Model Itineraries in Gunma

On August 1, 2026 (Saturday), a full-day course to enjoy the charm of the Azuma district centered on the Azuma Summer Festival fireworks held at Azuma Comprehensive Sports Park in Isesaki City. Spend the day playing freely on the open grounds and playground equipment of the comprehensive sports park and taking a swim in the heated pool. Stop by Azuma Store, the agricultural products direct sales shop with fresh local vegetables, then return to the venue in the evening to enjoy abundant stages featuring Yagibushi, lion dances, and hula dances as well as game stalls while waiting for the fireworks. As evening falls, fireworks burst one after another in the night sky, closing the summer night of the Azuma district. A perfect plan for summer in Isesaki that greedily combines park play and festival fun.

The Kiryu Yagibushi Festival, held annually in Kiryu City—known as "the eastern Nishijin" for its weaving heritage—takes place August 7-9, 2026, centered on Hon-machi Street. This course focuses on the opening day, August 7, as a full-day experience. In the daytime, pay respects at Kiryu Tenmangū Shrine at the north end of Hon-machi Street, visit the Kiryu Textile Memorial Hall to learn the city's weaving history, tour the historic renovated buildings of Yuurinkan, and enjoy family time at the small zoo in Kiryu-ga-oka Park. At dusk, have an early dinner at Showa-era Kiryu Market, and at 5 PM, head to Hon-machi Street for the opening of the Yagibushi Festival. You'll be wrapped in the energy of dancers moving to the brisk Yagibushi songs and drums—Kiryu's hottest summer night awaits.

A full-day course to enjoy Ota City to the fullest, centered around the Tosui Bridge Fireworks Festival held starting at 7 PM on Saturday, October 31, 2026. At noon, visit the ancient temple Taiko-in (大光院), beloved as the protector of children's growth. In the afternoon, enjoy the stone walls and views at Kanayama Castle Ruins, a nationally designated historic site. After strolling through the shopping street in front of Ota Station, return to the Tosui Bridge fireworks venue in the evening and explore the food stalls while securing a viewing spot. At 7 PM, fireworks burst into the sky around the Tosui Bridge spanning the Tone River. A one-day plan where you can enjoy both history exploring and late-autumn fireworks at once.

A full-day course to thoroughly enjoy Kiryu City, which thrived as a textile town, centered around the Kiryu Fireworks Festival held on September 27, 2026 (Sunday) at 8 PM. At midday, visit Kiryu Tenmangu Shrine (桐生天満宮), cherished as the shrine of the god of learning, and in the afternoon, stroll through the townscape of Kiryu Shinmachi (桐生新町), designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings. At free-admission Kiryu-gaoka Zoo (桐生が岡動物園), you can also enjoy a leisurely animal encounter. In the late afternoon, return to Komebai Kotohira Park (小梅琴平公園) and secure your spot while browsing the festival stalls—at 8 PM, the fireworks finally light up the clear autumn night sky. This one-day plan lets you enjoy both the historic townscape and the fireworks together.

A full-day course to thoroughly enjoy Isesaki City, centered around the Tone River Bando Ohashi Fireworks Festival held on Saturday, October 10, 2026, starting at 7 PM. Enjoy lunch and shopping at Smyth Isesaki (スマーク伊勢崎), a large commercial facility, at midday. In the afternoon, enjoy plenty of activities at Kashoji Park (華蔵寺公園), which features an observation wheel, rides, and a free zoo. Stop by Isesaki Shrine (伊勢崎神社) to pay your respects, then head to Hattoshima Chibi Square (八斗島ちびっこ広場), the fireworks venue, in the evening to secure your viewing spot while browsing food stalls. At 7 PM, fireworks light up the area around the Bando Ohashi Bridge (坂東大橋) spanning the Tone River (利根川). An indulgent one-day plan where you can enjoy both the amusement park and fireworks.

