G’-nowNewsletter from Gunma

May 2013, Gunma PrefectureMail to: visit-gunma@pref.gunma.lg.jp

Hello! This is G’-now, the newsletter from

Gunma Prefecture. Spring has come with the

beautiful blooming of cherry trees. Now is the

time for other glorious flowers! From spring

to early summer, Gunma is decorated with

colorful flowers.

Gunma-chan,

Mascot character of Gunma Prefecture

At Tsutsujigaoka Park, 10,000 shrubs of azaleas

with over 50 varieties are in bloom during mid-April

to mid-May. 800-year-old trees are a sight to see.

Location: 3128-5 Hanayama-cho, Tatebayashi-shi,

Gunma

Access: About 25 min on foot from Tatebayashi

Station on Tobu Railway Isesaki Line

<Azalea Festival>

Period: 15 (Mon) April – 15 (Wed) May 2013

Website: http://www.utyututuji.jp/ (Japanese)

AzaleaMt. Akagi is another spot for beautiful

azalea viewing.500,000 shrubs of azalea

with 14 varieties are in bloom during

early June to early July.

Location: 1-14 Akagisan, Fujimi-machi,

Maebashi-shi, Gunma

Access: About 60 min by bus from

Maebashi Station on JR Ryomo Line

<Mt. Akagi Fresh Green and Azalea

Week>

Period: 2 (Sun) – 30 (Sun) June 2013

Website:

http://www.city.maebashi.gunma.jp/kan

ko/398/p004171.html (Japanese)

Welcome!

Once the warm temperature covers the

prefecture, various kinds of flowers began to

be in bloom one and another.

Azalea (tsutsuji in Japanese) is one of them.

As this is the representative flower of Gunma

Prefecture, you can enjoy splendid scenery of

azaleas in various places in the prefecture.

Over 600,000 shrubs of Japanese azaleas

at Kazawa Yunomaru Plateau are

designated as a special natural

monument. You can enjoy the view of

the plateau with red carpet of azaleas

during mid-June to early July.

Location: Tashiro, Tsumagoi-mura,

Agatsuma-gun, Gunma

Access: About 30 min by car from

Manza-Kazawaguchi Station on JR

Agatsuma Line

<Yunomaru Plateau Azalea Festival>

Date: 23 (Sun) June 2013

Website: http://www.tsumagoi-

kankou.jp/ (Japanese)

And other kinds of flowers are also waiting for your visit!

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Japanese Iris

At Tatebayashi Japanese Iris Garden, 400,000

Japanese irises with 270 varieties are in bloom

during early to late June.

Location: (Within Tsutsujigaoka Second Park)

8-1 Obiki-cho, Tatebayashi-shi, Gunma

Access: About 10 min by car from Tatebayashi

IC of Tohoku Expressway

<The 21nd Japanese Iris Festival>

Period: 8 (Sat) – 23 (Sun) June 2013

Website: http://www.utyututuji.jp/season-

summer.html (Japanese)

Wisteria Rhododendron

Rose

Fuji no Saku Oka is a park with splendid

wisteria blooming. You shouldn’t miss to

walk through the 250-meter-long wisteria

trellis!

Location: 2690-7 Fujioka, Fujioka-shi, Gunma

Access: About 10 min by car from Fujioka IC

of Joshin-Etsu Expressway

<Wisteria Festival>

Period: 27 (Sat) April – 12 (Sun) May 2013

Website:

http://www.city.fujioka.gunma.jp/kakuka/f_

syoko/fujinosakuoka.html (Japanese)

You can enjoy beautiful rhododendron

blooming at Asama Plateau Rhododendron

Park.

Location: Kanbara, Tsumagoi-mura, Agatsuma-

gun, Gunma

Access: About 70 min by car from Usui-

Karuizawa IC of Joshin-Etsu Expressway

<Rhododendron Festival>

Period: 17 (Fri) May – 9 (Sun) June 2013

Website: http://asama-

s.seesaa.net/article/257254261.html

(Japanese)

Rose Garden in Shikishima Park is a

gorgeous garden with 7,000 roses with 600

varieties blooming.

Location: 262 Shikishima-cho, Maebashi-shi,

Gunma

Access: About 20 min by bus from

Maebashi Station on JR Ryomo Line

<Rose Garden Festival>

Period: 18 (Sat) May – 9 (Sun) June 2013

Website:

http://www.city.maebashi.gunma.jp/kanko

/398/p004171.html (Japanese)

Gunma Flower Park holds 7 different flower

festivals in a year. During Rose Festival, one of

the 7 festivals, 1,600 roses with 320 varieties

decorate the park beautifully.

