The charm of Tatebayashi, the town of the world's best azaleas and Japan Heritage, just an hour from Tokyo

This service includes sponsored advertisements.

Tatebayashi City is located in the southeastern part of Gunma. It is the closest city to Tokyo in the prefecture and can be reached in about an hour via the Tohoku Expressway or Tobu Railway. It is famous for Tsutsujigaoka Park, which is home to a variety of rare azaleas, and the Japanese Heritage Site, Sato-Numa.

Written by

Gunma Prefecture

Gunma Prefecture is located in the center of Japan, northwest of Tokyo. It is known for its hot springs, ski resorts, and abundant nature that can be enjoyed just a short distance from Tokyo. Gunma is dotted with attractive hot springs surrounded by beautiful natural scenery such as mountains, marshes, and lakes. It is therefore ideal for those who want to relax away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy outdoor activities to refresh their mind. Meanwhile, in small cities where the traditions of sericulture and crafts remain strong, you can immerse yourself in Japanese culture. It takes about an hour to get to Takasaki City, Gunma's central transportation hub from Tokyo by Shinkansen, so you can enjoy sightseeing on a day trip. However, you can also immerse yourself in the charm of Gunma by staying for several days in a wide range of accommodations.

Find out more about Tatebayashi, a town nurtured by flowers and a rich marshland culture

Tatebayashi City is located in the southeastern part of Gunma and offers panoramic views of the Kanto mountains, including Mount Tsukuba, Mount Akagi, and Mount Nantai.
In addition to being able to enjoy a variety of flowers throughout the year, including Tsutsujigaoka Park, which has been praised as the best in the world, the area is also home to SATO-NUMA, a Japan Heritage site famous for being a place where swans come to visit.
Furthermore, many historical buildings remain within the city, including the Bunbuku Sake Brewery store, which was built during the Edo period.

Table of Contents
Featured in the English tourism magazine "The Bucket List 2024" as "Sacred Beauty"
Welcome to Tatebayashi! 7 popular sightseeing spots
Cherry Blossom and Carp Streamer Village Festival
2. Azalea Festival
3. Iris Festival
4. Lotus Flower Festival
5. The spectacular hand-held fireworks display
6. Autumn leaves illumination
7. Swans arrive
There is a direct train from Tokyo! How to get to Tatebayashi

Featured in the English tourism magazine "The Bucket List 2024" as "Sacred Beauty"

Check out the details of "The Bucket List 2024"

Welcome to Tatebayashi! 7 popular sightseeing spots

We will introduce you to some popular tourist events that you cannot miss when you come to Tatebayashi.

Watch TATEBAYASHI TRIP ~Spring~ (tourism promotional video)

Cherry Blossom and Carp Streamer Village Festival

The festival is held mainly around the Tsuruuda River, around Kondo Swamp and Tatara Swamp, and attracts many visitors every year.
The sight of over 4,000 carp streamers hoisted in four locations around the city is truly spectacular.

Tsuruoda River is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot. At night, you can enjoy the "night cherry blossoms" lit by the lights of "bonbori" paper lanterns.

◆Sakura Festival (late March to early April)

Carp streamers flying in the blue sky. In 2005, the city was recognized by the Guinness World Records as having 5,283 carp streamers.

◆ Koinobori Village Festival (late March to early May)

2. Azalea Festival

Tsutsujigaoka Park has been called Tsutsujigasaki for over 500 years. Currently, there are about 10,000 azaleas of about 100 varieties, including rare species, planted in the park.
The Azalea Festival also offers free tours of fine azalea trees by "Azalea Guides" and holds events, attracting many tourists from overseas.

Take a break in the azalea garden. There is also a cafe in the park.

Check out SUGAR HILL CAFE

The word "fiery" is truly appropriate.

◆Azalea Festival (early April to late May)

Admission fee: 310 yen when the flowers first start blooming or have passed their peak, 630 yen when they are at their peak. *Free for junior high school students and younger.

