gunmajet.net

The moment you mention trips around Gunma there are two places that immediatley come to mind.

The first, while not in Gunma, is still close enough to be a day trip is Nikko. It's an absolutley gorgeous place and if nature and temples is your thing it will certainly keep you entertained. Also, I've heard that there are several great trails for hiking which may make it worth an overnight stay for the hiking enthusiast.

The second place that comes to mind is Kusatsu, probably the most famous onsen town in Gunma. While a day-trip is possible I would suggest at least a one nighter, since the main point of most onsen trips is to relax. While the main focus is, of course, onsens there are several other little sights to see including a tropical animal center and a quick traditional show of how the waters used to be cooled to bathing temperatures.

Both places can be accessed by a combination of train and bus.

I haven't been to Nikko since my first year and it was so foggy that day we couldn't see the waterfall. So, if anyone is planning a trip there and doesn't mind having an "old person" along drop me a line. :)

******************************************
Brent Thomas
ALT Advisor
tel: 027-226-4618
email: thomas-br(at)pref(dot)gunma(dot)jp
******************************************

Hey,
I second Brent's ideas, Nikko is really awesome, and it tends to be a few degrees cooler there too.! I live in south-eastern Gunma (Tatebayashi area), so it's easier for us to get to other places around Kanto than it is to go north into Gunma. So, if you're in the same boat, or don't mind going a little bit further, then here are some day trips I've done or want to do.
-Tsukuba Mountain in Ibaraki
-Mito, Ibaraki (beach and awesome flower parks in the spring)
-Coco's wine festival in November (Or is it October) in Ashikaga, Tochigi.
-Kamakura, Kanagawa-ken and Yokohama, While both can be combined in one action packed day because they are on the same train line, they each deserve their own day trips. Yokohama has awesome walking tours and Chinatown, while Kamakura is old temples and just generally awesome.
-Enoshima beach
-Tokyo
-Kawagoe, Saitama- Old city with temples and old architecture
-If/when you get/borrow/steal a car, drive down to Chiba, After you go past Narita Airport, there is an amazing peninsula (Boso Hanto, I believe) with mountains, beaches and hot springs to explore. Nokogiri-yama is a must see. The National History Museum in Sakurai-shi, Chiba is so cool and they just renovated their Edo Period exhibit.
-If you feel like shopping, Omiya, Saitama is good if you don't want to go all the way to Tokyo, and there is a premium outlet mall in Sano, Tochigi http://www.premiumoutlets.co.jp/en/sano/index.php

Some of these things may be too far for a single day if you're deep in Gunma, but if you live toward the south, they should be day tripable.

Anyway, hope this helps someone out there.

Derrick

Hey, its Ken from taiko. Hit me up if you want to do anything in the area. I have a car which is an immediate immunity to any last train syndromes.

karcieri@gmail.com

Additionally, the Gunma Tourism International Association sometimes has groups bus trips to key places in Gunma. Their website is: http://www.gtia.jp/kokusai/english/index.html

Thanks for the tips, everyone!

Brent, I totally love the idea of waterfalls and Nikko! I think this coming weekend is a bit too early for plans (if not, I'm game), and the next weekend is beer garden/isesaki matsuri/taiko performance, so full up... but maybe the weekend after that we can see if a group wants to go? Otherwise, this weekend would be cool if you're interested... my contact email is rhiannon3j@softbank.ne.jp or 080-3390-5144

Derrick, ohh, a wine festival.. my kinda event! Have you been to that one? All of those look really fun! And I forgot to mention, I'm in Fujioka... so a lot of those seem viable. Thanks for the list!

Hey Ken! Dude, really? Because I'm really, seriously bored. Give me general times you aren't busy (weekends, maybe?) and we'll plan something... I'll come to you if need be (if I can). Also, just as a warning, I'm spontaneous and love tourist traps. I made Keis stop like 6 times on the way to Kanna-machi for pictures and other stuff XD

Bahia, thanks for the link! I thought I'd hit all the websites, but I missed that one, and it looks helpful!

Yeah, I went to the wine festival my first year. It's pretty fun. You sit on a hillside and listen to live music.
http://www.cocowine.com/english/harvest.html

It's about 2000yen and you get a corkscrew, a wine glass and a bottle of wine.

I recommend getting there as soon as it starts so you can get a nice spot to sit on.

Bring a blanket to sit on and a picnic lunch (The food stall lines got really long that year).