A full-day course to enjoy Tomioka City, a UNESCO World Heritage town, centered around the Tomioka Fireworks Festival (富岡花火大会) held on August 16, 2026 (Sunday) starting at 7:45 PM. At midday, visit the Tomioka Silk Mill (富岡製糸場), registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site, to learn about Japan's industrial modernization. In the afternoon, enjoy impressive displays including dinosaur bone skeletons at the Gunma Prefectural Museum of Natural History (群馬県立自然史博物館). After exploring the Joshu Tomioka Station Front Shopping Street (上州富岡駅前商店街), return to the venue area in the evening to reserve your spot while browsing street food stalls. At 7:45 PM, approximately 1,000 fireworks light up the town's night sky. An indulgent one-day plan where you can enjoy both historical sightseeing and fireworks.

A full-day course that showcases Isobe Onsen Town in Isobe District, Nakanachu City, with the Isobe Onsen Festival Fireworks Grand Display held on Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 7:30 PM to approximately 8:10 PM as the centerpiece. Enjoy lunch and a light meal at the shopping street in front of Nakanachu Station in the morning, then spend the afternoon leisurely exploring Isobe Onsen Town, known as the birthplace of Japan's hot spring symbol on maps. Along the Usui River riverbed, take a slow walk along the riverside promenade. In the evening, return to the hot spring town and secure your viewing spot while exploring the festival food stalls, where at 7:30 PM approximately 2,000 fireworks will light up the night sky. A perfect one-day plan to enjoy both the historic charm of the hot spring town and the spectacular fireworks display.

A full-day course to enjoy both the natural bounty and rich history of Tsumagoi Village in Gunma Prefecture, featuring the 42nd Tsumagoi Festival on August 1, 2026 (Saturday). At noon, visit the Tsumagoi Local Historical Museum to learn about highland life including cabbage cultivation, and then quietly reflect on the history preserved in Kamahra Kannon Hall from the 1783 Mount Asama eruption. In the afternoon, enjoy the calm lake surface and mountain scenery by Tashiro Lake, and in the evening, have dinner at the village center while waiting for sunset. Once the sun sets, head to the Agatsuma River floodplain venue and secure your spot with a leisure sheet. At 7 PM, approximately 1,800 fireworks light up the clear night sky above the high-altitude plateau until 8 PM, painting the Tsumagoi summer sky. Fireworks viewed in the crisp air of the plateau become a special memory along with the refreshing coolness unique to high altitudes. A unique one-day plan that greedily combines the plateau's history, nature, and spectacular fireworks.

This is a full-day course centered on the Kumei-kai Evening Cool Festival held in Uenoda, Yoshioka Town, Kita Gunma District, from 7 PM to 8 PM on Saturday, July 25, 2026. From midday into the afternoon, indulge in day-use hot spring bathing and local cuisine at Michi-no-Eki Yoshioka Onsen for a relaxed time. In the evening, gather dinner around the venue, claim your viewing spot, and anticipate the opening while savoring the local summer festival atmosphere. For one hour from 7 PM, fireworks light up the night sky of Yoshioka Town, allowing your family to enjoy a warm, neighborhood-style fireworks festival. This is a relaxed summer full-day plan where you can take a refreshing bath and then enjoy fireworks.

A full-day course centered around the Sereda Gion Festival, held on Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 8:50 PM in Sereda Town, Ota City (canceled in case of rain). In the afternoon, visit Sereda Toshogu Shrine connected to the Tokugawa clan, and enjoy a historic walk together with the adjacent ancient temple Chouraku-ji Temple and Nitta Sho Historical Museum. In the evening, gather dinner around the festival venue and secure your viewing spot while enjoying the atmosphere of a local summer festival as you wait for the show to begin. As darkness falls, fireworks light up the night sky of Sereda, and you and your family watch the fireworks that echo through the historic townscape. A full-day plan unique to Ota City, where you tour during the day the birthplace of the shogun Tokugawa family, and in the evening enjoy fireworks rooted in the local community.

