Gunma Prefecture sits just two hours north of Tokyo, yet it feels like a different country. Landlocked by mountains on three sides, the prefecture packs in UNESCO World Heritage sites, Japan’s highest-ranked hot spring resort, alpine wetlands that bloom in June, and a quirky obsession with papier-mache dolls that supplies 80 percent of the entire country. Most overseas visitors speed past on the shinkansen; those who stop are rewarded with a region that is emphatically, stubbornly itself.

Kusatsu Onsen and the Yubatake

Kusatsu is consistently ranked the number-one onsen resort in Japan, and standing in the village center it is not hard to understand why. The Yubatake — literally “hot water field” — occupies a 400-square-meter plot at the heart of the town, where scalding spring water (about 55°C) runs through a series of wooden channels before being piped out to the public bathhouses. The steam is visible on cold mornings from well down the approach road, and the sight and smell of sulfurous water pouring through aged cypress wood is unlike anything else in Japan. Entry to view the Yubatake is free.

Public Bathhouses

Kusatsu has three main public bathhouses, all priced at ¥600.

Sainokawara Open-Air Bath is the largest outdoor bath in the region. Set in a park at the edge of town, it holds around 500 people in its mixed swimwear-required pool. It is best visited in the evening when the crowds thin.

Otakinoyu is the place to experience jikan-yu, the traditional bathing ceremony in which bathers move in unison through progressively hotter water to acclimatize. Wooden buckets, attendants in happi coats, and a performance that runs on a schedule — it is theatrical and surprisingly effective.

Goza-no-Yu is the most centrally located, just steps from the Yubatake, and suits travelers who want a quick, uncomplicated soak after arriving.

The water throughout Kusatsu is highly acidic at pH 2.1, which is credited with strong antibacterial and skin-smoothing properties. The acidity also means you should not wear jewelry in the bath and should rinse thoroughly afterward.

Getting to Kusatsu involves a 90-minute bus ride from Takasaki Station (the last major JR hub before the mountains), or a direct highway bus from Shinjuku that takes about 3.5 hours and costs ¥3,200.

Tomioka Silk Mill (UNESCO World Heritage)

Inland from Kusatsu, in the flat southern half of Gunma, the town of Tomioka preserves the most significant monument to Japan’s industrial revolution. The Tomioka Silk Mill was built in 1872 under the supervision of French engineer Paul Brunat, who brought both the machinery and the architectural vocabulary of French industrial construction to Japan. The result — a 140-meter brick reeling building flanked by warehouses and worker dormitories — is startling for its time and its place.

The mill was at the cutting edge of mechanized silk production when it opened, and Gunma’s mulberry farmers supplied the raw cocoons. The complex became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014, recognized as part of a broader Silk Industry Heritage cluster that includes a nearby cocoon warehouse and a silk farm.

Admission to the East Silk Mill building and grounds costs ¥1,500 for a combined ticket that includes several affiliated heritage sites in the region. An audio guide is available for ¥200 and is worth renting — the brick corridors and cast-iron frames need historical context to come fully alive.

From Takasaki, take the Joshin Dentetsu Line to Joshu-Tomioka Station (about 40 minutes, ¥760), then walk 10 minutes to the mill entrance.

Ikaho Onsen and the 365 Stone Steps

Ikaho Onsen climbs a steep hillside in central Gunma, its central street replaced by a staircase of 365 stone steps flanked by ryokan, candy shops, souvenir stands, and small shrines. The atmosphere is old Japan in the best sense — not manicured for tourism, but lived-in and slightly worn at the edges.

The onsen here comes in two distinct types. The golden water is iron-rich, turning orange-brown on contact with air, and is credited with powerful therapeutic effects. The silver water is clear and gentler, better suited to those with sensitive skin. Some ryokan pipe both types to guest rooms.

At the top of the steps sits Ikaho Shrine, a compact structure framed by cedar trees that rewards the climb with a quiet moment away from the shops. The views back down the steps, past wooden buildings and hanging lanterns, are among the most photographed in Gunma.

