So I got back from Kagawa prefecture earlier today, and thought I would share my experiences of my short trip there. As mentioned previously, the main purpose was to visit my future mother-in-law(義母). It did not set in until a few hours before when my fiancee started coaching/drilling on what things I should and shouldn't talk about. Fortunately, despite initial nervousness, the dinner/meeting went well. I can confirm with certainty as my fiancee gave her official seal of approval on my performance for the evening. We also gave her some おみやげ that we purchased in Ikebukuro, including cakes and せんべい (crackers). She in turn gave us an engagement gift of a rather generous amount of money that we (reluctantly) accepted, though we reached a compromise in that we would set the money aside the next time she will visit us in Tokyo, or for emergencies.
Aside from meeting 未来の義母, I also did some sightseeing, though time only permitted for two places to visit.
The first place I went to was Ogijima (男木島). As the name suggests, it is an island that requires taking a ferry from Takamatsu. Fortunately the ferry trip only takes about 40 minutes one way. The first thing I noticed upon arriving was how quiet it was. Ogijima is a very very small island, with less than 200 residents, though there is apparently a school here. All the houses are located close to the ferry port. I spent some time taking in the views, and stopped at a small bakery for a muffin and coffee. After, I followed the trail and headed to the island's main attraction, the lighthouse. Aside from 2 or 3 other tourists, I did not encounter anybody else along the trail. As I got closer to the lighthouse, the wind got stronger, and there weren't any trees to protect from the wind. I spent a bit of time admiring the view, and the made my way back, but not before stopping at another cafe for some tea and pumpkin icecream... served inside an actual pumpkin, though you are told to not eat the actual pumpkin. Aside from myself, there was a group of 3 elderly people that were seemingly residents, based on where they were going afterwards (I left shortly after they did, on my way to the ferry).
 |
| Ogijima has very narrow roads, not even big enough for cars |
 |
| You can get some really nice views overlooking nearby islands |
 |
| Ogijima's lighthouse, but there's not much here to protect from the strong winds |
The other place I went to was Ritsurin Koen (栗林公園). It is a big park, and we didn't get the chance to explore it all. It kind of reminded me of the park in Okayama I visited last year, though you also have a nice close up view of Mt. Shiun (紫雲山) to go with the nice scenic photos you can take. Fortunately, there weren't many people at the time, but there was also a light up event happening later in the evening, and my fiancee and I suspected this was the reason for fewer visitors. Even so, it certainly is quite a sight to see, even during the day. It's location is also rather convenient in that there are bus stops surrounding the park, and the train station is nearby too.
 |
| Lots of bonsai trees in to see |
 |
Mt. Shiun is smack bang in front of Ritsurin Koen
|
Interestingly, Kagawa is the smallest prefecture in all of Japan. It is also one of the more quiet places in the country, but certainly not as quiet as some places I have travelled to. There definitely is not much to do around here, but if you are looking for a change of pace away from your Tokyos, Osakas and Kyotos, Kagawa prefecture is certainly a place to check out. Though if you do like your udon, then it would be a good opportunity to check out what is described as being the origin of Sanuki udon. Funnily enough, Kagawa used to be called Sanuki before its name change.
