The abiding impression of Ritsurin Garden is of pine trees and water. Its six ponds and thirteen hills are dominated by over 1,400 pine trees of the most dramatic size and shapes. In the warmer months, their aroma is very much in evidence too. In addition to its pines, Ritsurin is notable for its beautiful buildings, and the way that it incorporates nearby Mt. Shiun as part of its design.

Ritsurin is one of the three most renowned gardens in Japan. In 1625, the feudal lord of Takamatsu, Ikoma Takatoshi established Ritsurin by creating a garden around the South Pond using Mt. Shiun as a backdrop. Then in 1642, Matsudaira Yorishige took over the area and continued its construction. The work was completed by the fifth Lord Yoritaka in 1745 after 100 years of improvements and extensions made by the successive lords. With the end of feudalism, the Meiji government designated Ritsurin as a prefectural garden and opened it to the public in 1875.