A little over a month ago, on a Sunday morning, I left Okayama for Takamatsu, the capital of Kagawa, the smallest prefecture in Japan which is located in Shikoku, the smallest island of Japan's 4 main islands.

In addition to being known for being the smallest prefecture in Japan, Kagawa is also famous for its Udon, a noodle that is a little thicker than other types of ramen, and also much softer. And when I say softer, I really mean softer. The texture is a little like mochi, and it melts in your mouth.

Udon!

Arriving at Takamatsu station I met my friend Miyu, who again guided me on this part of my journey through Japan.

It was almost lunch time, so we headed to an Udon restaurant called Mori, a bit isolated but highly recommended by locals.

Kagawa is not a very touristy and famous destination like other places in Japan, so like in other parts of this trip I felt MUCH MORE like a tourist, as most of the time I was really the only non-Japanese person there.

And at the Udon restaurant it was no different, but don't be fooled, this isn't bad, it's just something different from what you're used to.

I ordered the udon in the photo below. I don't remember exactly what was in there, I just remember that it was very good, and that it was made with Shōyu.

Awaji Island e Monkey Center

Next stop was the Awaji Monkey Center, in Awajishima (or Awaji Island), which is actually in Hyōgo Prefecture (which has Kobe as its capital).

The Awaji Monkey Center is a kind of monkey sanctuary, where they are not kept locked up there, basically they are only there during the day, while at night they return to the mountains of the island.

I was surprised by how calm they are and how they basically don't care about the presence of humans in the area. This all adds to the experience of visiting the place. Observing the behavior of the monkeys, roaming freely, up close, was one of the most memorable experiences of my trip. Highly recommended.

There is a live broadcast that broadcasts the location 24 hours a day, just keep in mind that at night (in Japan) you probably won't see any monkeys. 🙈

Some more photos of the surroundings of Awaji Island, actually on the way to Takamatsu, close to Tokushima.