This full-day course features Gunma Pool, a free outdoor pool in Takasaki City that operates from July 18 (Saturday) to August 31 (Monday), 2026. Operating hours are 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM (with a break system, closed from noon to 1 PM), and admission is free. The pool has separate areas for toddlers, lower-grade students, and adults, with lifeguards on duty, so families with small children can feel safe and comfortable. In the morning, explore Shorinzan Daruma Temple, a symbol of Takasaki, then visit the Gunma Prefectural Museum of Modern Art in Gunma no Mori park for a leisurely look around its cool galleries. After lunch, enter Gunma Pool and enjoy water play until evening. A free outdoor pool means you can enjoy a full summer day while keeping costs down—perfect for families wanting to make the most of summer. The Gunma no Mori area, surrounded by trees, offers plenty of shade for rest breaks between water activities. With good access from central Takasaki, this is a classic summer course for families with car access.

This is a full-day course centered around the summer-only outdoor pool at Kannonyama Park in Takasaki City, which operates from July 18 (Saturday) to August 31 (Monday), 2026. In the morning, experience the atmosphere of Shorinzan Daruma Temple nestled in the greenery of Kannonyama, the birthplace of auspicious daruma dolls, and then climb to the observation deck of the Takasaki Kannon statue perched atop the hill to take in a sweeping view of the city. After a lunch break at Kannonyama Park, head to Kannonyama Park Pool. The pool features a shallow splash pool, a babbling stream pool, a toddler pool, and a full-sized 25-meter pool for serious swimmers, perfect for water play from small children to elementary school kids. Admission is affordable at 100 yen for elementary school and up, and with changing rooms, showers, and nursing rooms fully equipped, families with young children can enjoy peace of mind. The pool operates from 9 AM to 4 PM, with a break from noon to 1 PM for turnaround, so plan your lunch during this time. Advanced reservations may be required on busy days, so check Takasaki City's official website for the latest information before heading out. Enjoy a day combining nature, historical exploration on Kannonyama, and water play—a summer favorite in Takasaki.

A full-day course centered around Hamakawa Pool, an outdoor leisure pool in Takasaki that operates from July 21 (Tuesday) to August 31 (Monday), 2026. In the morning, visit Shorinzan Daruma Temple, known as the birthplace of good-luck daruma dolls, where the whole family can pray together in the quiet temple grounds. Next, venture to Gunma no Mori, where you can stretch and play in the wide, grassy meadows surrounded by greenery. After lunch, time your arrival for the pool's midday change-over (noon to 1 PM), and enter Hamakawa Pool right as it reopens at 1 PM. Hamakawa Pool offers a 50m pool and 25m pool for serious swimmers, a lazy river for floating, a children's pool, and a toddler pool with a slide, providing fun for all ages. With changing rooms, showers, and a shop on-site, you can visit with just a swimsuit and towel. Admission is affordable at 320 yen for high school students and up, and 150 yen for middle school students and younger. Note that opening times may change on days when competitions are held, so it's best to confirm the day's schedule beforehand. Enjoy water play until the 4 PM closing time, even in the cooler evening hours. A family-friendly classic outing combining Takasaki's historic charm with summer pool fun.

A full-day course featuring the Oura Festival Fireworks Spectacular, held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, as the centerpiece, with complete enjoyment of Oura Town in Oura District, Gunma Prefecture and its surroundings from afternoon through evening. In the afternoon, enjoy a leisurely stroll at Tatebayashi Castle Ruins Park, a classic spot in the Tatebayashi area, and cool off at the Culture Forest, home to the Tatebayashi Municipal Art Museum. In the evening, stop by Michi no Eki (roadside station) Domanaka Tanuma in Oura Town to grab some local flavors for a quick meal, then head to Oura Central Park to secure your viewing spot. At 8 PM when it gets dark, magnificent fireworks bloom across the night sky, vividly painting the summer night of the rural landscape. A family-friendly plan that lets you experience the peaceful scenery of rural North Kanto and the fervor of a local summer festival over the course of a full day.

