles a convex water droplet at the moment of landing—Teshima Art Museum is a marvel of architecture and the brainchild of artist Rei Naito and architect Ryue Nishizawa. Offering panoramic views of the natural environment which contrasts strikingly with its space-age ambience, the museum feels like stepping straight into a sci-fi movie. Don’t miss out on visiting the futuristic cafe either, where you can enjoy snacks made with locally grown rice and Japanese fruit or pick up keepsakes such as photobooks and art prints.
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Roka, Naoshima
One of the benefits of visiting Takamatsu lies in its proximity to other towns and cities on Shikoku, Japan’s smallest island, known for its natural beauty and slow-paced lifestyle. A 25-minute boat ride from Takamatsu is Naoshima. The neighbouring city is home to Roka, a picturesque 11-room ryokan complete with open-air baths. Adorned with Karakami handprinted wallpaper and an edgy curation of artwork by Japan’s emerging talent, the delicate mix of Japanese tradition and contemporary design infuses the property with a unique sense of serenity, making the detour worthwhile simply for this stay alone—and, perhaps, a stunning meal at the hotel’s seasonality-focused sushi and kaiseki restaurant.
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The Chelsea Breath
Owned by an architect, this hilltop boutique hotel harmoniously melds the Japanese art of wabi-sabi with European interior design sensibilities, revealing minimalist but comfortable rooms you’ll be glad to return to at the end of a long day. The property’s crown jewel lies in its natural radium hot spring. Found only in a few hot springs around the world, the rare quality is touted to improve health conditions such as arthritis and gout. After a languid soak, you may choose to relax in the hotel’s scenic garden overlooking the Sanuki Plains, with your book of choice from its well-stocked library.
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Ritsurin Garden
Constructed over a period of 100 years by feudal lords in the Edo period, the impressive Ritsurin Garden sits at the foot of Mount Shuin as Japan’s largest garden, sprawling over 750,000 square metres of land. Designed for long, serene strolls (it can easily take up to three hours to explore the entire compound on foot), the scenic landscape is studded with pine and chestnut trees, alongside lotus ponds and arching red bridges. Elegant tatami teahouses and pavilions sit in the garden, where visitors are welcome to take part in traditional tea ceremonies.
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Kamada Kyosaikai Kyodo Museum
If you are a fan of Haruki Murakami’s fiction, you might know that much of Kafka and the Shore was inspired by the architecture and cityscape of Takamatsu. But aside from imagining Hoshino and Nakata’s escapades in the city, take a 15-minute train ride to the Kamada Foundation Museum in Saikade, a library-turned-museum which inspired Murakami’s fictitious Komura Memorial Library. With over 60,000 local artefacts, ancient manuscripts and archaeological treasures on display, your visit to the museum will quickly transform from a literary pilgrimage to a historical immersion.
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Udon Capital
Takamatsu is famous for its delicious Sanuki udon, so make time in your itinerary to get a fix. Here are three restaurants—all equally worth a visit—scattered across the city where you can indulge in a bowl of the thick, chewy, irresistible noodles.
Udon Honjin Yamadaya
For a thoroughly Japanese dining experience—in a lovely traditional garden, no less—opt for this udon institution located on a heritage site, complete with tatami mat seating. Order the cold zaru-bukkake noodles, which go especially well with the flavourful dipping sauce, for an extra special treat.
Utage Seimen
If you’re craving a bowl of springy noodles past midnight, snag a table at Utage, a hole-in-the-wall udon bar near Kobayashi Station which dishes out piping hot bowls of the famous noodles topped with plump offal. Just don’t mistake the unassuming storefront for a konbini.
Waraya
Inside a reconstructed Japanese folk house, you will find some of the freshest, most authentic Sanuki udon in Takamatsu. Using only the highest quality of flour, the skilled chefs carefully control the concentration of brine, temperature of the noodles and even humidity of the kitchen. With noodles of this quality, simplicity is key—enjoy your udon with just a simple topping of a silky egg yolk
