gunmajet.net

Well, it's that time of year to appreciate the beautiful and ephermeral sight of pale pink cherry blossoms as they flutter to the ground with the slightest breeze. Join us for the Chubu Region Hanami at Maebashi's Shikishima Koen. Bring a tasty beverage and/or a picnic lunch and we'll have a relaxing time with good company in beautiful surroundings.

I'll try to stake out the gazebo by the duck pond (just north of the baseball stadium) if it's available.

This event will be cancelled or postponed in the event of rain.

The English tour guides of Takasaki invite you to experience historical Takasaki.

We'll begin at Takasaki City Hall, then walk to Yorimasu Shrine, Ryukoji Temple, Ninjyo Market, and Sister Cities Park, finally heading to Choshoji Park to learn about and participate in Zen meditation.

If we are lucky, we will be able to view cherry blossoms!

The tour will begin at 9:00am, and end around 3:30 pm. We'll luncheon at Ninjyo Market.

Please send your name, number, and email to: takasaki_kanko_guide@yahoo.co.jp so we can know how many people to expect.

GAJET's long awaited, and always fun canyoning trip is coming up, October 10-11th! The period for reservations and payment TBA! More info as the date draws near.

What's canyoning?
It's wearing a bunch of protective gear and sliding down natural water slides in the natural beauty of Gunma. Canyons has been in Gunma for years, and their trips are professional, safe and a most importantly fun.

Who should come? You! It's an awesome time! Everyone is welcome... until we have 25 people.

What's included? Professionally guided canyon tour, including gear rental and transport. An after canyoning BBQ, lodging for the evening AND a post canyoning party with DJs from the now infamous Full Moon Parties

When : 9am – 3pm Sun. November 9, 2008
Where : Meet in front of the police box at the west side of Takasaki
Station
Fee : JPY100/person *Bring your lunch and rain gear. Make sure to
wear good hiking shoes or boots. The trail is very slippery
especially after rain.
Takasaki Volunteer Tour Guide, this year, will take you to some
castle sites, burial mounds and a shrine to enjoy autumn leaves as
well as hiking. Applications are accepted on a first-come-first-served
basis. Send your name and either your phone number or e-mail
address to takasaki_kanko_guide@yahoo.co.jp by e-mail or fax to
027-327-5385. They will send you a confirmation note.
*They will do their utmost to offer the participants a nice tour, but
they will not take any responsibility for any accidents.

It's never to early to mention this. This event is held every year rain or shine at Coco Farms in Ashikaga.

Everyone pays a fee (2,000) to enter and will receive a Harvest Kit. Each Harvest Kit contains the following:

A Harvest Festival Commemorative Wine Glass, A Festival Member’s Badge, and a Bottle Exchange Ticket that can be exchanged for either a Bottle of Wine and Corkscrew, OR a Bottle of Sparkling Grape Juice and a Bottle Stopper.

There are chefs available preparing various cuisines but I recommend you make it into a picnic. Bring a blanket and food and grab a spot on the mountain.

Official times are from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm on Saturday, November 15th and Sunday, November 16th. A shuttle (tour bus) runs from Ashikaga station to the event for 300 yen one way. I recommend you do not drive.

GAJET's long awaited, and always fun canyoning trip is coming up! The period for reservations and payment is now!

What's canyoning? It's wearing a bunch of protective gear and sliding down natural water slides in the natural beauty of Gunma. Canyons has been in Gunma for years, and their trips are professional, safe and a most importantly fun.

Who should come? You! It's an awesome time! Everyone is welcome... until we have 25 people.

What's included? Professionally guided canyon tour, including gear rental and transport. An after canyoning BBQ, lodging for the evening AND a post canyoning party with DJs from the now infamous Full Moon Parties

How much? price is 13,500. We MUST receive your payment by furikomi before the event. (Don't worry, the furikomi procedure is actually quite easy, and we'll guide you through it)

What else?
The deadline is September 31st (no exceptions, no changes)
limit 25 people.
If you plan on driving or carpooling please let us know. Canyons will provide transport for people coming in by train, but we need to have numbers.

Reservations are accepted ONLY through e-mail to gajet.admin[at]gmail.com (it's important I have everyone's email so we can explain the furikomi transfer and give you our bank account number to do it)

what to bring:
bathing suit, towel, toiletries, bug spray, sunscreen, camera, cash, insurance card (you should always carry this), clothes (you should generally wear these), etc.

yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

1. R. Conlon
2. L. Kozloff
3. J. Dombeck (Driving from Numata area)
4. A.Chin
5. B. Basu
6. B. Bahn
7. A. Tanimoto
8. B. Kennedy
9. D. Hutchinson
10. A. Bols
11. T. Shivel
12. C.Leon
13. Len Kaske
14. K. Prokopetz
15. S. Creane
16. R. Higgins
17. M. Englar
18. J. Daniel
19. S. Imanaka
20. T. Hess
21. J. Tomas
22. M. Perez
23. S. Pang
24. J. Passmore
25. D. Strubel

Tanbara Lavender Park boasts around 50,000 lavender plants, the largest number in the Kanto region. The park will open on Saturday, the 28th of June and run every day until Sunday, the 31st of September, but the best time to see the lavender is between mid-July and mid-August. The park is located at Tanbara Kogen, about a 30-minute drive from the Numata Highway Interchange or a 50-minute bus ride from the Numata JR Station.

Entry to the park costs between 700 and 1000 Yen depending on the season but elementary students and below can enter for free. For more information, please contact Tanbara Lavender Park at 027-23-9311.

From late May to mid June, every day from 9am to 5pm, the Gunma Flower park in Maebashi’s Kashiwagura Machi will be open. The park will have a beautiful display of 1000 roses. Entrance is 700 Yen for adults.

On the 17th and 18th of May the Prefectural Resident’s Festival will be held at Kannonyama Family Park in Takasaki. On Saturday the 17th, from 3pm to 8pm, there will be music, stalls and hot air balloon rides, and on the 18th, from 10 am to 3pm there will be a flea market, live bands, stalls, a product exhibition, hot air balloon rides, mini steam locomotive rides, and a 2000 person Nabe stew that will be dished out for free.

150 people will be able to ride in the hot air balloon on the 17th and 300 people on the 18th. Rides will be given on a first come first serve basis. There will be a fee for balloon rides of 1000 Yen for adults and 500 Yen for junior high school students and under.

The 4th Annual Golden Week Charity Hitchhike!

Where: All over Shikoku
When: Golden Week 2008, April 29th-May 5th (dates to be confirmed)
Who: You and a friend! Want to come but don't have someone to hitch with? We'll pair you up!
What: Teams collect points by undertaking various challenges in each ken, traveling using only their thumbs and the kindness of strangers.
Why: We ask participants to raise money for a project to build a school in Laos, with no minimum requirement - just do what you can! The project is being run in association with Room to Read, (www.roomtoread.org)
How: For further details, contact doronklemer@hotmail.com

I've heard a lot about this and it sounds tubular.