Mizusawa udon水沢うどん
Firm, glossy udon from near Ikaho, usually eaten cold with a dipping sauce.
Kanto
Gunma Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
An inland, mountainous prefecture of famous hot springs — Kusatsu, Ikaho and Minakami — plus the UNESCO-listed Tomioka Silk Mill.
Open Gunma on the map34 places on the map · 11 local favourites
Local tips
- TipHighway buses run directly from Tokyo to Kusatsu; by train you’ll need a bus transfer from Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi.
- Heads upKusatsu’s water is strongly acidic, so remove silver jewellery before bathing to avoid discolouration.
- DoGo rafting in Minakami; spring snowmelt makes the Tone River at its most exciting.
- Heads upThe mountain road from Kusatsu over to Shiga Kogen closes in winter and can be restricted due to volcanic activity; check before going.
- TipHidden gem: Shima Onsen, a quiet riverside hot-spring village with a historic wooden inn.
What to eat
Yaki manju焼きまんじゅう
Fluffy steamed buns on a skewer, grilled with a sweet miso glaze.
Okkirikomiおっきりこみ
A hearty stew of wide noodles and vegetables, a warming home-style dish in winter.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Rakusanen Garden
楽山園 Nature & SceneryA quiet Edo-period daimyo garden in Kanra's castle town, borrowing views of the nearby mountains. Rarely crowded.
● Mostly localsKiryu Textile Memorial Hall
桐生織物記念館 ShoppingA handsome old building of the Kiryu weavers' association, now selling ties, scarves and fabrics from Kiryu's textile makers.
● Mostly localsGunma Prefectural Office Observation Deck
群馬県庁 展望ホール Sights & HistoryNightlifeA free observation floor near the top of Maebashi's prefectural office tower, with views of the Akagi and Haruna mountains and a city-lights night view.
● Mostly localsHarashimaya Soke, Maebashi
原嶋屋総本家 Local FoodAn old Maebashi shop grilling yaki-manju, fluffy steamed buns on skewers glazed with sweet miso sauce. Gunma's classic snack.
● Mostly localsKiryu Shinmachi Historic District
桐生新町 重要伝統的建造物群保存地区 Sights & HistoryKiryu's old textile quarter, with saw-tooth-roofed weaving factories, brick warehouses and merchant houses. Many old buildings are now cafés and bakeries.
● Mostly localsNukisaki Jinja
一之宮貫前神社 Temples & GoshuinchoUnusually, you walk down steps to reach the vivid lacquered main hall of this historic shrine in Tomioka. Few tourists find it.
● Mostly localsShitamiya Honten, Kiryu
志多美屋本店 Local FoodA Kiryu institution for sauce katsu-don: thin pork cutlets dipped in a sweet sauce and laid over rice, no egg.
● Mostly localsMount Myogi
妙義山 Nature & SceneryJagged volcanic peaks with some of the most dramatic rock scenery in Kanto. Serious chained routes for experts, gentler trails around the base.
● Mostly localsFujiya Honten, Kiryu
藤屋本店 Local FoodA Kiryu noodle shop known for himokawa udon, noodles so wide and flat they look like ribbons. A local speciality few visitors have heard of.
● Mostly localsDaimonya Daruma Workshop
だるまのふるさと 大門屋 ShoppingExperiencesA Takasaki daruma maker where you can see dolls being made and paint your own.
● Mostly localsHara Museum ARC
原美術館ARC Sights & HistoryA contemporary art museum at the foot of Mount Haruna, with black gallery pavilions and outdoor sculpture on a green hillside.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Kusatsu Onsen
Hot SpringsNature & SceneryOne of Japan's most celebrated hot spring resorts, Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture is famous for its highly acidic, mineral-rich waters and the iconic Yubatake (hot…
Netsunoyu Yumomi Show
熱乃湯 ExperiencesHot SpringsA hall on Kusatsu's central square where women stir the scalding spring water with long boards while singing, a traditional cooling method called yumomi.