Getting Around Marugame
Marugame is a compact city on the Seto Inland Sea in Kagawa Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku. It sits on the JR Yosan Line near the Seto-Ohashi Bridge, which links Shikoku with Honshu, and its well-developed transport network makes it easy to use as a base for exploring the surrounding area. For most visitors, trains and walking cover the essentials, with buses, taxis and highway coaches filling in the gaps.
Rail: JR and the Kotohira Line
Marugame's main rail link is the JR Shikoku Yosan Line, which runs through the city and connects it to Takamatsu, Sakaide and points beyond. The city's JR stations on this line are Marugame and Sanuki-Shioya. The Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad (Kotohira Line) also serves the city, with stations at Kurikuma and Okada.
JR Marugame Station is the natural hub for arrivals and for orienting yourself: the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) sits just east of the station.
- From Okayama: Shiokaze and Nanpu limited express services run roughly every 30 minutes (about 40 minutes). Local services leave less frequently and may require a transfer, but are only slightly slower. A direct local train, or a Takamatsu-bound Marine Liner with a change at Sakaide to a local train towards Utazu, gets you there in about 50–60 minutes for a much lower fare.
- From Takamatsu: local and rapid trains leave regularly; direct rapid services take as little as 25 minutes.
- Onward from Marugame: the city works well as a base for Matsuyama (about 2 hours via Shiokaze limited express) and Kochi (about 2 hours via Nanpu limited express).
Tickets and Rail Passes
Fares are paid in the usual Japanese way — buy a ticket at the station or use an IC card where accepted. For visitors doing a lot of train travel, the passes are the key practical decision:
- The Japan Rail Pass covers the JR trips described above at no charge, including the limited express services from Okayama, Takamatsu, Matsuyama and Kochi.
- The JR Shikoku Rail Pass, known as the Shikoku Free Kippu, is valid for trips entirely within Shikoku.
Note that the Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad is a private line, separate from JR, so JR passes do not cover it.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Beyond the trains, buses handle both local movement and long-distance connections. Highway bus services to Marugame are offered primarily by Shikoku Kousoku Bus, and these are a practical alternative to the train for reaching the city from other parts of Japan:
- From Kobe's Sannomiya Bus Terminal to JR Marugame Station (about 3 hours).
- From JR Namba and Hankyu Umeda stations in Osaka (about 4 hours 15 minutes from Umeda).
- An overnight bus from Tokyo (Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal and Hachioji) and Yokohama (about 11 hours 45 minutes from Shinjuku).
- An overnight service from the Meitetsu Bus Center in Nagoya (about 8 hours).
- An overnight service from Fukuoka and Kitakyushu on Kyushu (about 8 hours from Fukuoka).
These coaches arrive at JR Marugame Station, which makes them convenient for onward local travel. Fares vary by service and departure point, so check current prices when booking.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available in Marugame, as in most Japanese cities, and are a sensible option for short trips where bus or train schedules do not line up, or for reaching 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 for you rather than relying on an app.
Walkability
Central Marugame is compact and pleasant to explore on foot. The area around JR Marugame Station is walkable, with MIMOCA just east of the station, and the city's historic core — including Marugame Castle, a National Historic Site and one of only twelve Japanese castles with its original wooden keep — is within reach of the centre. The Doki River flows north to south through the middle of the city, giving you an easy landmark to orient yourself by. For sights further out, such as Reoma World, you will want a train, bus or taxi rather than walking.
Getting There from the Airport
Marugame has no airport of its own, so arrivals come through Takamatsu or, for international flights, Osaka.
- Takamatsu Airport (closest domestic airport): limousine buses operated by Kotosan Bus run directly to Marugame (about 1 hour 15 minutes).
- Kansai International Airport (nearest international airport): you can reach Marugame in as little as 3 hours by JR using a combination of shinkansen and limited express trains. This route is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. A cheaper option is to take an airport limousine bus to Takamatsu Station (about 3 hours 30 minutes, with six trips daily) and change there to the JR train (about 25 minutes).
In short: if you are flying into Takamatsu, the direct limousine bus is the simplest way in. If you are coming from Kansai, choose between the faster, pricier rail combination and the slower, cheaper bus-plus-train route depending on your budget and how much time you have.