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Takasaki
Core city in Kantō, Japan

Takasaki

Takasaki is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.

Plan a trip to Takasaki→From Tokyo

As of 31 August 2020, the city had an estimated population of 372,369 in 167,345 households, and a population density of 810 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 459.16 square kilometres (177.28 sq mi). Takasaki is famous as the hometown of the Daruma doll, theoretically representing the Buddhist sage Bodhidharma and in modern practice a symbol of good luck. Takasaki has been the largest city in Gunma Prefecture since 1990 after overtaking Maebashi.

Get in

Getting to Takasaki

From Narita Airport (NRT IATA), Takasaki is served by Azalea Limousine Buses operated by Chiba Kotsu; buses leave once every 1 1/2-2 hours (3 hours to/from Takasaki Station, ¥4500). By train, the easiest (and most expensive) way to reach Maebashi is to take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station, then the Joetsu Shinkansen to Takasaki (Approx. 2 1/4 hours, ¥7800, no charge with the Japan Rail Pass or JR East Pass).

  1. 01
    Takasaki Station

    Takasaki is a stop on the Joetsu Shinkansen and Nagano Shinkansen lines, and is a hub for the JR Takasaki, Hachiko, Ryomo, Joetsu and Shin-etsu lines.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Mt. Kannonyama (観音山). This mountain
  2. 02
    Shōrinzan Daruma Temple

    Famous for being the place where daruma dolls originated.

  3. 03
    Gunma Prefectural Museum of Modern Art
  4. 04
    Haruna Shrine

    A "power spot" built into the side of large rocks.

  5. 05
    Minowa Castle
Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    Otsuka Pharmaceutical

    If you are a huge fan of the Pocari Sweat sports beverage, and have some Japanese language ability, you can tour one of the facilities where it's made.

Eat

Where to eat

Shōya (庄や), 117-8 Yajima-cho (on the ground level on the left side of the plaza at the West Exit of JR Takasaki station),. 16:00-25:00; -23:00 Sun and holidays. Chain izakaya at a convenient location. This is a pleasant place to sample a wide variety of specialty snacks and sake from around Japan while you wait for train connections.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.