Sanuki: Herb Garden and Gennai Street in Shido

The themes range from plants and a work by Hiraga Gennai to a historically shaped temple suburb. For planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing these aspects: the garden focuses on botany, while Gennai Street connects sites commemorating Gennai with the route leading to Shidoji.

Herb Garden and Hiraga Gennai

More than 100 plant species grow in the herb garden at Hiraga Gennai’s former residence in Shido. These include medicinal trees and herbs described in Hiraga Gennai’s work “物類品隲.” The variety of species provides the botanical setting; the medicinal plants mentioned connect the collection with a written perspective on plants. If you are interested in botany, the plants take center stage. If you are interested in Gennai, the residence, garden, and work can together form the cultural focus. The herb garden is open on weekends, public holidays, and during extended holiday periods. Take these opening days into account when planning, and check access before your visit.

Gennai Street and Shidoji

Hiraga Gennai’s former residence, the Hiraga Gennai Memorial Museum, and shops are located on Gennai Street. These places play different roles: the residence and memorial museum are connected to Gennai, while the shops add further places to visit along the street. Individual shops and displays may change. For planning purposes, Gennai Street itself is therefore a broader point of reference; you should not assume that individual businesses will be permanent stops. The former residence in Shido connects these themes: the herb garden is next to the house, and the residence is also on Gennai Street. This makes it possible to see the garden’s botanical focus and the Gennai sites along the street as connected but distinct aspects of the area.

Gennai Street leads to Shidoji and forms a historically shaped temple suburb. The route connects the Gennai sites with a broader historical character of the area. For orientation, this is the difference between individual memorial sites and the character of the streetscape as a whole: the attractions can be described by theme, while the temple suburb provides the overarching context.

Find a Hotel for Your Trip to Sanuki

When looking for a hotel in Sanuki, it helps to decide what you want to visit before comparing options. Is the garden and its variety of plants the main draw, or are you more interested in Gennai Street, the memorial museum, and Shidoji? The garden’s opening days are a specific point to consider when planning your dates; the route along Gennai Street to Shidoji helps orient you to how the sites relate to the area. Then compare each hotel’s information on location, price, availability, and booking conditions.

Discover more destinations: Nishishirakata, Marugame, Sakaide, Kotohira, Manno, Tadotsu, Furue, Tonosho

For the broader travel overview: Kagawa Prefecture.