Ikaho is reached by bus from Shibukawa Station (about 30 minutes), which is on the JR Joetsu Line from Takasaki.

Oze National Park

Oze is Gunma’s great alpine escape, an elevated wetland plateau straddling the borders of Gunma, Fukushima, and Niigata prefectures. The landscape is defined by wooden boardwalks threading across wide marshes, with low mountains visible in all directions.

The park’s most famous attraction is the mizubasho (Asian skunk cabbage), which blooms in early June, covering the wetland floor with white spathes and filling the air with a sharp, green smell. By October the mood shifts entirely: kochia bushes turn crimson and the surrounding forest goes gold and amber.

The standard circuit trail covers about 8 kilometers and takes three to four hours at a relaxed pace. No cars are permitted beyond the trailhead, and the park is only accessible between June and October. Buses run from Numata Station (about 90 minutes, ¥1,700) to the Hatomachi-toge or Oze-guchi trailheads. Entry to the park itself is free.

Mt. Akagi and Lake Haruna

Gunma’s interior holds two volcanic lakes worth visiting, especially in autumn.

Mt. Akagi is a broad shield volcano whose collapsed caldera holds Lake Onuma and the smaller Lake Kanna. Akagi Shrine sits at the lakeside in a grove of old trees, and in mid-October the surrounding slopes turn vivid red and orange. In winter, Lake Onuma hosts ice fishing, a local tradition that draws families from across the prefecture. The mountain is best accessed by car from Maebashi (about 40 minutes) since bus services are limited.

Lake Haruna sits in its own volcanic crater southeast of Ikaho. Boat rentals are available at ¥1,000 for 30 minutes, and the still water surrounded by forested peaks makes for a peaceful few hours. Haruna Shrine is a short drive away in a narrow rocky gorge — stone lanterns, mossy boulders, and a sense of being hemmed in by something much older than the signage. In winter, the lake freezes and accommodates ice skating and ice fishing.

Takasaki Daruma Doll Culture

Takasaki produces roughly 80 percent of all daruma dolls sold in Japan. These round, red papier-mache figures — modeled on the Bodhidharma founder of Zen Buddhism — are purchased with both eyes blank. The buyer fills in one eye when setting a goal and the other when the goal is achieved.

The center of this tradition is Shorinzan Darumaji Temple, founded in 1697 and dedicated entirely to daruma production and worship. The temple halls are covered in thousands of returned daruma from previous years, brought back after a wish has been fulfilled. January brings the Daruma Fair, the largest in Japan, when hundreds of thousands of visitors crowd the temple grounds to buy new dolls for the new year.

Takasaki is also known, perhaps unexpectedly, for pasta. Takasaki pasta is a local specialty that draws on the region’s agricultural produce — tomatoes, mushrooms, mountain vegetables — interpreted through an Italian-influenced lens. Dozens of restaurants in the city serve their own versions, and the dish has taken on a kind of local pride that makes it worth trying.

Practical Tips

One-Day Itinerary

Travelers arriving from Tokyo on a day trip should focus on either Kusatsu Onsen or the Tomioka Silk Mill — trying to combine both by public transport is ambitious. The Tomioka option pairs well with a visit to Shorinzan Darumaji Temple in Takasaki.

Two-Day Itinerary

Day one in Kusatsu (arrive by highway bus from Shinjuku, afternoon Yubatake and Sainokawara bath, overnight ryokan). Day two by bus to Ikaho for the stone steps and lunch, then continue by train to Takasaki for the Daruma temple before returning to Tokyo.

Car vs. Train

The Kusatsu–Ikaho–Tomioka triangle is doable by train and bus with planning, but access to Oze, Mt. Akagi, and Lake Haruna is significantly easier with a car. Rental cars are available at Takasaki and Maebashi stations. Roads are well-maintained and signage includes English on major routes.