Four days in Gunma: paint a daruma or divide three baths over separate days?
Add Shorinzan painting to a Takasaki cultural trip. The venue requires about 200 steps; consider whether ascending and descending suits you. For hot springs, give Gozanoyu, Otakinoyu and Sainokawara separate days. The cultural route returns by Tokyo train after modern art; the hot-spring route returns by Shinjuku direct bus after the final bath.
Choose a 3 nights, 4 days itinerary
Kannonyama, daruma painting, history and modern art
Add Shorinzan daruma painting between Byakue Dai-Kannon and the history and modern art museums. Stay in Takasaki to combine sightseeing with painting your own daruma.
Kannonyama, daruma painting, history and modern art →3 nights, 4 days BEnjoy Kusatsu’s three baths on separate days
Give yumomi, Gozanoyu, Otakinoyu and Sainokawara Open-Air Bath separate days. Spend time bathing and resting at one facility at a time.
Enjoy Kusatsu’s three baths on separate days →Kannonyama, daruma painting, history and modern art
Add Shorinzan daruma painting between Byakue Dai-Kannon and the history and modern art museums. Stay in Takasaki to combine sightseeing with painting your own daruma.
Day 1 · Explore Byakue Dai-Kannon on Kannonyama
Arrive in Takasaki and explore the statue and surrounding grounds.
- Tokyo Station and Takasaki Station → Byakui Kannon-mae
Take an ordinary Takasaki-bound JR Takasaki Line service from Tokyo Station. At Takasaki west-exit stand 8, take Gururin Kannonyama route 14 via Kataoka to Byakui Kannon-mae. Select direct trains for your travel date and outward and return buses through official searches.
JR East station and route timetables for visiting dateCurrent Kannonyama route 14 outward timetable
- Byakui Kannon-mae → Byakue Dai-Kannon
From the stop, follow the path beside Daishido up to the statue. Choose a grounds walk if the internal stairs are difficult. Interior visiting is 09:00–17:00 March–October or 09:00–16:30 November–February.
Kannonyama walking mapByakue Dai-Kannon interior admission and seasonal hours
- Byakue Dai-Kannon → Takasaki Station
Retrace the path to Byakui Kannon-mae and take Gururin route 13 towards Takasaki Station’s west side. Distinguish outward route 14 from return route 13, then have dinner near the station.
Current Kannonyama route 13 return timetableCurrent Kannonyama route 14 outward timetable
Day 2 · Paint a daruma at Shorinzan
Explore Daruma-do and paint a daruma you have chosen.
- Takasaki Station west-exit stand 4 → Shorinzan activity venue
Take Gururin Shorinzan route 1 via Notsuke and Shorinzan to Shorinzan Iriguchi. The temple is about five minutes from the stop; reaching the upper activity venue involves about 200 further steps beyond Somon. If stairs are difficult, ask about possible transport assistance before booking.
2025 revised Shorinzan timetable and west-side stand 4Gunma official tourism: west-side stand 4 and walking accessShorinzan Somon, stairs and activity venue layoutDaruma painting registration, prices and reservations
- Daruma-do and painting venue → Explore the grounds and paint a daruma
See different daruma in Daruma-do, then paint one at the venue. Painting takes about 30 minutes, excluding waiting. One person can participate without reservation, though advance booking helps if you want a particular start time. Daruma-do opens 09:00–17:00.
Daruma painting registration, prices and reservationsGunma official tourism: ordinary worship at ShorinzanShorinzan Somon, stairs and activity venue layout
- Upper activity venue and Shorinzan Iriguchi → Takasaki Station
Take your painted daruma and descend through Somon to the stop. Return on Gururin Shorinzan route 2 towards Takasaki Station’s west side for a meal. Allow time for the descent when choosing your return bus.
Current Shorinzan return route 2 timetable2025 revised Shorinzan timetable and west-side stand 4Shorinzan Somon, stairs and activity venue layout
Day 3 · Explore local history displays
Focus on history at one of Gunma-no-Mori park’s two cultural facilities.
