Hello! This is G’-now, the newsletter from . Spring has come with the beautiful blooming of cherry trees. Now is the time for other glorious flowers! From spring to early summer, Gunma is decorated with colorful flowers.

Gunma-chan , G’-now Mascot character of Gunma Prefecture Newsletter from Gunma May 2013, Gunma Prefecture Mail to: [email protected] Once the warm temperature covers the prefecture, various kinds of flowers began to be in bloom one and another. Azalea (tsutsuji in Japanese) is one of them. As this is the representative flower of Gunma Prefecture, you can enjoy splendid scenery of azaleas in various places in the prefecture.

1 At Tsutsujigaoka Park , 10,000 shrubs of azaleas with over 50 varieties are in bloom during mid-April to mid-May. 800-year-old trees are a sight to see. Welcome! Location: 3128-5 Hanayama-cho, Tatebayashi-shi, Gunma Access: About 25 min on foot from Tatebayashi Station on Line Period: 15 (Mon) April – 15 (Wed) May 2013 Website: http://www.utyututuji.jp/ (Japanese) Azalea Over 600,000 shrubs of Japanese azaleas Mt. Akagi is another spot for beautiful at Kazawa Yunomaru Plateau are azalea viewing.500,000 shrubs of azalea designated as a special natural with 14 varieties are in bloom during monument. You can enjoy the view of early June to early July. the plateau with red carpet of azaleas Location: 1-14 Akagisan, Fujimi-machi, during mid-June to early July. -shi, Gunma Location: Tashiro, -mura, Access: About 60 min by bus from Agatsuma-gun, Gunma on JR Access: About 30 min by car from Manza-Kazawaguchi Station on JR Period: 2 (Sun) – 30 (Sun) June 2013 Website: Date: 23 (Sun) June 2013 3 http://www.city.maebashi.gunma.jp/kan Website: http://www.tsumagoi- 2 ko/398/p004171.html (Japanese) kankou.jp/ (Japanese) And other kinds of flowers are also waiting for your visit! Fuji no Saku Oka is a park with splendid Wisteria Rhododendron You can enjoy beautiful rhododendron wisteria blooming. You shouldn’t miss to blooming at Plateau Rhododendron walk through the 250-meter-long wisteria Park . trellis! Location: Kanbara, Tsumagoi-mura, Agatsuma- Location: 2690-7 Fujioka, Fujioka-shi, Gunma gun, Gunma Access: About 10 min by car from Fujioka IC Access: About 70 min by car from Usui- of Joshin-Etsu Expressway Karuizawa IC of Joshin-Etsu Expressway Period: 27 (Sat) April – 12 (Sun) May 2013 Period: 17 (Fri) May – 9 (Sun) June 2013 Website: Website: http://asama- http://www.city.fujioka.gunma.jp/kakuka/f_ s.seesaa.net/article/257254261.html syoko/fujinosakuoka.html (Japanese) (Japanese) 4 5 Rose Rose Garden in Shikishima Park is a Gunma Flower Park holds 7 different flower gorgeous garden with 7,000 roses with 600 festivals in a year. During Rose Festival, one of varieties blooming. the 7 festivals, 1,600 roses with 320 varieties Location: 262 Shikishima-cho, Maebashi-shi, decorate the park beautifully. Gunma Location: 2471-7 Kashiwagura-machi, Maebashi- Access: About 20 min by bus from shi, Gunma Maebashi Station on JR Ryomo Line Access: About 30 min by car from Isesaki IC of Kita-Kanto Expressway Period: 18 (Sat) May – 9 (Sun) June 2013 Website: Period: 25 (Sat) May – 23 (Sun) June 2013 http://www.city.maebashi.gunma.jp/kanko 6 7 Website: http://www.flower- /398/p004171.html (Japanese) park.jp/festival/index.html (Japanese) Japanese Iris

