Gunma · Core city
Takasaki
高崎市たかさきしTakasaki-shiDaruma dolls and the crossroads of Gunma
Takasaki is the largest city in Gunma Prefecture and the point where the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen lines divide. A former castle town and post station on the Nakasendo, it produces most of Japan's daruma dolls and is the gateway to the Tomioka Silk Mill, Lake Haruna and Karuizawa.
Overview
Takasaki lies on the west bank of the Karasu River at the western edge of the Kanto Plain, where the old Nakasendo highway turned west towards the Usui Pass and Shinano and the Mikuni Kaido branched north to Echigo and Sado. That position has made it a crossroads for four centuries: today the Joetsu Shinkansen to Niigata and the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano and Kanazawa separate here, about 50 minutes from Tokyo.
The city grew from the castle founded by Ii Naomasa in 1598 and thrived as a merchant town. Since mergers in the 2000s it stretches from the plain up to Lake Haruna and Haruna Shrine in the mountains and west to the forests of Kurabuchi. Takasaki is Gunma's commercial centre and likes to call itself a 'music city', home to the Gunma Symphony Orchestra.
Nationally, Takasaki is known for daruma, the round red papier-mâché dolls of the Zen founder Bodhidharma, which have been made in the surrounding villages since the late Edo period and are sold in great numbers at the New Year daruma market.
Landmarks
Shorinzan Daruma-ji
少林山達磨寺Shōrinzan Daruma-jiObaku Zen temple regarded as the birthplace of the Takasaki daruma, with halls full of dolls returned by their owners.
Takasaki Byakui Dai-Kannon
高崎白衣大観音Takasaki Byakue Dai-KannonA 41.8-metre concrete statue of the White-Robed Kannon on the Kannon-yama hills, open inside to a viewpoint at shoulder height.
Kozuke Sanpi
上野三碑Kōzuke SanpiThree stone monuments – Yamanoue, Tago and Kanaizawa – with inscriptions of the seventh and eighth centuries.
Kannonyama Kofun
観音山古墳Kannon'yama KofunSixth-century keyhole-shaped burial mound whose unlooted chamber yielded bronze mirrors and gilt ornaments now designated National Treasures.
Haruna Shrine
榛名神社Haruna JinjaMountain shrine among giant cedars and towering rock pillars on the approach to Lake Haruna.
Lake Haruna
榛名湖Haruna-koCaldera lake beneath the cone of Haruna-Fuji, with boating in summer and ice fishing in winter.
Takasaki City Theatre
高崎芸術劇場Takasaki Geijutsu GekijōLarge concert and theatre complex next to the station, a home of the Gunma Symphony Orchestra.
Districts
Station west
The traditional centre between the station and the castle site, with shopping streets and the city hall tower.
Castle site
高崎城址Takasaki-jōshiMoats and a restored turret of Takasaki Castle around the city hall and Shiroyama park.
Kannon-yama
観音山Kannon'yamaWooded hills west of the river with the Byakui Kannon and views across the plain.
Haruna
榛名HarunaMountain district in the north with the shrine, the lake and plum orchards on the lower slopes.
History
The area is rich in ancient remains: the Kannonyama kofun and other burial mounds, and the Kozuke Sanpi, three inscribed stelae of 681, 711 and 726 that are among the oldest stone inscriptions in Japan and part of UNESCO's Memory of the World register. In the Sengoku period Minowa Castle, north-west of today's centre, was the stronghold of the Nagano clan.
Ii Naomasa, one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's leading generals, moved from Minowa to a new castle on the Karasu River in 1598 and named the place Takasaki. As a castle town and a busy post station, it became the commercial centre of western Kozuke. The railway from Ueno reached the city in 1884, and it received city status in 1900. An air raid in August 1945 damaged the centre; post-war Takasaki grew as a rail hub, and the Byakui Kannon, Shinkansen station and cultural facilities have made it Gunma's best-known city.
681–726
The three Kozuke Sanpi stelae are erected in the area of today's southern Takasaki.