This is a full-day course that centers around the Nitta Festival Fireworks Display on August 8, 2026 (Saturday), allowing you to enjoy the Nitta area of Ota City, Gunma Prefecture from afternoon onwards. In the afternoon, enjoy a grand panorama of the Kanto Plain from Kanayama Castle Ruins (太田金山), a historic site connected to Nitta Yoshisada (新田義貞), and stroll through the quiet grounds of Taikoin Temple (大光院) at the mountain's base. In the evening, gather a dinner using local ingredients from Michi no Eki Ota (道の駅おおた) in Ota City, then move to Nitta Stadium to await the show. At night, enjoy 4,000 fireworks bursting one after another above the stadium from up close—a memorable summer day plan in Gunma that will stay in your memory.

This is a full-day course enjoyed from afternoon through evening in Chiyoda Town, Ora-gun, Gunma Prefecture, centered around the Chiyoda Town Kawa Segaki Fireworks Festival held on August 18, 2026 (Tuesday). In the afternoon, tour Tatebayashi Castle Ruins Park and Lake Shono to connect with water and greenery. In the evening, refuel with local flavors at Michi-no-Eki Chiyoda before heading to the Tone River riverside to secure your spot. As dusk falls, watch approximately 6,280 fireworks light up the night sky from the Akaiwa Ferry Landing area along the river. The spectacular sight of large fireworks blooming one after another on the wide stage of the Tone River is one of the region's most stunning summer landscapes. On this pleasant riverside evening with a gentle breeze, create special summer memories with your entire family.

Centered around the Haruna Lake Fireworks Festival held on August 7 (Friday), 2026, this is a full-day course to enjoy the highland lake area of Haruna Lake (榛名湖) in Gunma Prefecture. Located at 1,100 meters elevation, Haruna Lake remains cool even in midsummer, with beautiful scenery created by mountains and water. In the afternoon, enjoy boating on the lakeshore, and visit Haruna Shrine (榛名神社), known as one of the Kanto region's most renowned power spots, to experience the quiet mountain air. By evening, secure your spot on the lakeshore and wait for the show while enjoying street food and gourmet offerings. At night, savor approximately 1,500 fireworks spreading across the lake. Fireworks launched from a mountain-surrounded lake echo off the surrounding peaks, and the light reflected on the water creates a fantastical night. A definitive summer plan for enjoying Haruna Lake in the cool mountain air.

A one-day course to fully enjoy Tatebayashi City in Gunma Prefecture with the Tatebayashi Tesutsutsumi Fireworks Festival on July 25, 2026 (Saturday) as the centerpiece. Known as "Japan's hottest city," Tatebayashi fascinates with its coexistence of castle town history and abundant nature. In the afternoon, stroll along the shores of Lake Shonuma adjacent to Tatebayashi Castle Yumehiroba and take a respite under the green shade of Tsutsujigaoka Park. In the early evening, enjoy dinner in the castle town atmosphere area before heading to the venue. As night falls, witness the spectacular sight of valiant hand-held fireworks blazing across the night sky up close. Hand-held fireworks, where the carriers embrace the fire pillars themselves, are a rare form unique in Japan, offering tension and intensity distinct from conventional fireworks displays. A special one-day plan where families can experience the summer night of Tatebayashi.

Centered on the Maebashi Fireworks Festival held on August 8, 2026 (Saturday), this is a full-day course to enjoy Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, starting from midday. In the afternoon, savor history and greenery at Maebashi Park and Rinko-an, then spend delightful time with children at Runa Park. In the late afternoon, have dinner around Maebashi Station, then move to the Tone River bank and secure a spot at the Ohdo Bridge North-South Riverside Green Space. Enjoy at a leisurely pace approximately 15,000 fireworks blooming grandly in the night sky—North Kanto's largest-scale spectacle. A definitive summer plan for Maebashi featuring cool evening breezes along the river and the intertwined light of fireworks.

