Ritsurin Garden
Edo-period strolling garden in Takamatsu — designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and routinely rated among Japan's finest gardens.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Kagawa 香川県
Japan's smallest prefecture by area, rebranded since 2011 as the 'Udon Prefecture' — Sanuki udon shops are everywhere, the cheapest noodle bowl in Japan is here, and the Setouchi art islands (Naoshima, Teshima, Shōdoshima) draw a global art-tourism crowd.
Capital
Takamatsu
Population
930,000
Area
1,877 km²
Region
Shikoku
History
Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), the founder of Shingon Buddhism and one of Japan's most important religious figures, was born in 774 in Zentsūji in present-day Kagawa. The 88-temple Shikoku pilgrimage retraces his footsteps and remains one of the largest Buddhist pilgrimages in Asia.
Sanuki — the historical name of Kagawa — has produced udon since at least the 9th century. The combination of low rainfall (Kagawa is Japan's driest prefecture), high-quality wheat, salt from the Inland Sea coast, and dried sardines for dashi made it Japan's natural udon homeland.
In 1908, Japan's first commercially-cultivated olives were planted on Shōdoshima after a trial by the Meiji government; the island remains Japan's largest olive producer and now also produces premium olive oil exported across Asia.
Economy & business
Kagawa's prefectural GDP is around ¥3.9 trillion (US$27 billion). Light manufacturing (Marugame Industries, Marunaka grocery, Shikoku Bank), Setouchi shipbuilding (Marugame), an unusually concentrated banking and insurance sector (Takamatsu is Shikoku's de-facto financial capital), specialty agriculture (olives, olive-fed Sanuki-olive wagyū), and a fast-growing art-tourism economy.
Key industries
Food & udon ecosystem
Kagawa has roughly 800 udon shops for 930,000 residents — one of the highest restaurant-per-capita densities in Japan. Wheat milling, soy sauce (Shōdoshima), and noodle machinery form a vertical industry.
Olives & olive oil (Shōdoshima)
Japan's first and largest commercial olive cluster (since 1908); also olive-fed Sanuki-olive wagyū and olive-fed hamachi yellowtail.
Banking & services
Takamatsu is the regional HQ for Shikoku Bank, 114 Bank (Hyakujūshi), and Shikoku Bank Holdings — a disproportionate banking cluster for a small prefecture.
Paper fans (Marugame uchiwa)
Marugame produces roughly 90% of Japan's domestic paper fans (uchiwa), a designated traditional craft.
Art tourism (Setouchi Triennale)
Naoshima, Teshima, and other Inland-Sea islands host Tadao Andō museums and the Setouchi Triennale art festival — a major driver of inbound tourism since 2010.
Notable companies
Shikoku BankHyakujūshi Bank (114 Bank)Marunaka (grocery)Joyful HondaHagoromo FoodsImabari Shipbuilding (Marugame ops)Shōdoshima Olive Park
Trade partners
South KoreaChinaTaiwanUnited StatesAustralia
Tourism highlights
Kotohira-gū ('Konpira-san')
Sea-deity shrine reached by climbing 1,368 stone steps up Mount Zōzu; offerings of dried bonito and good-luck flags.
Open in Maps ↗Naoshima art island
Tadao Andō's Chichu Museum, Lee Ufan Museum, Yayoi Kusama's yellow pumpkin, and the Benesse Art Site — the global flagship of art-tourism Japan.
Open in Maps ↗Teshima Art Museum
A single concrete dome by Ryue Nishizawa housing one work, 'Matrix,' by Rei Naito — water droplets emerging from the floor.
Open in Maps ↗Shōdoshima olive groves & soy sauce district
Working olive orchards, century-old soy-sauce breweries (Yamaroku, Marukin), and the picturesque Angel Road tidal sandbar.
Open in Maps ↗Sanuki Udon tour
Self-drive between the rural 'production-line' udon shops where you queue with a tray, scoop your own noodles, and pay 300 yen — the cheapest restaurant udon in Japan.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Kagawa is Japan's smallest prefecture by area (1,877 km²) — less than 3% the size of neighbouring Hokkaidō.
In 2011 Kagawa formally rebranded itself the 'Udon Prefecture' (うどん県) — including changing the prefectural tourism logo, with then-governor Hamada Keizō appointed 'vice-governor in charge of udon' alongside the official actor cast as 'governor of udon.'
Shōdoshima's first olive trees, planted in 1908, are still alive — making the island Japan's oldest continuously productive olive orchard.
About Kagawa — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Kagawa?
The capital of Kagawa is Takamatsu.
What region of Japan is Kagawa in?
Kagawa is part of the Shikoku region of Japan.
What are Kagawa's main industries?
Kagawa's key industries include Food & udon ecosystem, Olives & olive oil (Shōdoshima), Banking & services, Paper fans (Marugame uchiwa).
What are the top tourist attractions in Kagawa?
Top attractions in Kagawa include Ritsurin Garden, Kotohira-gū ('Konpira-san'), Naoshima art island, Teshima Art Museum.
What major companies are based in Kagawa?
Notable companies headquartered in Kagawa include Shikoku Bank, Hyakujūshi Bank (114 Bank), Marunaka (grocery), Joyful Honda, Hagoromo Foods.
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