3. Iris Festival

The Tatebayashi Iris Garden is located within Tsutsujigaoka Second Park, and the former Akimoto Villa is a Japanese-style building associated with the Akimoto family, the last lords of the Tatebayashi domain, built at the end of the Meiji period.
It was opened to the public for a limited time during the Iris Festival.

The flower language of irises is "elegance" and "kind heart."

You can take a leisurely stroll while admiring the 5,000 irises of approximately 70 varieties.

The building you can see in the background is the "Former Akimoto Villa." During the Iris Festival, events such as an open cafe are held here.

◆Iris Festival (Early June to late June)

Watch TATEBAYASHI TRIP ~Summer~

4. Lotus Flower Festival

"Flower Lotus Cruising" is an event that you can enjoy to the fullest during the hot summer. You can enjoy the flower lotus that grows in clusters in "Jo Swamp", one of the Japan Heritage Sites, by boarding a pleasure boat from the boarding point in Tsutsujigaoka Park. This is a very popular event where you can cruise around Jo Swamp while feeling the refreshing breeze.
During the period, there will also be an exhibition of various types of lotus flowers.

The cruise around Shironuma takes about 30 minutes.

It's like jungle cruising!

Lotus Flower Festival (July 10th to late August)

Boarding fee: 1,000 yen for junior high school students and above, 300 yen for ages 5 to elementary school students

5. The spectacular hand-held fireworks display

During the Edo period, the birthplace of Sakakibara Yasumasa, the first lord of the Tatebayashi domain, which was located where Tatebayashi city is now, was Ueno-go, Mikawa Province, where Toyota city in Aichi prefecture is now located. This is why the festival is held every year in late July at Tatebayashi Yume Hiroba, which is said to be the site of the main citadel of Tatebayashi Castle.

A heroic sight of the fireworks rising with one hand amidst flying sparks.

The hand tube is made by wrapping rope around a piece of "Moso bamboo". Gunpowder is packed inside.

The pillar of fire can shoot up to a height of over 10 meters. The powerful "splash" at the climax, when the bottom of the fire explodes with a thunderous roar, is overwhelming.

◆Tatebayashi Tezutsu Fireworks Festival (late July)

Watch TATEBAYASHI TRIP ~Autumn/Winter~

6. Autumn leaves illumination

As the Japanese word "kinshu" suggests, autumn is a beautiful season when ginkgo and maple trees change to vibrant reds and yellows.
The best spot to see autumn leaves in Tatebayashi is undoubtedly the Former Akimoto Villa located in Tsutsujigaoka Dai-ni Park.

* Autumnal colors: A metaphor for the season of gorgeous autumn leaves, which resemble a fabric woven with colorful threads.

A famous spot for viewing autumn leaves: "Former Akimoto Villa"

At night, it creates a fantastic atmosphere.

◆ Autumn leaves illumination (late November to early December)

7. Swans arrive

The three swamps, Morinji Swamp, Tatara Swamp, and Jo Swamp, were designated as Japan Heritage SATO-NUMA by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in May 2019.
In particular, whooper and bender swans fly from Siberia to Shironuma and Tataranuma every year in mid-November to spend the winter and wait for spring.

Swans and ducks at Tatara Lake.

The silhouettes of the swans floating in the sunset are beautiful.

◆ Swans arriving (late November to early March)

There is a direct train from Tokyo! How to get to Tatebayashi

■ By train

Tobu Isesaki Line Express

・Tatebayashi Station ⇆ Asakusa Station Travel time: Approximately 1 hour

・Tatebayashi Station ⇆ Kita-Senju Station (Tobu Isesaki Line Limited Express) Approx. 50 minutes

■ Taxi

Taxis are a convenient way to get around the city.

・Tatebayashi Taxi Center TEL 0276-75-3333

・Kita Kanto Taxi TEL 0120-590-845

Written by

Gunma Prefecture

Gunma

The information presented in this article is based on the time it was written. Note that there may be changes in the merchandise, services, and prices that have occurred after this article was published. Please contact the facility or facilities in this article directly before visiting. Some of our articles contain affiliate links. We kindly ask our readers to exercise careful judgement when making a purchase or booking a service online.

The contents on this page may partially contain automatic translation.