Takamatsu-shi (高松市) is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture (香川県) on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government.  It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government.  It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海), and is the closest port to Honshu (本州) from Shikoku Island (四国).  For this reason it flourished under the Daimyo (大名; feudal lords) as a castle town in the fiefdom of Takamatsu (高松藩), during the Edo Period.  Takamatsu is a city with a large concentration of nationwide companies' branch offices, which play a large role in its economy, and it contains most of the national government's branch offices for Shikoku.  The castle tower formerly used as the symbol of the city was destroyed during the Meiji Period.  In 2004, construction of the Takamatsu Symbol Tower (高松シンボルタワー, 151 m high; 30 floors), the new symbol of Takamatsu, was completed in 2004.  The Symbol Tower is located in the Sunport area of the city.
  The Takamatsu metropolitan region has a population of 670,000, making it the largest in Shikoku.  Takamatsu Airport is located in Takamatsu.  On September 26, 2005 the town of Shionoe, from Kagawa District, was merged into Takamatsu.  Then on January 10, 2006 Takamatsu absorbed the towns of Aji (庵治町) and Mure (牟礼町), both from Kita County (木田郡), the towns of Kagawa (香川町) and Konan (香南町), both from Kagawa County (香川郡), and the town of Kokubunji (国分寺町), from Ayauta County (綾歌郡), to form the new and expanded city of Takamatsu.  As of March 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 419,589 with a population density of 1,120 persons per sq km.  The total area is 375.11 sq km.  (Main Reference: the Site of "Wikipedia")
  

IMAGE	IMAGE NO.	DATA
JR Takamatsu Station		JR Takamatsu Station (JR高松駅, founded in 1897 [明治30年]) is located at 1-20 Hamano-cho, Takamatsu (高松市浜ノ町1番20号).  It is the terminal station for all the express trains bound for Tokushima (徳島), Matsuyama (松山) and Kochi (高知).  The present building was completed on May 13, 2001.  It employs a bay platform (頭端式ホーム) system, so the station is perfectly barrier free.
	ktm2011-001	(Saturday 19 March) JR Takamatsu Station, 1-20 Hamano-cho, Takamatsu
Business Hotel Palace Takamatsu		Business Hotel Palace Takamatsu (ビジネスホテル パレス高松) is located west behind the Takamatsu Branch of Bank of Japan (日本銀行高松支店); about 5 minutes' walk from JR Takamatsu Station.  The address is: 2-7 Nishiuchi-machi, Takamatsu (高松市西内町2-7).   This is the place I stayed between March 19 and March 23, 2011.  It is a trim, decent hotel at a moderate price, although their name is very strange for English-speaking people.  Their Japanese breakfast is very nice: I was much satisfied both in quality and in quantity.
	ktm2011-004	(Saturday 19 March) Business Hotel Palace Takamatsu, 2-7 Nishiuchi-machi, Takamatsu
	ktm2011-006	(Saturday 19 March) Business Hotel Palace Takamatsu, 2-7 Nishiuchi-machi, Takamatsu
Takamatsu Castle Historic Site		Takamatsu Castle Historic Site (史跡高松城跡) is located at Tamamo-cho, Takamatsu (高松市玉藻町).   It is also known as Tamamo Castle (玉藻城), was built by Chikamasa Ikoma (生駒 親正) in 1590 (天正18年) adjacent to the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海).  It is one of the few Japanese castles built along a waterfront, and features saltwater moats that draw directly from the sea.  It was owned by the Ikoma family (生駒氏) between 1587-1639 and the Matsudaira family (松平氏) between 1642-1869.  It was demolished in 1869 (明治2年).  Now the site is called Tamamo Park (玉藻公園).
	ktm2011-007	(Saturday 19 March) Signpost of Tamamo Park, Takamatsu
	ktm2011-008	(Saturday 19 March) Takamatsu Castle Historic Site, Tamamo-cho, Takamatsu
	ktm2011-009	(Saturday 19 March) Takamatsu Castle Historic Site, Tamamo-cho, Takamatsu
	ktm2011-010	(Saturday 19 March) Takamatsu Castle Historic Site, Tamamo-cho, Takamatsu
Koto-den Takamatsu-Chikko Station		Koto-den Takamatsu-Chikko Station (琴電高松築港駅) is located next to Tamamo Park at 1-5-20 Kotobuki-cho Takamatsu (高松市寿町一丁目5番20号).  It is the terminal station built in 1948 (昭和23年) by the Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad Co., Ltd. (高松琴平電気鉄道株式会社).  Tthere are two line available: Kotohira Line (琴平線) and Nagao Line (長尾線).  From this station you can directly go to Kompira-san (こんぴらさん) or Kompira-gu Shrine (金刀比羅宮).
	ktm2011-012	(Saturday 19 March) Koto-den Takamatsu-Chikko Station, 1-5-20 Kotobuki-cho Takamatsu
	ktm2011-014	(Saturday 19 March) Koto-den Takamatsu-Chikko Station, 1-5-20 Kotobuki-cho Takamatsu
Wakadaisho		Wakadaisho (若大将) is an yakitori or Japanese tavern serving grilled meat on a stick.  It is located south of JR Takamatsu Station: about 3 minutes' walk.  The address is 5-1 Nishinomaru-cho, Takamatsu (高松市西の丸町5-1).  This is my favorite izakaya in Takamatsu.  Highly recommended.
	ktm2011-016	(Saturday 19 March) Wakadaisho, 5-1 Nishinomaru-cho, Takamatsu

        

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