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Gunma

Japan getting a brand-new batch of Pokémon manhole covers in eastern prefecture this fall

• Casey Baseel
  Oct 27, 2026
• Tweet

Five new reasons for Pokémon fans to head north from Tokyo.

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• Japan
• (anime • Gunma • Japan travel • manga • manhole covers • Poké Lids • Pokéfuta • Pokemon • Pokémon manhole covers • tourism • travel • video games)

New craft beer made from Japanese udon noodles celebrates centuries of Mizusawa food culture

• Casey Baseel
  Oct 13, 2026

Noodles loved by hot spring fans and temple pilgrims become a very unique brew.

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• Japan
• (alcohol • beer • craft beer • drinks • food • Gunma • Ikaho • Japan travel • Mizusawa udon • Noodles • tourism • travel • udon)

Starbucks Japan unveils exclusive new Frappuccinos limited to three regional areas

• Oona McGee
  Jul 28, 2026

New “Jimoto” series celebrates the unique flavours and charms of different parts of Japan.

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• Japan
• (Aomori • coffee • drinks • Frappuccino • Frappuccinos • Gunma • Japanese Frappuccino • Japanese Frappuccinos • limited edition • merchandise • milk tea • Okinawa • regional exclusive • regional souvenirs • Starbucks • Starbucks Japan • Starbucks limited edition • tumblers)

Pachinko machines get new life and become big hit in Japanese assisted care facility

• Master Blaster
  Jun 15, 2026

Better living through chrome-plated balls.

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• Japan
• (assisted living facility • COK • elderly • Gunma • pachinko • physical disabilities • seniors • society • wellness)

Art Fire Festival lights up the night at a unique venue in the mountains of Japan

• Casey Baseel
  May 6, 2026

Sarusho continues to shine in its second life.

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• Japan
• (art • awesome • closed schools • cool • fire • Gunma • hotels • pyrotechnics • schools)

Security guard jumped by bear at public restroom in middle of Numata City

• Master Blaster
  Dec 1, 2025

Bears in Japan are steadily getting closer to urban areas.

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• Japan
• (bear attacks • bear encounters • bears • Gunma • Numata • Numata Station)

Time-slipping travel at a roadside retro spot in northern east Japan【Kita Kanto Brothers】

• Casey Baseel
  Oct 23, 2025

The Kita Kanto Brothers make an unexpected detour in Gunma Prefecture.

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• Japan
• (COK • cool • food • Gunma • Kanto • Kita Kanto • Kita Kanto Bros. • Kita Kanto Brothers • Masanuki Sunakoma • Noodles • north Kanto • northern Kanto • retro • SNJO • Takamichi Furusawa • tourism • travel • vending machines)

Hidden travel gems of northern east Japan, presented by the Kita Kanto Brothers!【Photos】

• Casey Baseel
  Oct 2, 2025

Our northern Kanto reporters team up and head to Gunma for a look at this part of Japan that gets overlooked by tourists.

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• Japan
• (Calpico • Calpis • COK • food • Gunma • Kanto • katsu • Kita Kanto • Kita Kanto Bros. • Kita Kanto Brothers • Masanuki Sunakoma • north Kanto • northern Kanto • pork cutlet • SNJO • Takamichi Furusawa • Tanuki • Tatebayashi • temples • tonkatsu • tourism • travel)

This Japanese train station has its very own hot spring bathhouse, right on the platform【Photos】

• Casey Baseel
  Jul 3, 2025

We hop on the train to Mizunuma, then hop into the bath.

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• Japan
• (baths • COK • cool • Gunma • hot springs • onsen • SNJO • stations • tourism • trains • travel)

Soy sauce candy being handed out in Gunma to combat heat stroke

• Master Blaster
  Jun 23, 2025

Oh… Hey, candy that tastes like soy sauce… Thanks?

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• Japan
• (candy • Double Fermented Premium Soy Sauce • food • Gunma • Shoda Shoyu • soy sauce • Tatebayashi • Tatebayashi Tsumugi)

Venture into some of Japan’s tastiest theme parks this Golden Week

• Elliot Hale
  Apr 28, 2025

These four food parks offer fun, flavor, and unforgettable experiences.

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• Japan
• (Chiba • COK • cream cornet • food • food theme park • Golden Week • Gunma • Hattendo • Hattendo Cafelie Kisarazu • Hidaka • Hojo • Hokuei • Kanra • Kisarazu • konnyaku • Konnyaku Park • pork • Pork Festival • Saiboku • Saitama • theme park • Tokoton Matsuri • Tottori • wiener • wieners)

Most convenient hot spring in Japan? Might be this one that’s attached to a train station platform

• Casey Baseel
  Apr 18, 2025

Onsen getaways don’t get more convenient than this rail station in Gunma.

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• Japan
• (COK • Gunma • hot springs • Kiryu • onsen • stations • tourism • trains • travel)

Japanese pot sticker restaurant chain also runs flat-rate hot spring inn, but is it worth staying at?

• Casey Baseel
  Mar 24, 2025

We head to the most unique branch of Gyoza no Manshu there is.

