Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments of Kagawa

The Arioka Kofun Group in Zentsuji City, Kagawa Prefecture, is a National Historic Site comprising six ancient burial mounds built from the late 3rd to early 7th century. Featuring rare gilt-bronze crowns, line-engraved wall paintings, and Japan's highest-altitude stone mound tomb, these tumuli reveal the legacy of a powerful clan believed to be ancestors of the great Buddhist master Kukai. Stone chambers open to the public on April 29 each year.

Explore the nationally designated Osaka Castle Stone Wall Quarry Sites on Shodoshima Island, Kagawa. Walk among 1,600+ remnant granite stones, massive Tengu Rock, and centuries-old chisel marks from the quarries that supplied stones for Osaka Castle's legendary walls.

The Ninomiya Kiln Site, a nationally designated historic site within the grounds of Ōminakami Shrine in Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture, preserves two medieval kilns dating from the late Heian to Kamakura period. Discover honeysuckle-patterned roof tiles and ancient ceramics in the mystical forest of Sanuki Province's second-ranked shrine.

On the northwestern coast of uninhabited Marugamijima Island, drifting in the Hiuchi-nada Sea off Kanonji City in Kagawa Prefecture, lies a globally rare exposure of orbicular norite. White plagioclase and purple hypersthene form concentric rings of stunning natural beauty in this stone, also called kikkaseki or chrysanthemum stone. Designated a National Natural Monument in 1934, this geological treasure can be appreciated through specimens at the Ibuki Island Folk Museum and panoramic views from chartered boats.

The Marugame Castle Ruins in Kagawa Prefecture preserve one of Japan's most impressive early Edo-period castles. The site is famed for its four tiers of stone walls, which together rise to about 60 meters — the tallest combined castle stonework in Japan. Crowning the hilltop is the smallest of Japan's twelve surviving original wooden keeps, completed around 1660. Designated a National Historic Site in 1953, Marugame remains a remarkably intact example of early modern castle architecture.

Kagawa’s registered properties across designations, with featured heritage and travel notes.

The complete kokuhō catalogue — browse by prefecture, period, and category.

Nationwide jūyō bunkazai — architecture, sculpture, painting, crafts, and documents.