Gunma Prefecture Local Guide Biz

Land Size and Population of Gunma Prefecture

Located almost in the center of the Japanese archipelago, Gunma Prefecture is the second largest prefecture in the Kanto region after Tochigi Prefecture, with an area of 6,363 square kilometers. Approximately 60% of the area is covered with forests, surrounded by beautiful nature such as mountains, wetlands, lakes, valleys, and clear streams. The Kanetsu, Joshinetsu, Kita Kanto, Tohoku Expressway, Joetsu, and Hokuriku Shinkansen lines make it one of the most well-connected areas in Japan, and the number of companies located there is top class in Japan.

With a population of approximately 1,942,000 in 2019, it is the sixth largest of the six prefectures in the Kanto region. Of these, Gunma, Ibaraki, and Tochigi prefectures continue to experience population decline. As a countermeasure against population decline, Gunma Prefecture announced the “New Gunma Prefecture Comprehensive Plan” in December 2021, and is promoting various initiatives to stop the population decline. (Source: 2018 Population Ranking by Prefecture)

GDP and Industrial Structure of Gunma Prefecture

Gunma’s industries are developing as a “manufacturing prefecture” by integrating advanced industrial technologies that have been handed down over many years. Gunma Prefecture’s GDP is 8,659.8 billion yen (real) in 2018, the lowest among the Kanto region (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma), but the growth rate is shows a growth rate of 1.1% compared to the previous year, which is the second highest growth rate in the Kanto region after Ibaraki and Chiba.

The industrial structure is 57.0% tertiary industry, 41.8% secondary industry centered on manufacturing, and 1.1% primary industry of agriculture, forestry and fishery. The secondary industry is high at 14.9%, indicating that the manufacturing industry in Gunma Prefecture is thriving.

The shipment value of manufactured goods is about 9 trillion yen, which ranks 12th in Japan. In particular, the proportion of transportation equipment is high, accounting for 37.3% of the total shipment value of manufactured goods, making it the fifth largest shipment value in Japan. (Source: GDP Rankings by Prefecture)

Number of Tourist Visitors and Unit Consumption in Gunma Prefecture

In terms of tourism, the number of domestic travelers visiting Gunma Prefecture in 2019 was about 13.51 million, which is the 21st out of 47 prefectures and the lowest among the 1 metropolitan and 6 prefectures in the Kanto region. The unit consumption per visitor is 23,000 yen, which ranks 10th in Japan and 2nd in the Kanto region after Chiba prefecture.

On the other hand, the number of foreign visitors to Japan is 163,000, which ranks 36th in Japan, and the unit consumption is 53,000 yen, which ranks 12th in Japan. As a tourism resource, the Tomioka Silk Mill in Tomioka City was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site on June 25, 2014, “Tomioka Silk Mill and Group of Silk Industry Heritage Sites.”

In addition, in addition to historical cultural heritage and cultural assets, such as the burial mounds reminiscent of the prosperity of ancient Togoku culture, historical shrines and temples with various legends, and the UNESCO “Memory of the World” “Ueno Three Monuments”, There are many silk heritages that are proud of both domestically and internationally, such as the heritage “Kakaa Tenka – Gunma’s Silk Story”. (Source: Comparing Domestic Travel Destinations of Foreign Visitors to Japan and Japanese Travelers in 2019)