Takasaki

Takasaki (高崎) is a city in Gunma prefecture in Honshu, Japan.

Understand
Takasaki, about 100km north of Tokyo, is famous as the hometown of the Daruma doll. It is also the hometown of former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a bilingual guide site.

By plane
From Narita Airport, 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). Reservations for the Narita Express and Shinkansen can all be made from Narita Airport.

From Haneda Airport, Limousine buses operate to/from Takasaki Station (3 hours, ¥3500). Going by train is much faster, but more expensive and requires more transfers: The Keikyu Line to Shinagawa, the Yamanote Line to Tokyo, and the Shinkansen to Takasaki (Approx. 1 3/4 hours, ¥5200; cheaper with unreserved shinkansen seat). You can purchase tickets for the JR portion of the journey upon reaching Shinagawa.

By bus
Nippon Chuo Bus operates several daytime bus services from the Tokyo area to Takasaki. All buses stop at the Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku, with some buses also stopping in Ikebukuro and Akihabara (2 1/4 hours to/from Shinjuku, ¥1500).

Other long distance buses include the Tokai Liner daytime runs from Shizuoka and Nagoya, Sendai Liner overnight runs from Sendai, and Silk Liner overnight runs from Nara, Kyoto and Osaka. All of these buses are operated by Nippon Chuo Bus.

Get around
The city centre is easily walkable, but to get to most of the sites, bus, bicycle, or car are needed. Buses are usually infrequent and there is no English information. Ask the tourist information board at the train station for information on bus times.

Buy
Daruma dolls are the local specialty. The souvenirs shop at the train station sells them in small sizes and in all colours. Or you can go to the daruma temple and buy them in all sizes (and they can get quite big), although only in red.

Eat



 * Yaki-manju is a Japanese sweet famous in Gumma. It's broiled manju, Japanese-style bun with sweet soybean sauce. You can buy one at any shop with a long line of customers.

Go next

 * Tomioka Silk Mill (富岡製糸場) - 20 kilometers away, it is a factory established in 1872, preserved as a UNESCO Cultural Site and worth a visit.
 * Ashikaga - historical home of the Ashikaga shoguns
 * Karuizawa - a popular winter and summer getaway with skiing and shopping - a traditional shopping street as well as a huge outlet mall with a number of Western brand stores. One stop westbound from Takasaki on the Shinkansen.
 * For a slightly less expensive route take the Shin-etsu Line west to Yokogawa Station in Annaka and take a 30-minute bus ride through the hills to Karuizawa Station. Savings aside, the bus is worth the extra time during autumn for the colorful scenery.
 * Kusatsu
 * Higashiagatsuma
 * Maebashi
 * Numata
 * Shibukawa