Centered on the Numata Fireworks Festival held on September 12, 2026 (Saturday), this is a course to enjoy the nature and history of the Numata area in Gunma Prefecture throughout the entire day. Surrounded on three sides by the Tone and Usui rivers, Numata spreads across a river terrace and is known as a castle town with the nickname "Sky Castle." In the afternoon, we experience the historical atmosphere at Numata Castle Ruins Park and search for souvenirs at the roadside station featuring famous local apples and vegetables. In the evening, we have dinner while gazing at the magnificent mountain range of Tamaharadai Plateau, and when dusk falls, we head to Numata Municipal Athletic Park. Over 10,000 fireworks will bloom one after another in the night sky above the Tone River basin—a scale unmatched in northern Kanto that the whole family can enjoy. With the refreshing autumn night breeze and the crisp autumn air of Gunma, this is a special day to feel the season.

This is a full-day course to fully enjoy Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, centered around the Takasaki Matsuri Grand Fireworks Festival held on August 23, 2026 (Sunday). In the afternoon, visit signature spots throughout the city, and by evening, secure a viewing spot along the Karasugawa River with food stalls. As night falls, enjoy the spectacular display of approximately 15,000 fireworks—among the largest in the Kanto region—from the floodplain upstream of the Wada Bridge (和田橋). Spread a leisure sheet on the spacious floodplain by the river and gaze up at the summer night sky with your family. This is the definitive Takasaki summer plan.

The Shimonitta Konnyaku Summer Festival is held in Shimonitta Town, Kanra District, Gunma Prefecture, known as Japan's premier konnyaku production region. In 2026, the festival runs from August 14th (Friday) from noon to 8:20 PM at the Shimonitta Konnyaku Handmaking Experience Hall Square. This course focuses on August 14th as the main day and offers a full-day itinerary. Spend the morning visiting the retro station building of Shimonitta Station on the Joshin Electric Railway and the Yoshizaki Castle Ruins, then head to Shimonitta Town Natural History Museum to explore the region's geological history. Browse konnyaku products at Roadside Station Shimonitta, then head to the festival venue. With food stalls lining the square serving Shimonitta's famous konnyaku dishes, this course is perfect for food-loving families to spend a summer day culminating in delicious local cuisine.

The "Oshima Fire Festival" held in Oshima district, Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture—a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 2026, it takes place on August 16 (Sunday) in Oshima district. This course is a full-day plan centered on the festival date. Experience the history supporting Japan's modernization at Tomioka Silk Mill in the morning, then enjoy impressive dinosaur skeletons at the Gunma Prefectural Museum of Natural History. Visit the solemn Nukisaki Shrine, one of Kozuke's great shrines, then taste local flavors at Joshu Nanoka-ichi Station before heading to Oshima district as daylight fades. The ritual fires blazing against the night sky—a quiet yet powerful summer tradition passed down through the countryside—offer a different beauty than city fireworks. Experience both UNESCO heritage and countryside flames in a single day.

The "Kanra Town Commercial and Industrial Association Summer Festival" is a community-centered summer festival held annually in Kanra Town, Kanra District, Gunma Prefecture. In 2026, it will be held on August 14 (Friday) at Kanra Fureai no Oka. This course is a 1-day full-experience plan centered on August 14. In the morning, stroll through Rakusan Garden, a daimyo garden from the Obata Domain, and walk along the samurai residence townscape where the clear Ogawa Seki waterway flows. In the afternoon, enjoy interacting with wildlife at Gunma Safari Park and pick up local delicacies as souvenirs at Michi-no-Eki Kanra. As evening approaches the venue at Kanra Fureai no Oka, the lights of food stalls line up and the festival mood intensifies. From fireworks to bon dancing, this is a full day where you can enjoy the intimate summer festival created by the community, in a relaxed family atmosphere.