Anabuki-tei is a private villa in Takamatsu, available exclusively to one group at a time. The house was built in 1970 by Natsuji Anabuki — a master carpenter who helped rebuild postwar Takamatsu, home by home. He built this house as a testament to his craft. Today, under the care of his grandson Eitaro, the estate has been thoughtfully restored. The 100-year-old black pine still stands at the heart of the garden. Louis Poulsen lighting from Denmark shapes the atmosphere after dark. Three suites, each with a distinct character. A private chef who prepares breakfast each morning. An outdoor spa and private sauna. On paper, it rivals any hotel. The difference is that everything is run by the family themselves. No corporate backing. No chain behind the name. Just a house, and the people who have carried it forward across three generations.

Eitaro Anabuki — owner, restorer, and the sole concierge of this estate. Inherited from his grandfather, redesigned by his own hand, and opened to one group per day. From check-in to check-out, Eitaro is your direct point of contact. Itinerary advice, dinner reservations, ferry times to the islands — he handles whatever arrangements you need. But where Eitaro truly excels is elsewhere. A bonsai family with 130 years of history. The stone carvers of Mure. Artisans carrying on the tradition of Kagawa lacquerware. A charcoal grill tucked away that only local business owners seem to know. These are the connections that come from spending a lifetime rooted in one place — and Eitaro can open those doors, if you're interested. The hope is that guests leave not as tourists who passed through Takamatsu, but as people who feel a connection to it.

Takamatsu sits at the gateway to the Seto Inland Sea — a region where the devotion to beauty has quietly accumulated across centuries, from feudal gardens to contemporary art islands. Ferries to Naoshima, Teshima, and Shodoshima depart from a port five minutes away. Private charter boats can be arranged, reaching Naoshima in around 30 minutes. Tadao Ando's Chichu Art Museum. Yayoi Kusama's outdoor works. The Teshima Art Museum, sitting quietly on a hillside — each island adds another layer to the Seto Inland Sea. In the city, Ritsurin Garden — completed over 100 years by a feudal lord and awarded Michelin's highest rating — is a short drive from the estate. In the nearby town of Mure, the studio and garden museum where Isamu Noguchi spent his final years remains open to visitors. The well-known places are all worth visiting. But what Eitaro wants to show you is the Takamatsu beyond them.