- Takasaki Station east exit → Gunma-no-Mori and Gunma Prefectural Museum of History
Take Gururin Gunma-no-Mori route 9 via Gendai and Motoshimana to Gunma-no-Mori. Stay on the same bus when its course name changes at Watanukimachi; no transfer is needed. Follow park-map signs to Gunma Prefectural Museum of History, about five minutes from the stop.
Current Gunma-no-Mori route 9 timetable2025 revised Gunma-no-Mori timetableModern art museum access and return bus timetablesHistory museum’s 2026 special exhibition and feesHistory museum access and facilities
- Gunma Prefectural Museum of History → Displays on your visiting date
Choose the history displays open on your date and check ticket inclusions. Special and permanent exhibitions may have different fees and ticket conditions. Open 09:30–17:00, last admission 16:30. Check the date calendar, with Mondays normally closed.
History museum: current exhibition period and visiting conditionsHistory museum access and facilitiesHistory museum’s 2026 opening calendar
- Gunma Prefectural Museum of History → Takasaki Station
Rest in the park after visiting, then return to Gunma-no-Mori stop for route 9 towards Takasaki Station’s east exit. Check outward and return services separately in the official timetable. Eat and rest near the station.
Current Gunma-no-Mori route 9 timetable2025 revised Gunma-no-Mori timetableModern art museum access and return bus timetables
Day 4 · Explore the modern art collection
Focus on Japanese and Western modern art at the other facility in Gunma-no-Mori park.
- Takasaki Station east exit → Gunma-no-Mori and The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma
Take Gururin Gunma-no-Mori route 9 via Gendai and Motoshimana to Gunma-no-Mori. Stay on the same bus when its course name changes at Watanukimachi; no transfer is needed. Follow park-map signs to The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma.
Current Gunma-no-Mori route 9 timetable2025 revised Gunma-no-Mori timetableModern art museum access and return bus timetablesModern art museum’s 2026 collection and fees
- The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma → Displays on your visiting date
Check the collection exhibition and galleries open on your date, then explore the artworks. Compare special-exhibition fees and ticket coverage separately. Open 09:30–17:00, last admission 16:30. Confirm Mondays and public holidays on the official calendar.
Modern art museum: current exhibition period and visiting conditionsModern art museum access and return bus timetables
- The Museum of Modern Art, Gunma → Takasaki Station and Tokyo Station
Rest in the park, then return to Gunma-no-Mori stop for route 9 towards Takasaki Station’s east exit. Check outward and return services separately. From Takasaki, take an ordinary JR Takasaki Line service towards Tokyo; confirm the terminus and direct Tokyo service for your date.
Current Gunma-no-Mori route 9 timetable2025 revised Gunma-no-Mori timetableModern art museum access and return bus timetablesJR East station and route timetables for visiting dateJR 2026 revised fares
Included costs: JR ordinary-train return JPY 4,180 + Kannonyama buses and statue interior JPY 700 + Shorinzan buses and 12 cm daruma painting JPY 1,900 + history-museum buses and special exhibition JPY 1,400 + modern-art buses and collection JPY 700.
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, access to the starting station, luggage storage and extra visits and activities cost extra. Shinkansen, limited expresses and Green Car are excluded.
Rates checked on 2026-10-08. Exhibition budgets use the history museum’s 18 September–23 November special exhibition and modern art museum’s 19 September–8 November collection. Recheck admission outside those periods.
JR 2026 revised faresByakue Dai-Kannon interior admission and seasonal hoursHistory museum’s 2026 special exhibition and feesModern art museum’s 2026 collection and feesModern art museum access and return bus timetablesDaruma painting registration, prices and reservations2025 revised Shorinzan timetable and west-side stand 4Gururin basic and JPY 100 section fares
Enjoy Kusatsu’s three baths on separate days
Give yumomi, Gozanoyu, Otakinoyu and Sainokawara Open-Air Bath separate days. Spend time bathing and resting at one facility at a time.