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• Japan
• (COK • cool • crazy • Gunma • gyoza • hot springs • hotels • Japanese inns • onsen • pot stickers • restaurants • ryokan • SNJO • tourism • travel • weird)

Tiny storage container hotels become the latest craze in Japan, thanks to Hotel R9 The Yard

• Oona McGee
  Feb 2, 2025

From the country that brought you capsule hotels comes a new tiny form of accommodation.

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• Japan
• (accommodation • capsule hotel • COK • container hotel • containers • freight containers • Gunma • hotel • hotels • news • SNJO • tiny homes • Tomioka • travel)

Cheap Japanese ryokan at Kusatsu Onsen is hidden at the back of a traditional store

• Oona McGee
  May 6, 2024

A budget stay in the centre of town that’s like visiting grandma’s house in the countryside.

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• Japan
• (accommodation • business hotels • cheap accommodation • COK • cool • crazy • Gunma • hot springs • inn • Japanese accommodation • Kusatsu • onsen • ryokan • SNJO • tourism • travel • weird)

We go looking for the free kaoyu hot spring facebath of onsen town Kusatsu【Photos】

• Casey Baseel
  Apr 14, 2024

Lots of Japanese hot spring towns have footbaths, but how does a facebath work?

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• Japan
• (COK • cool • crazy • Gunma • hot springs • Kusatsu • onsen • SNJO • tourism • travel • weird)

Ninja Soba Goemon: A Japanese restaurant that’s like a ninja hideout

• Oona McGee
  Mar 1, 2024

Because shadow warriors need to eat noodles too. 

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• Japan
• (cool • eating • food • Goemon • goemonburo • Gunma • Japanese food • Japanese restaurants • Ninja • Ninja Soba Goemon • Noodles • restaurants • review • SNJO • soba • soba restaurant • taste test)

Gunma’s secret-to-us bento soul food stop that all the locals know and love: Torihei【Taste test】

• SoraNews24
  Jan 24, 2024

Our Gunma sources clue us in on a local favorite.

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• Japan
• (bento • boxed lunches • chicken katsu • COK • food • Gunma • restaurants • SNJO • taste test • teriyaki • travel)

We visit Japan’s first Ikea in northern Kanto before the official opening and it’s enormous

• Oona McGee
  Jan 18, 2024

The queue to get to the registers was just as crazy. 

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• Japan
• (COK • furniture • Gunma • ikea • ikea japan • new opening • preopening • shops • SNJO)

Enjoy a Japanese tea ceremony in a traditional storehouse

• Oona McGee
  Dec 9, 2023

A unique setting for a unique tea ceremony.

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• Japan
• (architecture • cafes • COK • cool • food • green tea • Gunma • Gunma restaurants • Japanese food • Japanese tea • Japanese tea ceremony • kura • ocha • old buildings • restaurants • review • SNJO • tea • traditional architecture • traditional Japan)

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• Recent Posts

  • First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open
  • Godzilla becomes a Japanese randoseru backpack, as do two of his greatest rivals [Photos]
  • Japan’s free stock image site of muscular men doing whimsical and mundane things reveals rankings
  • Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
  • This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?

• MOST POPULAR

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  • Yearly

  Today

  1. Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
  2. Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
  3. Godzilla becomes a Japanese randoseru backpack, as do two of his greatest rivals [Photos]
  4. First-ever cafe on Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden grounds is now open
  5. Japan’s free stock image site of muscular men doing whimsical and mundane things reveals rankings
  6. This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
  7. Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
  8. Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
  9. Starbucks Japan releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
  10. Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”

  Weekly

  1. Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
  2. Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
  3. Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
  4. Life-size Monster Hunter dragon statues to be built at Japanese shopping mall
  5. Studio Ghibli homeware brand’s faux oil lamp brings light, smiles, and Kiki’s Jiji to your home
  6. Modern exosuits are opening up ancient Japanese castle climbs to everyone
  7. Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
  8. Evangelion announces collaboration with Hard Rock Cafe
  9. Starbucks Japan releases “Let’s Par-TEA!” Frappuccino and drinks for the holiday season
  10. Cold Stone is closing its final branch in all of east Japan, but it’s going down singing

  Monthly

  1. Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia
  2. Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
  3. Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  4. Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
  5. What’s it like to stay in a Japanese container hotel?
  6. Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
  7. New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
  8. Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
  9. Tokyo train station will play Godzilla theme song as new departure melody
  10. Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign

  Yearly

  1. Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
  2. Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
  3. Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
  4. Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
  5. Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
  6. Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
  7. Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
  8. Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
  9. Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
  10. Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa

• RECOMMENDED STORIES

  • This is Japan’s best cycling course, but is it fun for bicycling beginners too?
  • Mr. Sato searches for the mysterious new wall of fortune in Tokyo
  • Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
  • Starbucks Japan releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
  • Thief mails 460 million-yen watch back to Tokyo store he stole it from, says “I’m sorry”
  • Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
  • This hot spring near Osaka’s Kansai Airport resolves the pick-two-out-of-three bathhouse dilemma
  • Japan’s mini Shikoku Pilgrimage walking tour left us feeling immensely satisfied
  • Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
  • Starbucks Japan invites us to par-tea with its new Earl Gray Frappuccino [Taste test]
  • Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
  • Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
  • Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
  • This semi-secret, totally free footbath in downtown Tokyo is completely awesome

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• • Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
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