Gunma

About Gunma

Gunma Prefecture lies in northwestern Kanto, landlocked among five prefectures including Fukushima, Niigata and Nagano, with an area of 6,362.28 square kilometers ranking 21st and a population of about 1,865,000 ranking 18th nationwide. Its capital is Maebashi with about 320,000 residents, while neighboring Takasaki with about 360,000 is the commercial and transport core, forming a twin-city metropolitan area of about 1.26 million, the largest in northern Kanto. Geographically, the southeastern third is the flat Kanto Plain where about 70 percent of residents live, while the western and northern two-thirds are mountainous, stretching from the Mikuni Range along the Niigata border through Tanigawa-dake, Hotaka and the Joshinetsu Highlands to Mt. Asama on the Nagano border, an active volcano, plus the iconic Jomo Sanzan: Akagi, Haruna and Myogi. The Tone River originates at Ominakami-yama and collects the Agatsuma, Karasu and Watarase rivers before flowing to the Pacific, and its upper dams provide hydroelectric power and drinking water to Tokyo. Historically Gunma is ancient Kozuke Province, formerly Kami-Tsuke-no-kuni split from Keno, still known as Joshu or Jomo. The Kofun era left numerous burial mounds celebrated in the Jomo Karuta poem. The county name Gunma meaning horse herd dates to Nara times, reflecting horse breeding. The modern prefecture was created in December 1871 from eight small domains and moved its office between Takasaki and Maebashi. Climate varies sharply with elevation: southern plains are Pacific climate Cfa with extreme summer heat, often exceeding 39-40C due to foehn from Mt. Akagi and Tokyo’s heat island, producing many severe tropical nights, while winter is dry with strong karakaze winds called Akagi-oroshi and few snows. Northern mountains are Sea-of-Japan and Central Highland climates, with heavy snow: Minakami Fujiwara recorded 301 cm in 2006, Katashina is Kanto’s only special heavy-snow zone, summer remains cool and suited for避暑. Thunder is frequent along mountain corridors, dubbed the thunder ginza. Industry combines traditional and modern: konjac root first in Japan, wheat, cabbage, livestock and dairy, sericulture leading to the Tomioka Silk Mill, a UNESCO World Heritage site that modernized Japan’s silk industry. Since the mid-20th century, Ota City became home to Subaru’s auto plants, Kiryu retains weaving as a textile capital, and Takasaki-Mebashi hosts precision machines, electronic components and food processing. Northern Hidaka supplies hydropower and ski resorts. Tourism showcases the silk mill’s brick buildings and mechanized reeling, Kusatsu Onsen with its Yubatake hot-water field cooling acidic sulfur waters and Yugama crater lake, Ikaho’s stone steps, Shima and Manza onsen, Oze National Park’s vast high moor of Ozegahara and Ozenuma lake shared with Fukushima, and the windswept ridges of Akagi-Ono lake and Haruna shrine, plus fruit picking, rail heritage and onsen trekking routes.