Marugame travel guide

Marugame, Japan

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Marugame

Introduction

Marugame is a city in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, on the island of Shikoku. It sits within a compact area of roughly 112 square kilometres, and its population is spread across more than 46,000 households.

Before you go

Before you go, it helps to know that the local tourist association runs a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate, so you can navigate it with machine translation even without reading Japanese. Look for the Pamphlet section on that site, where some materials are available in English.

Getting there

Marugame sits on the JR Yosan Line near the Seto-Ohashi Bridge, which links Shikoku to Honshu. The easiest approach by rail is from Okayama, a major bullet-train stop: Shiokaze and Nanpu limited express services run roughly every half hour and take about 40 minutes. Local trains leave less often and may need a change along the way, but they are only slightly slower; a direct local, or a Takamatsu-bound Marine Liner with a change at Sakaide, gets you there in about an hour. From Takamatsu, local and rapid trains run regularly, with direct rapids taking as little as 25 minutes. Marugame also works as a base for Matsuyama and Kochi, each about two hours away on the respective limited express. Japan Rail Pass holders travel these routes at no charge, and trips entirely within Shikoku are covered by the JR Shikoku Rail Pass, the Shikoku Free Kippu.

By air, the closest domestic airport is Takamatsu, from which Kotosan Bus limousine buses run directly to Marugame in about 1 hr 15 min. The nearest international gateway is Kansai International Airport in Osaka; from there JR shinkansen and limited express trains can bring you in as quickly as three hours, or you can take an airport limousine bus to Takamatsu station and switch to the JR train. Highway buses, mainly run by Shikoku Kousoku Bus, connect JR Marugame Station with Kobe's Sannomiya Bus Terminal and with JR Namba and Hankyu Umeda in Osaka. Overnight services reach Marugame from Tokyo (Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal and Hachioji) and Yokohama, from the Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya, and from Fukuoka and Kitakyushu in Kyushu.

Getting around

For most trips around Marugame, trains and walking cover the essentials, with buses and taxis filling in the gaps. JR Marugame Station is the natural hub for arrivals and for orienting yourself, with the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) just east of it. The JR Shikoku Yosan Line runs through the city and connects it to Takamatsu, Sakaide and points beyond, with stations at Marugame and Sanuki-Shioya; the private Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad (Kotohira Line) also serves the city, at Kurikuma and Okada. Fares are paid the usual Japanese way — buy a ticket at the station or use an IC card where accepted. The Japan Rail Pass covers the JR trips described here, while the JR Shikoku Rail Pass (the Shikoku Free Kippu) is valid for trips entirely within Shikoku; note that the Kotohira Line is separate from JR, so JR passes do not cover it.

Central Marugame is compact and pleasant on foot: the station area is walkable, and the historic core, including Marugame Castle, is within reach of the centre, with the Doki River flowing north to south through the middle of the city as an easy landmark. For sights further out, such as Reoma World, you will want a train, bus or taxi rather than walking. Highway coaches, offered primarily by Shikoku Kousoku Bus, are a practical alternative to the train for reaching the city from elsewhere in Japan, and they arrive at JR Marugame Station, convenient for onward local travel. Taxis are a sensible option for short trips where schedules do not line up or for destinations away from the rail lines; ride-hailing apps have limited coverage in smaller Japanese cities, so outside the station areas it is safest to assume you will be flagging a taxi or asking staff to call one rather than relying on an app.

Where to stay

The source material for Marugame contains no accommodation information, so there is nothing to say about where to stay.

Food & drink

The source material for Marugame contains no information on where or what to eat or drink, so there is nothing to describe in this section.

What to see and do

Marugame's main sight is its castle, which began as a base for taking over the western part of Sanuki Province and was torn down under the one-castle-per-province policy before being rebuilt by a later ruler. The keep that stands today is counted among the few remaining original Japanese castles, so you are seeing the genuine structure rather than a reconstruction.

For art and gardens, head to the Nakazu Banshoen Marugame Museum of Art. Families and anyone after a livelier day out can travel to New Reoma World, an amusement park reached from Okada Station on the Kotohira Line by taxi or a short bus transfer.

When to go

Marugame has a humid subtropical climate, so your packing and pacing should follow the seasons. Summers are warm and humid, with the heat peaking on average in August; if you visit then, plan your sightseeing for the cooler parts of the day. Winters are cool and bring light snowfall, with January the coldest month on average. Snow is generally light rather than heavy, but this is the season to pack for cold.

September stands out as the wettest month of the year, so rain is the main thing you meet then. Build flexibility into any outdoor plans and keep indoor options in reserve.

Three days in Marugame

Day one: Arrive in Marugame by train on the JR Yosan Line, which links the city to Takamatsu and onward across the Seto Ohashi Bridge to Honshu and Okayama. If you are coming from further afield, the Shiokaze and Nanpu limited express services and the Marine Liner from Okayama via Sakaide put Marugame within easy reach, and a Japan Rail Pass, JR Shikoku Rail Pass or Shikoku Free Kippu can cover the journey. From Takamatsu you can also continue south towards Matsuyama and Kochi. Settle in, pick up a pamphlet in English, and use Google Translate before you start exploring.

Day two: Base yourself around JR Marugame Station and get to know the city on foot, keeping Kagawa Prefecture and the wider island of Shikoku in mind as you plan. Buses such as Kotosan Bus serve local routes, and the Marine Liner and local trains make it simple to reach neighbouring towns. Look at the English pamphlet for orientation and rely on Google Translate for anything in Japanese.

Day three: Use Marugame as a springboard for the region. Head to Takamatsu or cross towards Okayama on the Marine Liner, or take the JR Yosan Line south towards Matsuyama and Kochi. If you are flying out, Kansai International Airport is reachable via Osaka by JR or the Highway bus, and the Shikoku Kousoku Bus connects Kobe's Sannomiya Bus Terminal and JR Namba in Osaka with Shikoku. Check your rail pass before you travel and keep the timetable handy.

About this place