| Ritsurin Garden | |
|---|---|
| Ritsurin Kōen (栗林公園) | |
 View from hill, with Mt. Shiun in background
 | |
 | |
| Type | Japanese garden |
| Location | Takamatsu, Japan |
| Coordinates | 34°19′47″N 134°02′38″E / 34.329591°N 134.043968°E |
| Area | 75 ha |
| Created | 1625 |
Ritsurin Garden (栗林公園, Ritsurin Kōen) is a large, historic garden in Takamatsu, Japan. It was completed in 1745 as a private strolling garden and villa for the local feudal lords, and opened to the public in 1875.[1] Ritsurin is one of the largest strolling gardens in Japan,[2] and a major tourist attraction for Kagawa Prefecture.[3]
Ritsurin Garden lies in a former river bed on the east side of Mt. Shiun. Numerous ponds and small artificial hills dot the garden. The southern portion is in traditional Japanese style, with historic teahouses and numerous shaped pine trees. After becoming a public garden in 1875, the north portion underwent Western-style redesigns, and a large museum (currently the multipurpose Commerce and Industry Promotion Hall) and folk craft galleries were built in the center of the garden. For a time, the garden even housed a zoo and swimming pool, since closed and removed.[4][5]
- ^ "History of Ritsurin Garden [栗林公園の歴史]" (in Japanese). Kagawa Prefecture. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ "Ritsurin Garden, special place of scenic beauty" (in Japanese). Kagawa Prefecture. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ "Kagawa Prefecture Tourist Survey [令和元（2019）年香川県観光客動態調査報告]" (in Japanese). Kagawa Prefecture. 2019. p. 9. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ Mikuriya, Yoshimichi (2013). "A Brief History of Ritsurin Garden". Pictorial Record of Ritsurin Garden. Japan: Kagawa Prefectural Ritsurin Garden Tourism Office. pp. 16–18.
- ^ Kagawa reserve cultural assets investigation center (2006-03-31). "栗林公園". Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan. Retrieved 2016-09-02.