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Tranquil hilltop view overlooking Nagano, Japan with empty benches and mountain backdrop.
Peaceful winter scene featuring snow-capped mountains and powerlines under a clear sky.
Collection of whimsical frog figurines in a Japanese shop adorned with flowers and priced signs.
Photo by Johnny Song on Pexels
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AsiaJapanGunma

Nakanojō

Gunma, Japan · Asia

About Nakanojō

Nakanojō is worth a stop: 25 minutes from Nakayama, 13km from Mount Haruna Touge.

Nakanojō is in Gunma, Japan, with about 16,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Nakayama, about 12 km away.

Nakanojō (中之条町, Nakanojō-machi) is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2020, the town had an estimated population of 15,571 in 6,737 households, and a population density of 35 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 439.28 square kilometres (169.61 sq mi).

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to Stay in Nakanojō

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Explore the Area

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to see near Nakanojō?

Within an hour or so of Nakanojō: Mount Haruna Touge (13 km), Kusatsu Yubatake (22 km), Shibu Pass (29 km), Usui Pass (32 km).

Are there any good drives near Nakanojō?

The nearest famous roads are Mount Haruna Touge, Shibu Pass and Usui Pass.

Where is Nakanojō?

Nakanojō is in Gunma, Japan, about 12 km from Nakayama.

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Quick Information

Population
15,571
Continent
Asia
Country
Japan
Region
Gunma
Timezone
Asia/Tokyo
Coordinates
36.5872, 138.8408

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in Japan

Police
110
Ambulance
119
Fire
119
Driving side
left

Japan Helpline (24h English assistance): 0570-000-911. An International Driving Permit (1949 convention) is required to drive.

Full driving guide for Japan

Tags

AsiaJapanGunmaTown

Worth the detour from Nakanojō

8 notable places within an hour's drive.

famous road

Mount Haruna Touge

The winding climb to Lake Haruna in Gunma, immortalised as 'Mount Akina' in Initial D. Gentle hairpins, a crater lake at the top, and constant pilgrimages by fans of Japan's street-racing manga.

13 km · about 25 min drive

photogenic

Kusatsu Yubatake

The steaming timber sluice at the centre of Kusatsu, where 4,000 litres a minute of highly acidic spring water is cooled across wooden channels before reaching the baths. Floodlit and clouded in steam after dark.

22 km · about 25 min drive

mountain pass

Shibu Pass

At 2,172 m this is the highest point on any Japanese national highway, on Route 292 between Nagano and Gunma. In spring the road is cut through snow walls several metres high.

29 km · about 35 min drive

mountain pass

Usui Pass

Historic pass on the old Nakasendo route between Gunma and Karuizawa, packed with 180-plus corners and the brick Megane-bashi viaduct. Another Initial D battleground beloved by drivers and rail historians alike.

32 km · about 35 min drive

waterfall

Fukiware Falls

A 7 m fall where the Katashina River drops into a fissure worn through flat rock, earning it the name the Niagara of the East. A riverside walkway runs right along the rim.

35 km · about 40 min drive

natural wonder

Jigokudani Monkey Park

A unique hot spring area where wild Japanese macaques famously bathe in steaming thermal pools surrounded by snow.

37 km · about 45 min drive

landmark

Shibu Onsen

A cobbled onsen village of wooden inns where guests in yukata and geta make a circuit of nine small public bathhouses. It is the road-end village below the snow monkey valley.

40 km · about 45 min drive

landmark

Nozawa Onsen

A steep village of thirteen free communal bathhouses maintained by residents, plus an open hot-spring cooking pool where locals blanch vegetables. The Oyu bathhouse is a wooden temple-roofed landmark at the centre.

51 km · about 60 min drive

Driving roads near Nakanojō

  • Right hereMount Haruna TougeThe winding climb to Lake Haruna in Gunma, immortalised as 'Mount Akina' in Initial D. Gentle hairpins, a crater lake at the top, and constant pilgrimages by fans of Japan's street-racing manga.
  • 29 kmShibu PassAt 2,172 m this is the highest point on any Japanese national highway, on Route 292 between Nagano and Gunma. In spring the road is cut through snow walls several metres high.
  • 32 kmUsui PassHistoric pass on the old Nakasendo route between Gunma and Karuizawa, packed with 180-plus corners and the brick Megane-bashi viaduct. Another Initial D battleground beloved by drivers and rail historians alike.
  • 62 kmIrohazaka Winding RoadTwin one-way mountain roads with 48 hairpin bends linking Nikko to Lake Chuzenji, each curve named after a character of the old Japanese alphabet. Spectacular in autumn and legendary among touge drivers.
  • 79 kmVenus LineA 76 km free touring road across Nagano's Kirigamine and Utsukushigahara highlands, rolling over open alpine meadows at up to 1,959 m. One of Japan's best-loved drives for bikers and grand tourers.

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Nakanojō.

Higashiagatsuma

🇯🇵 Japan

2 km awayPop. 13,349

Shibukawa

🇯🇵 Japan

18 km awayPop. 76,098

Numata

🇯🇵 Japan

19 km awayPop. 46,908

Ogura

🇯🇵 Japan

20 km awayPop. 21,792

Hirobaba

🇯🇵 Japan

22 km awayPop. 14,216

Kusatsu

🇯🇵 Japan

22 km awayPop. 6,255

Kanekomachi

🇯🇵 Japan

24 km awayPop. 37,107

Saikubo

🇯🇵 Japan

28 km awayPop. 8,850

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Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence