Kusatsu Onsen
Japan's most acidic and most famous hot-spring resort; the Yubatake hot-water field at town center is iconic. The yumomi (water-stirring) ceremony has run continuously since the Edo period.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Gunma 群馬県
Mountain-rimmed inland prefecture famous for ancient hot springs (Kusatsu, Ikaho, Minakami), Takasaki daruma dolls, the UNESCO-listed Tomioka Silk Mill that bankrolled Meiji industrialization, and an automotive belt anchored by Subaru's Gunma plant.
Capital
Maebashi
Population
1.9 million
Area
6,362 km²
Region
Kantō
History
Gunma's Jomon and Kofun-era footprint is one of the densest in eastern Japan — the prefecture's name itself derives from 'Kuruma-no-Kuni' (Country of Carriages), referring to ancient horse-breeding clans.
In 1872 the Meiji government opened Tomioka Silk Mill with French engineering and Japanese female labor, making Tomioka the world's largest mechanized silk filature. Silk export earnings underwrote almost everything else Japan industrialized in the late 19th century. Tomioka was inscribed UNESCO World Heritage in 2014.
Postwar Gunma reinvented itself around automotive (Fuji Heavy Industries / Subaru, now publicly owned), beer (Asahi Gunma), and high-altitude vegetable agriculture — but the prefecture's deeper identity remains its onsen towns, where Edo-period bathing rituals are still practiced unchanged.
Economy & business
Gunma's prefectural GDP is around ¥9.0 trillion (US$61 billion). Subaru's Ōta plant is its single largest economic engine, producing the Forester, Outback, and Levorg for global export. Agriculture punches hard in cool-climate cabbage, lettuce, and konnyaku (Gunma grows ~95% of Japan's konnyaku-imo).
Key industries
Automotive
Subaru's Ōta plant produces virtually all of the company's export models.
Agriculture
Japan's #1 cabbage producer (Tsumagoi village) and ~95% of national konnyaku-imo output.
Tourism — onsen
Kusatsu, Ikaho, Minakami, Manza — Gunma has more famous historical hot springs than any other prefecture.
Craft & manufacturing
Takasaki daruma (80% national), Kiryū silk weaving, food processing.
Renewables & electronics
Hydropower from the Tone River system; Sanyo Electric, Hitachi Astemo manufacturing.
Notable companies
Subaru (Ōta plant)SandenAsahi Breweries (Gunma)Toshiba (Numata)Gunma BankKiryū Textile Co.Yamada Holdings (HQ Maebashi)
Trade partners
United StatesChinaCanadaAustraliaMexico
Tourism highlights
Tomioka Silk Mill
Meiji-era brick-and-iron silk filature; the original 1872 building still stands intact. UNESCO World Heritage.
Open in Maps ↗Ikaho Onsen
Stone-stairway town built on volcanic slope; 365 stairs lined with shops, baths, and ryokan.
Open in Maps ↗Oze National Park
Marshland alpine plateau; wooden boardwalks crossing meadows of skunk cabbage in May and Japanese gentian in autumn.
Open in Maps ↗Mt. Tanigawa
Notoriously dangerous peak (most fatalities of any mountain in the world); for the rest of us a scenic ropeway and ski area.
Open in Maps ↗Takasaki Daruma Market
Early-January market that sells ~800,000 red papier-mâché Daruma dolls in a single day.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Mt. Tanigawa holds the world record for mountaineering fatalities — over 800 since records began — earning it the nickname 'the mountain of death' among Japanese climbers.
Gunma grows ~95% of all konnyaku-imo (devil's tongue tuber) consumed in Japan; the gelatinous konnyaku block on your oden plate started here.
Tomioka Silk Mill, opened in 1872, was the largest mechanized silk filature in the world; the building has stood essentially unchanged for over 150 years and was inscribed UNESCO World Heritage in 2014.
About Gunma — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Gunma?
The capital of Gunma is Maebashi.
What region of Japan is Gunma in?
Gunma is part of the Kantō region of Japan.
What are Gunma's main industries?
Gunma's key industries include Automotive, Agriculture, Tourism — onsen, Craft & manufacturing.
What are the top tourist attractions in Gunma?
Top attractions in Gunma include Kusatsu Onsen, Tomioka Silk Mill, Ikaho Onsen, Oze National Park.
What major companies are based in Gunma?
Notable companies headquartered in Gunma include Subaru (Ōta plant), Sanden, Asahi Breweries (Gunma), Toshiba (Numata), Gunma Bank.
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