Kikugetsutei Teahouse

Ritsurin Garden, designated as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, boasts nearly 400 years of history and is the largest cultural heritage garden in Japan at approximately 75 hectares. With lush Mt. Shiun as its backdrop, the garden features six ponds and thirteen artificial hills, offering constantly changing views as visitors stroll through this prominent example of a daimyo strolling garden.

Within the garden, Kikugetsutei stands out as a fine example of early Edo period architecture, constructed in the elegant Sukiya-shoin style. Known affectionately by successive Takamatsu lords as "Ochaya" (Great Teahouse), it has long served as a place to entertain guests. Visitors can tour the interior upon paying an entrance fee, and enjoy matcha or sencha tea while appreciating exquisite scenery, including the "Neagari Goyomatsu" pine tree—said to have grown from a bonsai gifted by Tokugawa Ienari, the 11th shogun—and the picturesque Nanko pond.

Additionally, another teahouse called Higurashitei, situated between Hokko and Saiko ponds, offers meals during March–June and September–November by reservation. Here, visitors can savor dishes prepared with seasonal ingredients, such as "Kiraku Tenshin" and "Shokado Bento," created by Ni-cho, a renowned restaurant in Takamatsu.