Location: 2471-7 Kashiwagura-machi, Maebashi-

shi, Gunma

Access: About 30 min by car from Isesaki IC of

Kita-Kanto Expressway

<Rose Festival>

Period: 25 (Sat) May – 23 (Sun) June 2013

Website: http://www.flower-

park.jp/festival/index.html (Japanese)

24,000 Japanese irises are in bloom at

Akabori Japanese Iris Park in Isesaki. Plants

area is ancient waterway called “Onna-bori”

which is nationally designated as a

historical site.

Location: 213 and other place in

Shimofurei-cho, Isesaki-shi, Gunma

Access: About 5 min by car from Isesaki IC

of Kita-Kanto Expressway

Website:

http://www.isesaki.ne.jp/kankoukyoukai/h

ana.html (Japanese)

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Lotus Flower

Lily

Hydrangea

Ota-Yoshizawa Yuri no Sato holds 1,500,000

lilies with 50 varieties that are in bloom during

early June to mid-July.

Location: 2168 Yoshizawa-cho, Ota-shi,

Gunma

Access: About 10 min by car from Ota- Kiryu IC

of Kita-Kanto Expressway

Opening Period: 8 (Sat ) June – 15 (Mon/

holiday) July 2013

Website: http://ota-yuri.com/ (Japanese)

Lilies at Oze Iwakura Lily Garden are in

bloom a month later than that of Ota. At the

large area which welcomed many skiers

during winter season, 3,000,000 lilies with 50

varieties are beautifully in bloom during mid-

July to late August.

Location: 2609 Tsuchiide, Katashina-mura,

Tone-gun, Gunma

Access: About 50 min by car from Numata IC

of Kan-Etsu Expressway

Website: http://www.oze-

iwakura.co.jp/yuri/ (Japanese)

Hydrangea blooms beautifully during rainy

season in Japan. Onoike Hydrangea Park

in Shibukawa is one place where you can

enjoy about 8,000 hydrangeas during mid-

June to mid-July.

Location: 2979 Shibukawa, Shibukawa-shi,

Gunma

Access: About 10 min by car from

Shibukawa Station on JR Joetsu Line

Website:

http://www2.wind.ne.jp/heso/floral/

(Japanese)

Sori Station becomes a nice spot to stop

by; about 2,200 hydrangeas are in bloom

near the platform of the station during

late June to mid-July.

Location: Sori, Azuma-cho, Midori-shi,

Gunma

Access: Sori Station on Watarase Keikoku

Railway

Website: http://www.watetsu.com/

(Japanese)

Beautiful lotus flower can be seen

especially in the morning at Akabori Lotus

Park. Blooming season in early July to

mid-August.

Location: 301 Iso-cho, Isesaki-shi, Gunma

Access: About 25 min by car from Isesaki

Station on JR Ryomo Line

Website:

http://www.isesaki.ne.jp/kankoukyoukai/

hasuen.htm (Japanese)

During early July to mid-August, you can enjoy

pale pink lotus flower up close from boat at

Jonuma and Kojonuma Marsh in Tatebayashi.

Also, lotus flowers with about 200 varieties are

displayed at Tsutsujigaoka Park-In.

Location: 3128-5 Hanayama-cho, Tatebayashi-

shi, Gunma

Access: About 10 min by car from Tatebayashi

IC of Tohoku Expressway

<The 11th Jonuma Lotus Flower Festival>

Period: 10 (Wed) July – 15 (Wed) August 2013

Website: http://www.utyututuji.jp/season-

summer.html (Japanese)

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Isobe Senbei is the Gunma’s gourmet of this

month. It is a local specialty using flour,

sugar and mineral water of Isobe Onsen. It

has long been one of souvenirs that

represents Isobe Onsen as its crunchiness

and sweet aroma have attracted many

people.

You can try the simple but delicious taste of

Isobe Senbei at 19 shops in Isobe Onsen. You

should try it when you visit Gunma’s flower

viewing spots especially in Fujioka and

nearby cities!

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The number I show on each

spot corresponds to the

number on the map!

9

1

15

10

8 14

13

3

7

6

5

2

4

12Access to Gunma (Takasaki Sta.)

From Tokyo:

Kan-Etsu Expressway About 60 min

(From Nerima IC to Takasaki IC)

Joetsu Shinkansen About 50 min

Nagano Shinkansen About 50 min

(From Tokyo Sta. to Takasaki Sta.)

From Haneda Airport:

Express Bus About 135 min

(From Haneda Airport to Takasaki Sta.

West Exit)

From Narita Int’l Airport:

Express Bus About 180 min

(From Narita Int’l Airport to Takasaki Sta.

West Exit)

Gunma’s Gourmet

of This Month

“Gunma Bureau of Tourism G’face” www.facebook.com/visitgunma.En, “Tourist Guide of Gunma Prefecture” www.visitgunma.jp/en

Find more about tourism on Gunma at;

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