Tatebayashi

Tsutsuji-Ga-oka-Koen (Azalea Hill Park)

Tatebayashi (館林) is a city in Gunma prefecture in the Kanto region of Japan.

Understand

Situated on the Kanto Plain approximately 60 km north of Tokyo, Tatebayashi City covers an area of 61 square kilometers sandwiched between Watarase River northward and Tone River southward. As of 2007, the city has an estimated population of 80,629. This city prospered as a castle town since 1590 and is now a cultural town with the motto of "Clean water and green vegetation". From spring till early summer, many people visit this town to see moss phlox, cherry blossoms, azaleas, Japanese irises and in winter swans fly to Tatara Lake from Siberia.

Tourist information site

The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

Get in

By train

Tatebayashi station

The Tōbu Isesaki line express train Ryōmō, which requires seat reservations, stops at Tatebayashi on its run between Asakusa and Akagi (or Kuzuu or Isesaki). It takes one hour from Asakusa and 50 minutes from Kita-Senju.

By car

Take the Tatebayashi exit from the Tōhoku Expressway and follow National Route 354 west toward Ota. National Route 50 runs along the north beyond Watarase River. National Route 122 runs from the north, Ota to the south, Hanyu. National Route 354 runs from the east, Koga to the west, Ota.

See

Gunma Museum of Art, Tatebayashi

• 1 Gunma Museum of Art, Tatebayashi (群馬県立館林美術館), 2003 Hinata-chou. The second prefectural museum of art in Gunma, collecting modern art of sculpture. The annex exhibits the studio of a French sculpture, François Pompon.Beautiful garden and a nice view of the building amuse visitors. There is a sculpture pathway (彫刻の小径) in the pine woods near the museum where about 40 sculptures are settled along the pathway. 

Dobashi-mon(gate) of Tatebayashi Castle

• 2 Tatebayashi Castle (館林城). located at Shiromachi 2 chome, Tatebayashi, founded in the 15th century by Akai clan. It's also called 'Obiki Castle' that means dragging tail castle which derives from the legend that a fox once saved by Akai Terumitsu, the founder of the castle, showed him where to build a castle by dragging its tail. After Tokugawa Ieyasu overthrew Hojo clan in the Kanto region, in 1590, Sakakibara Yasumasa, one of the 4 powerful retainers of Ieyasu, reinforced the castle and developed the castle town. 

Morinji temple

• Morinji Temple (茂林寺). Morinji Templeis a temple of Soto sect, famous for the tale 'Bunbuku Chagama'. Visitors will be welcomed by many pottery statues of raccoon dogs. The Bunbuku Chagama is treasured at the temple. 

Go next

• Ashikaga - Historical home of the Ashikaga shoguns. About 30 mins by car.
• Sano - Sano Premium Outlet, Sano ramen-noodles and Sano Yakuyoke Daishi. About 30 mins by car.
• Ota - Industrial areas where many foreigners are working. About 30 mins by car.
• Itakura
• Meiwa
• Chiyoda (Gunma) - town. Not to be confused with Chiyoda ward, Tokyo
• Oizumi
• Hanyu
• Gyoda

Routes through Tatebayashi

Isesaki ← Ota ← Ashikaga ←	W  S	→ Kuki → Kasukabe into → Asakusa
Sano ←	N  S	→ END
Utsunomiya ← Sano ←	N  S	→ Kuki → Iwatsuki → Urawa → Tokyo
Nikko ← Kiryu ← Ota ←	N  E	→ Kazo → Kuki → Iwatsuki
Takasaki ← Isesaki ← Ota ←	N  E	→ Koga → Joso → Tsukuba