Maebashi City: Hometown of Poet Hagiwara Sakutaro and Urban Parks

Maebashi City, the capital of Gunma Prefecture, is known as a literary town where the poet Hagiwara Sakutaro, hailed as "the father of modern Japanese poetry," was born and raised. Blessed with the clear waters of the Tone River and abundant greenery, Maebashi, which styles itself the "town of water, greenery, and poetry," is dotted with literary sites tracing Sakutaro's footsteps and beautiful parks that serve as places of rest for residents. It is a calm city where the majestic nature of the view toward Mt. Akagi coexists with refined culture.

Highlights

Maebashi has many places to encounter Sakutaro's world. The Maebashi Museum of Literature exhibits Sakutaro's handwritten manuscripts and personal effects and introduces the course of modern poetry. Along the Hirose River stands a monument inscribed with Sakutaro's verse, where you can savor a line of poetry to the murmur of the river. A building incorporating part of his birthplace has been preserved, so even those who are not literature fans can quietly immerse themselves in the sensibility of a poet representative of modern Japan. Another highlight is Shikishima Park, spreading along the Tone River, with aged pine groves, a boating pond, and a stadium, serving as a place of rest for residents.

Enjoying the Seasons

Shikishima Park's rose garden is a famous spot where some 7,000 rose bushes of about 600 varieties bloom. The peak comes twice a year, in spring (mid-May to June) and autumn (mid-October to November), when the "Maebashi Rose Garden Festival" is held and the garden is filled with colorful flowers and fragrance. Strolling along the Hirose River is atmospheric in the cherry-blossom spring and in the fresh-green and foliage seasons alike. On summer nights, a large fireworks festival and a Tanabata festival liven up the city center. With seasonal nature and events to enjoy, it is truly an oasis in the city.

Access & Basic Information

• Location: Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture
• By train: Maebashi Station on the JR Ryomo Line is the gateway; reach each spot by bus or taxi from the station
• From Tokyo: The common route is to transfer to the Ryomo Line at Takasaki Station
• Main highlights: Maebashi Museum of Literature, the Hirose riverside promenade, Shikishima Park and its rose garden
• Nearby: Easy to combine with Mt. Akagi and neighboring Takasaki City

Practical Travel Notes

Maebashi's literary sites and parks are scattered through the city, so starting from Maebashi Station and using buses, taxis, or a bicycle lets you get around efficiently. The Maebashi Museum of Literature has set opening days and hours and changing exhibitions, so checking before visiting is reassuring. The rose garden's peak comes only twice a year, so if roses are your aim, plan for May to June or October to November. The Hirose riverside promenade offers waterside charm in the heart of the city, and hunting for Sakutaro's poetry monuments as you walk is a pleasure. The city center is flat and easy to walk, well suited to a day trip.

A Word of Advice

Maebashi is a prefectural capital whose charm is savoring literature and nature at a leisurely pace. First encounter Hagiwara Sakutaro's world at the Maebashi Museum of Literature, then stroll along the Hirose River visiting the poetry monuments to feel the atmosphere of the city's motto, "town of water, greenery, and poetry." In rose season, finish at Shikishima Park's rose garden. Savoring the majestic nature of the view toward Mt. Akagi and the city's refined culture in a single day is the tabitabi JAPAN editorial team's recommended way to enjoy Maebashi.

📚 Sources

The content here is organized from official tourism information on Maebashi City, public information from facilities such as the Maebashi Museum of Literature and the rose garden, and on-site guidance. The open days and hours and exhibition changes of the literature museum and the peak of the rose garden change. Because fees, hours, and access can change, please confirm with official sources before you set out.

Visitor Checklist

• Time needed: A half day to tour the city's sights, or a half day to a full day with several facilities and parks.
• What to bring: The city center is flat and easy to walk, suited to a day trip, so wear comfortable shoes. The sights are dotted around the city, so buses, taxis, or a bicycle are handy.
• Suggested route: Starting from Maebashi Station, tour the Maebashi Museum of Literature, the paths along the Hirose River, and the rose garden.
• Facility note: The literature museum has set open days and hours and exhibition changes, so confirming before your visit is reassuring.
• Timing guide: The rose garden's peak comes only twice a year, so for roses aim for May to June or October to November.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Opening hours of the Maebashi Museum of Literature: 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30). It is closed on Wednesdays (the following day when the Wednesday is a public holiday) and over the New Year period.
• Admission to the Maebashi Museum of Literature: While a special exhibition is running, general admission is 500-1,000 yen, and entry is free of charge for high school students and younger and for holders of a disability certificate together with their carer. Outside special exhibition periods, general admission is 100 yen.
• Planned temporary closure: The Maebashi Museum of Literature is scheduled to close temporarily from February 1 to February 28, 2027 (Reiwa 9).
• Hagiwara Sakutaro Memorial Museum: The storehouse, study and detached room of the poet's birthplace were relocated and restored here, and the museum has been open to the public since April 8, 2017 (Heisei 29) on the bank of the Hirose River opposite the Maebashi Museum of Literature. Viewing hours are 9:00-17:00 (interiors can be viewed until 16:30), it is closed on Wednesdays and over the New Year period, and admission is free of charge.
• Shikishima Park Kadokura Techno Rose Garden: Admission free of charge, gates open 9:00-17:00 (between 17:00 and 9:00 you can enter and leave through the side gate). Some 4,000 rose bushes of about 800 varieties are planted here, and you can see every one of the 19 modern roses and 14 old roses that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame at the World Rose Convention.
• Parking: All of the rose garden's parking lots are free of charge: Parking Lot 1 (in front of the main gate) with 140 spaces, Parking Lot 2 (in front of the north gate) with 161 spaces, and Parking Lot 3 (on the Tone River flood plain) with 500 spaces. Up to 8 large buses can park at Parking Lot 2.
• Access: From bus stop 3 at JR Maebashi Station, take the Kan-etsu Kotsu bus on the 44 Kawaharacho Line (via Midorigaoka) for about 20 minutes, get off at Rojin Center Iriguchi and walk 1 minute (this service runs on weekdays only). On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, take the 22 Maebashi-Shibukawa Line from bus stop 2, get off at Kita-Maebashi and walk 15 minutes. By car it is about 20 minutes from the Maebashi IC on the Kan-etsu Expressway via National Route 17, or about 5 minutes from the Komayose Smart IC via the Jomo Ohashi Bridge.

(Sources: official Maebashi City website, official website of the Maebashi Museum of Literature)