Day 1 · Arrive in Kusatsu and watch yumomi
Explore central Yubatake and begin with a performance.
- Busta Shinjuku, fourth floor → Kusatsu Onsen bus terminal
Take your reserved Joshu Yumeguri direct bus. Book outward and return services for your travel date and check the departure board for the boarding point. Allow road delays rather than arranging a performance immediately after arrival.
Shinjuku fourth-floor guidanceJR Bus operator route hub and linked current timetablesOctober 2026 Joshu Yumeguri fare calendar
- Kusatsu Onsen bus terminal → Yubatake and Netsunoyu
Walk from the terminal to Yubatake for food and a village walk. Choose a Netsunoyu performance from the official date calendar, arriving for on-site ticket sales 30 minutes before it starts. Advance reservations are unavailable; if sold out, choose another show or day.
- Netsunoyu → Watch the performance and explore Yubatake
After yumomi and dancing, have dinner and rest near Yubatake. Watching the performance differs from a separate hands-on yumomi activity.
Performance and ticketing conditionsYubatake Souan check-in, luggage and breakfast FAQ
Day 2 · Relax at Gozanoyu’s indoor baths
Take time with the indoor baths and lounge beside Yubatake.
- Yubatake → Gozanoyu
Follow Gozanoyu signs southwest of Yubatake to the entrance. Choose it for indoor baths with washing facilities.
Current Gozanoyu fees and loungeGozanoyu lockers, towels and facilities FAQ
- Gozanoyu entrance → Indoor baths and large lounge
Rest in the large lounge after bathing. April–November hours are 07:00–21:00, last admission 20:30; the large lounge is available 09:00–20:00. Paid private rooms cost extra.
Current Gozanoyu fees and loungeGozanoyu lockers, towels and facilities FAQ
- Gozanoyu → Around Yubatake
There is no restaurant inside, so eat around Yubatake. Give yourself time for bathing and rest today instead of rushing to more baths.
Day 3 · Choose baths at Otakinoyu
Use the large indoor or outdoor bath according to your comfort, then rest.
- Yubatake → Otakinoyu
Follow facility signs to Otakinoyu, officially about seven to eight minutes’ walk from Yubatake. Allow extra time for admission.
- Otakinoyu entrance → Bathe and rest
Choose the large indoor or outdoor baths. You need not push yourself to use the hotter awaseyu baths. Open 09:00–21:00, last admission 20:00; rest in the free shared lounge afterwards.
Otakinoyu fees and operationOtakinoyu walking access and lockersOtakinoyu official English name
- Otakinoyu → Around Yubatake
Retrace the seven-to-eight-minute walk to Yubatake for food. Paid private rooms and private baths are optional extras.
Day 4 · Enjoy a morning outdoor bath and return to Shinjuku
Relax in the large outdoor bath before leaving the village. Choose morning bathing around your hotel departure conditions.
- Yubatake → Sainokawara Open-Air Bath
Walk through Sainokawara Street and the park to the bath. It is about 12 minutes from Yubatake; allow extra time for slopes and admission.
Outdoor bath fees and hoursOutdoor bath walk, lockers and facilities FAQPark walking reference
- Outdoor bath entrance → Bathe and rest
April–November: 07:00–20:00, admission until 19:30. The outdoor bath has no washing area, hairdryers or towel hire; bring your own towel. If winter’s 09:00 opening does not fit hotel departure, bathe the previous day instead.
Outdoor bath fees and hoursOutdoor bath walk, lockers and facilities FAQPark walking reference
- Sainokawara Open-Air Bath → Kusatsu Onsen bus terminal and Busta Shinjuku
Retrace the path to the village, finish departure preparations, then go to the terminal. Take your reserved Shinjuku-bound Joshu Yumeguri bus. Allow road delays before any further booking after Shinjuku arrival.
