The city was founded on April 1, 1900.

Takasaki is a regional transportation hub due to the fact that its train station (Takasaki Station) is the junction of several rail lines as well as a Shinkansen ("Bullet Train") stop.

The city is famous as the hometown of the Daruma doll, theoretically representing the Buddhist sage Bodhidharma but in modern practice a symbol of good luck.

Mergers

• On January 23, 2006, the municipalities of Gunma, Kurabuchi and Misato from Gunma District and the town of Shin from Tano District merged into the expanded city of Takasaki.
• On October 1, 2006, the town of Haruna from Gunma District merged into the city of Takasaki. Gunma District was dissolved as a result of this merger.

Surrounding municipalities

• Gunma Prefecture
• Maebashi
• Annaka
• Fujioka
• Shibukawa
• Shintō
• Yoshii
• Tamamura
• Naganohara
• Higashiagatsuma
• Nagano Prefecture
• Karuizawa
• Saitama Prefecture
• Kamisato

Famous people

• Yasuhiro Nakasone - former Prime Minister of Japan
• Hirofumi Nakasone - politician (Yasuhiro Nakasone's son)
• Takeo Fukuda - former Prime Minister of Japan
• Yasuo Fukuda - Prime Minister of Japan (Takeo Fukuda's son)
• Kyosuke Himuro - musician (former member of BOØWY)
• Tomoyasu Hotei - musician (former member of BOØWY)
• Tsunematsu Matsui - musician (former member of BOØWY)
• Famous German architect Bruno Taut lived for some time in Takasaki
• Fujio Masuoka - inventor of flash memory

Sport

• Arte Takasaki - football (soccer) club

Sister cities

In Japan

• Higashikurume, Tokyo

Outside Japan

• Battle Creek, Michigan, United States
• Santo Andre, Brazil
• Chengde, China
• Pilsen, Czech Republic
• Muntinlupa City, Philippines

Sightseeing

• Takasaki Castle
• Mount Haruna
• Lake Haruna
• Haruna Shrine
• Minowa Castle

External links

• Takasaki city official website