24,000 Japanese irises are in bloom at At Tatebayashi Japanese Iris Garden , 400,000 Akabori Japanese Iris Park in Isesaki. Plants Japanese irises with 270 varieties are in bloom area is ancient waterway called “Onna-bori” during early to late June. which is nationally designated as a Location: (Within Tsutsujigaoka Second Park) historical site. 8-1 Obiki-cho, Tatebayashi-shi, Gunma Location: 213 and other place in Access: About 10 min by car from Tatebayashi Shimofurei-cho, Isesaki-shi, Gunma IC of Tohoku Expressway Access: About 5 min by car from Isesaki IC of Kita-Kanto Expressway Website: Period: 8 (Sat) – 23 (Sun) June 2013 http://www.isesaki.ne.jp/kankoukyoukai/h Website: http://www.utyututuji.jp/season- ana.html (Japanese) 8 9 summer.html (Japanese) Lily

Lilies at Oze Iwakura Lily Garden are in Ota-Yoshizawa Yuri no Sato holds 1,500,000 bloom a month later than that of Ota. At the lilies with 50 varieties that are in bloom during large area which welcomed many skiers early June to mid-July. during winter season, 3,000,000 lilies with 50 Location: 2168 Yoshizawa-cho, Ota-shi, varieties are beautifully in bloom during mid- Gunma July to late August. Access: About 10 min by car from Ota- Kiryu IC Location: 2609 Tsuchiide, Katashina-mura, of Kita-Kanto Expressway Tone-gun, Gunma Opening Period: 8 (Sat ) June – 15 (Mon/ Access: About 50 min by car from Numata IC holiday) July 2013 of Kan-Etsu Expressway Website: http://ota-yuri.com/ (Japanese) Website: http://www.oze- 10 11 iwakura.co.jp/yuri/ (Japanese) Hydrangea Hydrangea blooms beautifully during rainy season in . Onoike Hydrangea Park Sori Station becomes a nice spot to stop in Shibukawa is one place where you can by; about 2,200 hydrangeas are in bloom enjoy about 8,000 hydrangeas during mid- near the platform of the station during June to mid-July. late June to mid-July. Location: 2979 Shibukawa, Shibukawa-shi, Location: Sori, Azuma-cho, Midori-shi, Gunma Gunma Access: About 10 min by car from Access: Sori Station on Watarase Keikoku Shibukawa Station on JR Joetsu Line Railway Website: Website: http://www.watetsu.com/ http://www2.wind.ne.jp/heso/floral/ (Japanese) (Japanese) 12 13

During early July to mid-August, you can enjoy Lotus Flower pale pink lotus flower up close from boat at Beautiful lotus flower can be seen Jonuma and Kojonuma Marsh in Tatebayashi. especially in the morning at Akabori Lotus Also, lotus flowers with about 200 varieties are Park . Blooming season in early July to displayed at Tsutsujigaoka Park-In. mid-August. Location: 3128-5 Hanayama-cho, Tatebayashi- Location: 301 Iso-cho, Isesaki-shi, Gunma shi, Gunma Access: About 25 min by car from Isesaki Access: About 10 min by car from Tatebayashi Station on JR Ryomo Line IC of Tohoku Expressway Website: th http://www.isesaki.ne.jp/kankoukyoukai/ hasuen.htm (Japanese) Period: 10 (Wed) July – 15 (Wed) August 2013 Website: http://www.utyututuji.jp/season- summer.html (Japanese) 14 15 Gunma’s Gourmet The number I show on each spot corresponds to the of This Month 1 number on the map! Isobe Senbei is the Gunma’s gourmet of this month. It is a local specialty using flour, 11 sugar and mineral water of Isobe . It has long been one of souvenirs that represents Isobe Onsen as its crunchiness and sweet aroma have attracted many people. You can try the simple but delicious taste of Isobe Senbei at 19 shops in Isobe Onsen. You should try it when you visit Gunma’s flower viewing spots especially in Fujioka and nearby cities! 13

5 12 3 Access to Gunma ( Sta.) 7 2 6 From : 8 14 Kan-Etsu Expressway About 60 min 10 (From IC to Takasaki IC) About 50 min Shinkansen About 50 min 4 15 (From Tokyo Sta. to Takasaki Sta.) 9 1 From Haneda Airport: Express Bus About 135 min (From Haneda Airport to Takasaki Sta. West Exit) From Narita Int’l Airport: Express Bus About 180 min (From Narita Int’l Airport to Takasaki Sta. West Exit) Find more about tourism on Gunma at; “Gunma Bureau of Tourism G’face ” www.facebook.com/visitgunma.En , “Tourist Guide of Gunma Prefecture” www.visitgunma.jp/en