Sightseeing

Yamana-Hachimangu is a local shrine with an eight hundred year history, located adjacent to Yamana Station. The colorful main shrine was beautifully restored some time ago. There is a cafe and a bakery in the grounds. A market is held here once every two months.

Admission free

https://yamana8.net

This is a draft post.

The facility introduces the value and attractiveness of Tomioka Silk Mill as a World Heritage site in an easy-to-understand manner, and in cooperation with universities and the private sector, conducts research on World Heritage sites, the silk industry, and the history and culture related to silk, and disseminates comprehensive information.

Opening hours: 9:00-17:00

Closed days:
– March – November: Last Wednesday of every month
– December – February: Every Wednesday
(*If it is a national holiday, closed on the next day)
– December 29 – December 31
– Other temporary closures

Free admission

Kanaizawa-hi is one of the Three Stelae of Kozuke, registered in the Memory of the World Program by UNESCO. It is the oldest group among the ancient (7th-11th century) stone monuments, of which only 18 examples exist in Japan, and has been carefully protected.

The Kanaizawa-hi is a stone monument erected in 726 (in the first half of the Nara Period) by a powerful family, in memory of their ancestors and for the prosperity of the family. It tells of the spread of Buddhism in the ancient East, family relations, and facts about the administrative system.

It is 110 cm high, 70 cm wide, and 65 cm thick. It is made of hard andesite, a natural stone, and has 112 characters written vertically in nine lines on the flat front surface. Due to weathering, some of the characters are illegible. It is stored in the building now for preservation.

https://www.city.takasaki.gunma.jp/info/sanpi/en/04.html

Syorinzan Darumaji is well known as the birthplace of daruma, a Japanese lucky charm. About 200 years ago, the ninth chief abbot carved a wooden model based on the Chinese Zen master Daruma. He then taught neighboring farmers how to make papier-mâché daruma dolls to help those who were struggling from severe famine. They were sold on the day of the New Year’s Festival, a tradition that continues to this day.

It is located in a quiet mountainous area, and is nice to stroll around. Painting Daruma experience is available without reservation.

https://www.daruma.or.jp/eng/

There are many ancient tombs in Gunma Prefecture. Kannonyama Kofun is one of them.

It is a 100-meter-long tomb in the form of a keyhole-shaped burial mound. It was built in the late 6th century, more than 1,400 years ago. It is the grave of a person who ruled the area now known as Takasaki City.

Some of the artifacts excavated from the Kannonyama Tumulus are designated as national treasures and are housed at the Prefectural Museum of History in Gunma no Mori.

Stone chambers in ancient tombs are usually already dug out, and in most cases the items that were supposed to be stored inside have been stolen. Fortunately however, the tomb thief was unable to dig out the stone chamber of this tomb because it had collapsed, and the items stored by the tomb owner at the time were unearthed exactly as they were. This is extremely rare in Japan.

https://www.pref.gunma.jp/03/x4510004.html

Gunma Gokoku Jinja is a shrine with a large garden, which is especially beautiful in cherry blossom season. It’s therefore a popular spot for photography. It is located at the foot of Kannonyama.

No admission fee

Exorcism prayer: 9:00-16:00, from ¥6,000

http://www.gunmagokoku.info/