Tomioka Silk Mill

The silk mill in Tomioka City

first in Japan  

It's amazing to think something so light weight and strong comes from the cocoon of a worm... 

Many places in Gunma are historically famous for their production of silk. For myself, who has only really ever learned about the process for producing cotton, learning about silk was pretty interesting. If you have a chance, I recommend checking out Tomioka's silk mill. It's a great way to spend a rainy afternoon when outdoor activities aren't as much fun.

Nukisaki Shrine

Dating far back in history

Nukisaki Shrine 

Almost all shrines in Japan are built so that you have to walk "up" to them, ie climb stairs or a hill or something. Nukisaki however is situated so that you have to walk "down" to it. That may not seem very interesting to most people, but it is pretty rare, and for a nerd like myself, an interesting difference. 

 

Mt. Miyogi

Draped in the reds and golds of autumn 

Gorgeous Mt. Miyogi 

Miyogi is a jagged and slightly intimidating mountain. Most people I know who have climbed it said they found it a little unnerving, so my visit to this mountain was pretty laid back. My friends and I visited a shrine near one of the mountains parking areas. 

The shrine had a giant gold statue, of some sort of deity which was interesting but it was really the nature of Miyogi that was most memorable. Beautiful flowers, butterflies, and even some colorful lizards were high points of this trip for me. 

Agatsuma Canyon

Fantastic Agatsuma Canyon 

without a rival in Japan  

The time to visit Agatsuma Canyon is without a doubt fall. The leaves are beautiful, and the weather is still warm, making it enjoyable for a drive or walk. 

The road going through the canyon used to be the road for going to Kusatsu, but with the Yamba Dam building project, they built a bi-pass road. If they ever finish the dam it will considerably change the landscape so if you have a chance to go in the near future please do. 

Kusatsu

The hot springs of Kusatsu

Curative for your ills

 Kusatsu is on the top of my list of favorite places in Gunma, with one qualifier - I HATE driving in town trying to find parking. In true onsen town style the streets are super narrow, and if a shop has parking, its usually cramped and scary to get in and out of. However once the car is parked, I am always glad I made the effort.

For the official Jomo Karuta Tour visit, my friend and I decided to use the bus from Naganohara station, because neither my of us were very familiar with Kusatsu, and it can be pretty busy on the weekends. If you have a car though, I think it is better to drive than take the bus, since bus and train times are limited. 

Kusatsu's onsen water has a high sulfur content, which leaves your skin feeling amazing, but even if you aren't into getting naked with a bunch of strangers there are plenty of other things to do in Kusatsu as well. (skiing, hiking, yummy restaurants, Sainokawara Park, Yumomi performances etc...)

Friend & I with Kusatsu's character, Yumomi-chan

Yubatake at night

Mt Shirane's famous lake

At the base of the Yubatake

Kusatsu Ski Resort

"Onsen Tamago" (eggs soft boiled in hot spring water)

Ikaho Hot Spring

The hot springs of Ikaho 

among the best in Japan 

The first time my friend and I went to Ikaho was in the fall. The colors were absolutely amazing! My favorite fall leaves in Japan are the Japanese maples, and there was no shortage in Ikaho. The famous stone steps were under construction, and we didn't have much time to enjoy the rest of Ikaho so I determined that I would visit again. 

I finally made it back to Ikaho in March of this year for their famous Hinamatsuri display. They bring in children from around Japan to dress up as the different doll characters in a traditional Hinamatsuri display. The kids were so cute! If you ever have a chance to check out Ikaho's Hinamatsuri events, I highly recommend it. It is definitely not something you can see anywhere else. 

While we were waiting for the main event to start during Hinamatsuri, people from Ikaho's tourism board came and spoke about some of Ikaho's special points. One that I found especialy interesting was that onsen manju (which are popular all over Japan) apparently started in Ikaho! Most onsen manju have a brown skin, and apparently that is because they were made in the image of Ikaho's natural onsen water which is brown from minerals. 面白い！ 

Shima Onsen

The hot springs of Shima

Cleanse the body and soul  

  

Shima Onsen, up in the mountains of Nakanojo, is just close enough my apartment that it's easy to visit, but just far enough away that it feels like a little escape. Relaxing in the onsen, playing in the river, or walking around the dam, Shima quickly became on of my favorite places for a little escape. 