1598
Ii Naomasa builds Takasaki Castle and names the town.
1697
Shorinzan Daruma-ji is founded; daruma-making develops among local farmers in the following century.
1884
The Nippon Railway line from Ueno reaches Takasaki.
1900
Takasaki receives city status.
1934–1936
The German architect Bruno Taut lives at the Senshintei pavilion of Shorinzan Daruma-ji.
1936
The 41.8 m Byakui Dai-Kannon statue is completed on Kannon-yama.
1982
The Joetsu Shinkansen opens; the Nagano (Hokuriku) Shinkansen follows in 1997.
2006
Mergers extend the city to Haruna, Kurabuchi and neighbouring towns.
Culture
Takasaki's image combines daruma, music and film. The Gunma Symphony Orchestra, founded after the war with strong civic support, gave rise to the city's identity as a music city, and the Takasaki Film Festival has been held every spring since the 1980s. The German architect Bruno Taut spent two years at the Daruma-ji, designing craft objects with local artisans.
Festivals
Takasaki Daruma Market
高崎だるま市Takasaki Daruma-ichiOn 1–2 January in the city centre, when makers sell daruma of all sizes.
Shichikusa Grand Festival
七草大祭Nanakusa TaisaiThe New Year festival of Shorinzan Daruma-ji on 6–7 January, with a traditional daruma fair on the temple slope.
Takasaki Festival
高崎まつりTakasaki MatsuriSummer festival in August with festival floats of the old town districts and a large fireworks display.
Food
Daruma bento
だるま弁当Daruma bentōA classic station lunch sold at Takasaki since 1960 in a daruma-shaped container.
Takasaki pasta
高崎パスタTakasaki pasutaThe wheat-growing city has an unusually dense scene of pasta restaurants and holds a pasta competition.
Haruna plums
榛名梅Haruna umePlums from the orchards on the lower slopes of Mount Haruna, made into umeboshi and plum wine.
Okkirikomi
おっきりこみokkirikomiGunma's broad noodles simmered with vegetables.
Getting around
- Takasaki Station is served by the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen (about 50 minutes from Tokyo) and by the JR Takasaki Line from Ueno and Shinjuku.
- The JR Ryomo Line runs to Maebashi, the JR Agatsuma Line branches north towards Kusatsu, and the JR Shin'etsu Line runs west to Yokokawa at the foot of the Usui Pass.
- The Joshin Electric Railway leaves from Takasaki Station for Joshu-Tomioka and the silk mill.
- Buses run to Lake Haruna and Haruna Shrine and to the Byakui Kannon.
Day trips
The World Heritage silk mill, about 40 minutes by the Joshin Electric Railway.
Highland resort in Nagano, about 15 minutes by Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Gunma's capital, 15 minutes by train, and the road up to Mount Akagi.
Gunma's most famous hot spring, via the JR Agatsuma Line and bus.
Usui Pass and Yokokawa
碓氷峠Usui-tōgeRailway heritage park and the brick Meganebashi viaduct of the former mountain railway.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Why is Takasaki famous for daruma?
Farmers around Shorinzan Daruma-ji began making papier-mâché daruma as a winter side job in the late Edo period. Takasaki still produces the great majority of Japan's daruma.
How do daruma dolls work?
A daruma is bought with blank eyes. The owner paints in one eye when making a wish and the second when it comes true, then returns the doll to a temple to be burned.
How long does it take from Tokyo to Takasaki?
About 50 minutes by Joetsu or Hokuriku Shinkansen, or around 1 hour 45 minutes by the JR Takasaki Line from Ueno.
Is Takasaki a good base for the Tomioka Silk Mill?
Yes. The Joshin Electric Railway runs from Takasaki Station to Joshu-Tomioka, a short walk from the mill.
Related
Sources
- 1.高崎市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 高崎市 (Takasaki City)
- 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
- 3.上野三碑 — Memory of the World (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO
- 4.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — JNTO