JR Bus operator route hub and linked current timetablesOctober 2026 Joshu Yumeguri fare calendarYubatake Souan walking access from terminalYubatake Souan check-in, luggage and breakfast FAQ
Included costs: Shinjuku direct-bus return JPY 7,400 + yumomi JPY 700 + outdoor bath JPY 800 + Gozanoyu JPY 900 + Otakinoyu JPY 1,200 + paid lockers JPY 300. Bus fares use an October 2026 category C ordinary-fare example; recalculate for your date.
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, access to the starting station, luggage storage and extra visits and activities cost extra. Towels, private rooms and private baths are excluded; the three-bath-ticket discount is not applied.
Rates checked on 2026-10-08. Bathing facilities use individual tickets.
October 2026 Joshu Yumeguri fare calendarPerformance and ticketing conditionsOutdoor bath fees and hoursOutdoor bath walk, lockers and facilities FAQCurrent Gozanoyu fees and loungeGozanoyu lockers, towels and facilities FAQOtakinoyu fees and operationOtakinoyu walking access and lockers
Distinguish current exhibition periods from route budgets
The two exhibitions below are date-limited and running as of 9 October 2026. Outside those periods, the same exhibition and fee do not apply. Check new exhibitions, closures and tickets before recalculating for a different date.
History museum: Noh-costume special exhibition
The 115th exhibition on Noh costumes revived in the present runs 18 September–23 November 2026. Adult JPY 1,000 admission includes permanent displays. This route’s history budget uses that exhibition’s conditions, differing from JPY 300 permanent-only admission when no special exhibition runs.
History museum’s 2026 special exhibition and feesHistory museum: current exhibition period and visiting conditions
Modern art museum: Japanese and Western Modern Art I
The collection exhibition runs 19 September–8 November 2026 in second-floor galleries 2 and 6. Its ordinary adult fee is JPY 300. Recheck fees and coverage if exhibitions change or you choose another special exhibition.
Modern art museum’s 2026 collection and feesModern art museum: current exhibition period and visiting conditions
Should I visit Tomioka for a day from Takasaki?
For industrial heritage, compare replacing one exhibition day with Tomioka Silk Mill. Change one day’s destination rather than adding every sight to the existing route.
Take Joshin Railway to the mill and return to Takasaki
From Takasaki’s west side, take a Shimonita-bound Joshin local train to Joshu-Tomioka. Walk about 15 minutes to the mill, then return by Takasaki train after visiting and lunch. Mill hours are 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:30; closed 29–31 December. Choose outward and return timetables for your date together.
Ordinary tickets versus Tokyo Wide Pass
Joshin adult return JPY 1,620 + mill admission JPY 1,000 = JPY 2,620, excluding meals and the separate JPY 200 guide. The Wide Pass includes Joshin but excludes admission. This return alone does not make the JPY 16,000 three-day pass cheaper than ordinary tickets. If replacing an exhibition day, change omitted exhibition and bus items rather than retaining the original subtotal.
Joshu-Tomioka faresOfficial visiting guidanceJR Tokyo Wide Pass routes, price and three-consecutive-day validity
Silk mill accessJoshu-Tomioka faresOfficial visiting guidance
Frequently asked questions
Can I paint a Shorinzan daruma without booking?
One person can join in order of arrival without booking, but groups of ten or more require reservations. Registration is 10:00–15:30; reserved starts are 10:00–15:00. A 12 cm daruma costs JPY 1,500 and a 15 cm daruma costs JPY 2,000; the route calculates 12 cm. The booked time means arrival at the venue, not the car park. Allow time to climb about 200 stairs after Somon and to reach your return bus separately.
Daruma painting registration, prices and reservationsShorinzan Somon, stairs and activity venue layout2025 revised Shorinzan timetable and west-side stand 4
Can I use a combined ticket for the three Kusatsu baths on different days?