Shima River

My favorite photo I have taken in Shima

Kannon

Blessing us from her hill

Kannon, white-garbed Goddess of Mercy

 

Takasaki City's Kannon statue, perched on a hill is quite an impressive spectacle even from a distance. She seems to be inviting you to trek up the hill to see her.

 

However in true Japanese style, the roads to get you to her are a maze, from which you can see the goal but its hard to reach. Thanks to my friends iPhone we were able to find our way.

 

 

The Kannon statue is hollow and you can climb the stair inside for a nice view. The weather wasn't to good the day we went (that seems to be a pattern...) but we were still able to enjoy a nice view of Takasaki City from the view points inside the Kannon. The Kannon also houses a number of statues of other deities, and for this reason some people apparently say she is pregnant. ha ha.

Minakami & Mt. Tanigawa

Attracting skiers and climbers

Minakami & Mt. Tanigawa  

With Minakami Hot Spring, and a plethora of outdoor activities to enjoy throughout the year, it is impossible to fully enjoy Minakami in one day. For the official Jomo Karuta trip my friend and I decided to do a canoe tour which was a total blast. (even if I did get massively sunburned) 

Since the initial trip I have returned many times, with Hodaigi being one of my favorite ski resorts (which I have so far visited) in Gunma.

Gunma-chan Snowman at Hodaigi

Tone River

The Tone

The largest river in the Kanto Region

The Tone river cuts through Gunma, and before trains and cars, was used for shipping and transportation. Gunma may be lacking a sea coast, but with a plethora of rivers including the Tone you are never far too far from water.  The photo was taken from the Kencho observatory in Maebashi. 

Oze

Oze's enchanted wetlands

fields upon fields of flowers 

Well I can DEFINITELY confirm that it is a wet land. (ha ha) My friend and I wanted to go together before she returned home for good, so we ended up going in bad weather. As a result we ended up only walking about 7km round trip. I also ended up with a about an inch of water pooled up in my backpack... :P 

The nature in Oze is vast and quite impressive. One famous plant blooming in Oze is "mizubasho." In English, skunk cabbage. Somehow the name sounds better in Japanese. 

Even though the weather was pretty terrible, and we didn't get to explore as much as we had hoped, it was a great experience. 

Hanayama Park

Hanayama Park in Tatebayashi 

Just the spot for Azaleas 

Though I am not much of a horticulturist, visiting Hanayama Park for the first time in 2011 was quite impressive. However, sadly my friend and I got a little lost in translation. The park has many types of plants not just azaleas, and we didn't know what the Japanese term for azalea was (or really any other flower for that matter). We saw a sign that in kanji said "old group of trees" and both of us were imagining huge tall trunks like the forests in our home countries. We searched and searched but all we could find were azaleas! The in park signage was also kinda crap, so when we had had our fill of azaleas we gave up and called it a day. Only later did we realize that it was a grove of old AZALEA trees, and we had been looking at them the whole time. ha ha ha ha. 

Helpful direction signs in the park...

 

I guess we should have done a little more vocab studying before this trip. ha ha ha.

Mt. Asama

Mt. Asama's vast lava beds

Creating of a mischievous demon

Asama was one of those places that is so close you never go. The mountain was an impressive landmark in the back of other local adventures (hiking other mountains, snowboarding in Tsumagoi), but I finally visited almost 2 years after my friend and I started our tour of Jomo Karuta. 

My mother is a science teacher, and on family vacations she would often get excited about "interesting" rocks, but the first time I understood her interest in rocks was walking into the Onioshidashi Park in Asama. The lava beds feel like you have been transported to another planet... 

This past weekend I visited again with a friend, to re-take photos. (I lost a bunch of data when I force-fed my computer apple tea....) The sky was a little cloudy so it was tough to see Asama in the back ground of the lava beds, but it was still a good trip. If you aren't a big fan of rocks, like my mother, the park also has a number of flowering shrubs and great collection of local goods.