Blessed with rich and varied natural scenery, dotted with World Cultural Heritage Sites and all sorts of other sights.
With mountains upwards of 2,000 meters, wetlands such as Oze, gorges, the Tone River and more, Gunma presents a rich variety of shifting natural scenery.
Located roughly in the center of the Japanese archipelago and about 100 km from Tokyo (50 minutes by bullet train), Gunma is highly accessible. It can also be comfortably reached by car, with four expressways—Kan-Etsu, Joshin-Etsu, Kita-Kanto and Tohoku—crossing it.
With more than 100 hot springs, including Kusatsu Onsen known for having the largest volume of geyser discharge in Japan, the beautiful Ikaho Onsen with stone steps that give it an old-timey mood, and Minakami Onsen where you can soak in the breathtaking beauty of the Tone River gorge. There really is no end to the variety of Gunma’s traditional Japanese baths!
Kusatsu Onsen in particular is counted among both Japan’s Three Great Springs and the Three Best Medicinal Springs, with the temperature of its wellspring being in excess of 90°C and the largest discharge volume in Gunma Prefecture.
It has been ranked No. 1 consistently for 13 years running by travel agents around Japan.
The Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites were added to UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list in 2014, and is the pride of sightseeing spots in Gunma.
The Three Stelae of Kozuke Province are among the oldest inscribed stone tablets in Japan, and, as a record of Japan’s cultural exchange with the Asian continent roughly thirteen centuries ago, were included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Gunma is also home to more than 10,000 ancient burial mounds, and in fact has the largest collection of haniwa (ancient clay figurines) to have been designated national treasures and important cultural properties in Japan.
The haniwa have in recent years become popular for their cute appearance, and you can also buy souvenirs with haniwa-inspired designs.
With katsu-don (rice bowls topped with meat cutlets) and yaki-manju buns, noodles and much more, Gunma has an abundance of local gourmet offerings. In particular, Gunma can provide all the ingredients need for delicious Japanese sukiyaki, including Joshu Wagyu beef, konjac, Shimonita-negi leaks (which are renowned throughout Japan), fresh shiitake mushrooms, garland chrysanthemums, and more.
Be sure to try out some of the excellent welcoming dishes for which Gunma is famous.
You can also experience a unique journey with not only the major JR and Tobu railway lines, but also local railway companies that each have their own special character.
The Joshin Dentetsu railway company, founded in 1895, operates a special event train service with an electric locomotive they imported from Germany.
Jomo Electric Railway continues to operate the Deha 101 train on an irregular schedule, which has been in service since the company’s establishment in 1928.
The wide open feel of the Watarase Keikoku Railway trolley trains are also very popular.
Soak in the breathtaking scenery as you enjoy a relaxing train ride with a traditional Japanese railway lunch box, as well as some of the best hot springs in Japan and a wide variety of gourmet spots!
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With mountains upwards of 2,000 meters, wetlands such as Oze, gorges, the Tone River and more, Gunma presents a rich variety of shifting natural scenery.
Located roughly in the center of the Japanese archipelago and about 100 km from Tokyo (50 minutes by bullet train), Gunma is highly accessible. It can also be comfortably reached by car, with four expressways—Kan-Etsu, Joshin-Etsu, Kita-Kanto and Tohoku—crossing it.
With more than 100 hot springs, including Kusatsu Onsen known for having the largest volume of geyser discharge in Japan, the beautiful Ikaho Onsen with stone steps that give it an old-timey mood, and Minakami Onsen where you can soak in the breathtaking beauty of the Tone River gorge. There really is no end to the variety of Gunma’s traditional Japanese baths!
Kusatsu Onsen in particular is counted among both Japan’s Three Great Springs and the Three Best Medicinal Springs, with the temperature of its wellspring being in excess of 90°C and the largest discharge volume in Gunma Prefecture.
It has been ranked No. 1 consistently for 13 years running by travel agents around Japan.
The Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites were added to UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage list in 2014, and is the pride of sightseeing spots in Gunma.
The Three Stelae of Kozuke Province are among the oldest inscribed stone tablets in Japan, and, as a record of Japan’s cultural exchange with the Asian continent roughly thirteen centuries ago, were included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Gunma is also home to more than 10,000 ancient burial mounds, and in fact has the largest collection of haniwa (ancient clay figurines) to have been designated national treasures and important cultural properties in Japan.
The haniwa have in recent years become popular for their cute appearance, and you can also buy souvenirs with haniwa-inspired designs.
With katsu-don (rice bowls topped with meat cutlets) and yaki-manju buns, noodles and much more, Gunma has an abundance of local gourmet offerings. In particular, Gunma can provide all the ingredients need for delicious Japanese sukiyaki, including Joshu Wagyu beef, konjac, Shimonita-negi leaks (which are renowned throughout Japan), fresh shiitake mushrooms, garland chrysanthemums, and more.
Be sure to try out some of the excellent welcoming dishes for which Gunma is famous.
You can also experience a unique journey with not only the major JR and Tobu railway lines, but also local railway companies that each have their own special character.
The Joshin Dentetsu railway company, founded in 1895, operates a special event train service with an electric locomotive they imported from Germany.
Jomo Electric Railway continues to operate the Deha 101 train on an irregular schedule, which has been in service since the company’s establishment in 1928.
The wide open feel of the Watarase Keikoku Railway trolley trains are also very popular.
Soak in the breathtaking scenery as you enjoy a relaxing train ride with a traditional Japanese railway lunch box, as well as some of the best hot springs in Japan and a wide variety of gourmet spots!