The official three-bath ticket gives one visit each to Gozanoyu, Otakinoyu and Sainokawara without expiry. Adult price JPY 2,100 is JPY 800 below the JPY 2,900 combined ordinary individual fees; compare it if using all three. This page’s JPY 11,300 includes individual admissions, Shinjuku direct-bus return, yumomi and JPY 300 paid lockers. With the combined ticket, replace JPY 2,900 bathing fees with JPY 2,100; do not add buses, performance or lockers again. Accommodation, meals and towels cost extra.
Kusatsu three-bath ticket price, one visit each, validity and on-site salesGozanoyu lockers, towels and facilities FAQOtakinoyu walking access and lockersOutdoor bath walk, lockers and facilities FAQ
Should a Kusatsu day trip from Tokyo include all three baths?
For a day return by JR train and bus, choose your return bus and train first. Match local time to Yubatake and one bath, then compare a performance or another bath if time allows. This page’s four-day Kusatsu stay divides three baths over different days. Check chosen bath hours too. JR bus fares and bathing fees are separate from the rail pass.
JR Tokyo Wide Pass official coverage mapJR Tokyo Wide Pass routes, price and three-consecutive-day validityJR Bus route guidanceTourism guidanceJR Tokyo Wide Pass conditions: JR bus exclusion and reserved seatsJR East: Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi, bus terminal and Yubatake access
Can I use the Tokyo Wide Pass from Takasaki to Tomioka?
Joshin Railway’s Takasaki–Joshu-Tomioka section is included; mill admission, guides and meals cost extra. The pass lasts three consecutive days, so check return dates. For this section alone, compare the JPY 1,620 ordinary adult return fare.
JR Tokyo Wide Pass routes, price and three-consecutive-day validityJoshu-Tomioka faresOfficial visiting guidance
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Current Kannonyama route 14 outward timetable ·
- Current Kannonyama route 13 return timetable ·
- Gururin basic and JPY 100 section fares ·
- Kannonyama walking map ·
- Byakue Dai-Kannon interior admission and seasonal hours ·
- Silk mill access ·
- JR 2026 revised fares ·
- Joshu-Tomioka fares ·
- Yubatake Souan walking access from terminal ·
- Yubatake Souan check-in, luggage and breakfast FAQ ·
- JR Bus operator route hub and linked current timetables ·
- October 2026 Joshu Yumeguri fare calendar ·
- Shinjuku fourth-floor guidance ·
- Performance and ticketing conditions ·
- Outdoor bath fees and hours ·
- Outdoor bath walk, lockers and facilities FAQ ·
- Park walking reference ·
- Current Gozanoyu fees and lounge ·
- Gozanoyu lockers, towels and facilities FAQ ·
- Official visiting guidance ·
- Tourism guidance ·
- JR Bus route guidance ·
- Otakinoyu fees and operation ·
- Otakinoyu walking access and lockers ·
- Otakinoyu official English name ·
- Otakinoyu access ·
- 2025 revised Shorinzan timetable and west-side stand 4 ·
- 2025 revised Gunma-no-Mori timetable ·
- Current Gunma-no-Mori route 9 timetable ·
- Current Shorinzan return route 2 timetable ·
- History museum’s 2026 special exhibition and fees ·
- History museum access and facilities ·
- Modern art museum’s 2026 collection and fees ·
- Modern art museum access and return bus timetables ·
- Daruma painting registration, prices and reservations ·
- Shorinzan Somon, stairs and activity venue layout ·
- History museum’s 2026 opening calendar ·
- Gunma official tourism: ordinary worship at Shorinzan ·
- Gunma official tourism: west-side stand 4 and walking access ·
- JR East station and route timetables for visiting date ·
- Kusatsu three-bath ticket price, one visit each, validity and on-site sales ·
- JR Tokyo Wide Pass routes, price and three-consecutive-day validity ·
- JR Tokyo Wide Pass official coverage map ·
- JR Tokyo Wide Pass conditions: JR bus exclusion and reserved seats ·
- JR East: Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi, bus terminal and Yubatake access ·
- History museum: current exhibition period and visiting conditions ·
- Modern art museum: current exhibition period and visiting conditions ·