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Takayama is a village in the Agatsuma district of Gunma. The village has a population of just over 4000 people. The kanji for Takayama mean tall mountain(s). This is appropriate as the village is just about surrounded by mountains.

Things in Takayama:

Schools- There are two schools in Takayama: Takayama Jr. High School (高山村立高山中学校) and Takayama Elementary School (高山村立高山小学校).

Star Festival (星まつり) - This festival is held every year at the end of February. A giant star is lighted in the evening at the national youth hostel. The star is accompanied by lighted kanji. The kanji change from year to year, so there's always something new to look forward to.

Hiking - As Takayama is encircled by mountains, hiking trails abound. The hiking in Takayama is easy going and can definitely be done as a day trip.

Golf - If you like golf, there are four courses available in Takayama.

Onsens - Takayama has two hotspring facilities: Takayama Onsen Fureai Plaza and Takayama Onsen Ibuki-no-Yu.

Gunma Astronomical Observatory - As the village is home to this observatory, there is an ordinance regarding "light pollution". The village asks for residents' and visitors' cooperation in keeping the sky easy to observe.

Lockheart Castle - Lockheart Castle is an actual Scottish castle that was dissasembled, shipped to Japan, and then pieced back together again. (This was during the "bubble" era.) The castle has shops, stages events, and hosts weddings.

Gunma Prefecture (or Gumma if spelled phonetically) (群馬県; Gunma-ken) is located in the Kanto area of Honshu, Japan. The capital is Maebashi. The kanji for Gunma mean "herd of horses."

History

In the past, Gunma was joined with Tochigi Prefecture and called Kenu Province. This was later divided into Kami-kenu (Upper Kenu, Gunma) and Shimo-kenu (Lower Kenu, Tochigi). The area is sometimes referred to as Jomo (上毛, Jōmō). For most of Japanese history, Gunma was known as the province of Kozuke.

Geography

Gunma is the northwestern-most prefecture of the Kanto area. The northern part is mostly mountainous, with more of the population concentrated in the southern flatter half facing Saitama Prefecture. The northern part of Gunma has a colder climate more like the Hokuriku region than the lower parts of the Kanto plain. The southern part can be as hot as Tokyo in the summer.

Gunma is blessed with incredibly strong winds that rip through the area at typhoon-like speeds. There is a saying about Gunma that goes 「かかあ天下とからっ風」 which is akin to "Strong women and strong winds."

Gunma is said to be shaped like a crane in flight with its head at the south-east. Since Gunma is a land-locked prefecture, it is said that Gunma is a crane that has never seen the sea.

Cities, Towns, and Villages

12 cities are located in Gunma Prefecture.
An'naka
Fujioka
Isesaki
Kiryu
Maebashi (capital)
Midori
Numata
Ota
Shibukawa
Takasaki
Tatebayashi
Tomioka

The towns and villages of Gunma are divided into districts. These are the towns and villages in each district.

Agatsuma District
Higashiagatsuma
Kuni
Kusatsu
Naganohara
Nakanojo
Takayama
Tsumagoi

Gunma District
Haruna

Kanra District
Kanra
Nanmoku
Shimonita

Kitagunma District
Shinto
Yoshioka

Oura District
Chiyoda
Itakura
Meiwa
Oizumi
Oura

Sawa District
Tamamura

Seta District
Azuma
Fujimi

Tano District
Kanna
Ueno
Yoshii

Tone District
Katashina
Kawaba
Minakami
Showa

Mergers (as of Mar 27, 2006)

Like the rest of Japan, Gunma has been hit with a sweep of mergers of towns.

On April 1, 2003, the town of Manba and the village of Nakasato from Tano District merged to form the new town of Kanna.

On December 5, 2004, the town of Ogo and the villages of Kasukawa and Miyagi from Seta District merged into the expanded city of Maebashi.

On January 1, 2005, the towns of Akabori and Sakai and the village of Azuma from Sawa District merged into the expanded city of Isesaki.

On February 13, 2005, the villages of Shirasawa and Tone from Tone District merged into the expanded city of Numata.

On March 28, 2005, the towns of Nitta, Ojima, and Yabuzukahon merged into the expanded city of Ota.

On June 13, 2005, the villages of Niisato and Kurohone from Seta District merged into the expanded city of Kiryu.

On October 1, 2005, the village of Niiharu and the former town of Tsukiyono merged into the expanded town of Minakami.

On January 1, 2006, the town of Onishi merged into the expanded city of Fujioka.

On January 23, 2006, the municipalities of Gunma, Kurabuchi and Misato from Gunma District and the town of Shin from Tano District merged into the expanded city of Takasaki.

On February 20, 2006, the municipalities of Ikaho, Komochi and Onogami from Kitagunma District and the villages of Akagi and Kitatachibana from Seta District merged into the expanded city of Shibukawa.

On March 18, 2006, the town of Matsuida from Usui District merged into the city of An'naka. Usui District was dissolved as a result of this merger.

On March 27, 2006, the towns of Omama and Kasakake and the village of Azuma merged to form the city of Midori. Nitta District and Yamada District were dissolved as a result of this merger.

On March 27, 2006, the town of Myogi from Kanra District merged into the city of Tomioka.

On March 27, 2006, the towns of Agatsuma and Azuma from Agatsuma District merged to form the new town of Higashiagatsuma.

Prefectural Symbols

The prefectural symbol consists of the first kanji of the word 'Gunma' surrounded by three stylized mountains symbolizing Mount Haruna, Mt. Akagi, and Mt. Myogi. These three mountains are otherwise known as the "Joumo San-zan."

The current mascot of Gunma is Yuuma-chan. Yuuma-chan is a pony wearing a green hat. Some Yuuma-chan desktop wallpapers are available from the official Gunma website.

Miscellaneous
The street racing manga/anime Initial D takes place in Gunma Prefecture.

Gunma Prefecture is the setting for the NHK serial morning drama FIGHT (ファイト). The city of Takasaki is the hometown of heroine Kido Yuu.

IF you have not had the distinct pleasure of going Gunma's only museum of penis...then go. It is worth it just to meet the mad woman who runs it and be welcomed by her ina most non-Japanese way (guard your goods boys).
For a brilliant review, check this site: HILARIOUS
www.chowchow.gr.jp/inova/chinpo/echinpo.html