Takamatsu Transport

Published on : 15/02/2023
by : Joshua

Garden in Takamatsu, Kagawa
@Wallpaper Flare

Takamatsu, the prefectural capital of Kagawa Prefecture, is one of the four main cities (Kochi, Matsuyama and Tokushima are the others) on the island of Shikoku.

Find information here on getting to and around Takamatsu by public transport.

Takamatsu Station

Takamatsu Station is the main point of access for arriving in this port city.

Takamatsu Station is a busy, major rail intersection and a major route between Shikoku and Okayama Station on Honshu.

Takamatsu Station is on both the JR Yosan Line to Marugame, Tadotsu, Matsuyama and Uwajima and the Kotoku Line to Tokushima via Yashima, Ikenotani and Sako.

The Yosan Line runs west from Takamatsu Station to Matsuyama Station (2 hours, 30 minutes) in Ehime Prefecture and then south west to Uwajima. The Kotoku Line connects Tokushima Station with Takamatsu Station in about 70 minutes by limited express train.

JR Marine Liner trains from Okayama Station run south to Takamatsu over the across the Seto Ohashi Bridge in 55 minutes, Tokushima (with a change in Takamatsu to the Uzushio Express) in around 2 hours, Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture on the Shiokaze Limited Express in 2 hours, 40 minutes and Kochi on the Nanpu Limited Express in 2 hours, 40 minutes.

Connection times from Takamatsu Station are 2 hours, 30 minutes to Matsuyama Station and 2 hours, 33 minutes to Kochi Station.

Train from Takamatsu Station
@Japan Visitor

Kotoden Trains

Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad (Kotoden) operates three local railway lines and a number of bus routes.

The three lines are:

The Kotohira Line, which at almost 33km in length with 21 stations, is the longest. The Kotohira Line runs from Takamatsu Chikko Station in the center of Takamatsu city to Kotoden-Kotohira Station in Kotohira via the hub station of Kawaramachi and Ritsurin Station for Ritsurin Koen. The journey time from Takamatsu Chikko Station to Kotoden-Kotohira Station is 62 minutes.

The Nagao Line runs 14.6 km from Kawaramachi Station to Nagao Station in Sanuki. In all there are 16 stations. The journey time from Takamatsu Chikko Station to Nagao Station is 38 minutes.

The Shido Line from Kawaramachi Station to Kotoden-Shido Station in Sanuki is 12.5 km long with 16 stations and is the line to take to Yashima and its nearby attractions such as Shikoku Mura. The journey time from Kawaramachi Station to Kotoden-Shido Station is 34 minutes.

A one-day ticket for Kotoden trains is 1,400 yen for adults and 700 yen for children.

The IruCa (a play on the word for "dolphin") is the local prepaid card and can also be used in various shops. The card costs 2,000 yen which includes a 500 yen returnable deposit (minus a 100 yen charge).

Kotoden Buses

Kotoden Buses cover the inner city area of Takamatsu. Kotoden Buses run to Aji Onsen, Aeon Mall Takamatsu, Ritsurin Koen and the Sun Messe convention center,

Takamatsu Station, Takamatsu Chikko Station and Kawaramachi Station are the main hubs for Kotoden Buses.

A Kotoden Bus runs from JR Yashima Station to Kotoden Yashima Station on the Shido Line and then up to Yashima.

Local Kotoden bus in Takamatsu
@Japan Visitor

Limousine Airport Bus

Kotoden also operates a limousine bus to Takamatsu Airport from JR Takamatsu Station from bus stop 3. The bus route is JR Hotel Clement Takamatsu, JR Takamatsu Station, Takamatsu Chikko, Hyogomachi, Kenchodori Chuo-koen-mae, Kawaramachi, Nakajincho, Ritsurin Koen-mae, Youme Town Takamatsu, Kagawa Daigaku Fuzoku Chugakko, Kukodori Ichinomiya and Takamatsu Airport.

Highway Buses

Takamatsu Station is a highway bus terminus for buses to various destinations in Shikoku and beyond. There are highway bus services to Shinjuku Bus Station (Busta Shinjuku) in Tokyo (9 hours, 30 mins), Nagoya (7 hours, 45 mins) and Yokohama (9 hours).

In addition there are highway buses to Fukuoka (9 hours), Namba and JR Osaka Station (3 hours, 15 minutes), Hiroshima Bus Station (3 hours, 30 minutes), Kochi (2 hours, 10 minutes) and Matsuyama (2 hours, 40 minutes).

Ferries

There are ferry connections from Takamatsu Ferry Port and other ports in Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku to various destinations in Honshu and the Inland Sea.

These include boats to Kobe, Okayama and to Naoshima, Shodoshima, Megishima and Ogishima (Megijima & Ogijima) in the Inland Sea. From Takamatsu Port boats to Naoshima take about one hour.

Megijima and Ogijima are reached by ferry from Takamatsu with a departure roughly every two hours. The journey takes 20 minutes to Megijima and 40 minutes to Ogijima.

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