Marugame's original castle

What?
Marugame (丸亀) might as well be the city on Shikoku Island (四国) that is the easiest to reach from Japan's biggest island Honshu. It is famous for its castle which is only one of twelve which survived the turmoil during and after the Meiji Restoration. Otherwise it’s also famous for its uchiwa, those elegant Japanese fans used to keep cool in summer.
Where?
Marugame is located in Kagawa Prefecture, and basically any train departing from Okayama (岡山) for the island will make a stop at Marugame Station. Buses also run between Okayama and the city as well as from Osaka.
URL
Japan Guide Outline

What I undoubtedly will remember most about my trip to Marugame is that I was almost terminated by one of those giant killer hornets. That doesn’t say anything about the city. It’s just that those hornets are so ridiculously HUGE.

Anyhow, Marugame is famous for its castle which is one of only 12 original wooden castles remaining in Japan. Unlike Himeji, Matsumoto, Hikone, Inuyama and Matsue castles though, it’s not a national treasure. Maybe the small size of the keep has something to do with that. It looks more cute than fearsome with its 3 stories and 15 meters height. What the keep lacks in size though, the castle grounds and walls make more than enough up for that. Strolling through the vast castle grounds one can easily spend an hour. I did and thoroughly enjoyed the views, the imposing stone walls and the nature that was slightly taking over. Above all I enjoyed the calm and quiet on this Monday morning. The difficult access and the competition of nearby yet so much easier to get to Okayama castle will have a lot to do with that.

The cute castle keep...

...in contrast to the huge castle walls.

Otherwise the town doesn’t really seem to have to offer a lot, although I have to say that the uchiwa center was closed (always on a Monday) and that I was not in the mood for a visit to the museum right next to the station. I did make the effort to walk to a spot with a scenic view on Mount Iinoyama (also called the Sanuki Fuji), but while a pleasant walk through fields and residential areas, it might be too far for most to do.

Marugame might be a nice stop when you’re entering or leaving Shikoku and still have a few hours time.