Gunma
Subaru headquarters, Tomioka Silk Mill UNESCO site (2014), Kusatsu Onsen, #1 konjac producer. 2026: automotive transition testing inland Japan's resilience.
Gunma exists at Japan's automotive heart—and its hot spring soul. The prefecture hosts Subaru's headquarters and main factory (Ota City), along with suppliers that make the Japanese automotive supply chain possible. Tomioka Silk Mill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, pioneered Japan's silk industry in 1872; the transition from silk to automobiles traces Japan's industrialization arc.
But Gunma's deeper identity is geothermal. Kusatsu Onsen ranks among Japan's most famous hot spring resorts; the prefecture claims more hot spring sources than almost any other. The mountains that create the springs—part of Japan's volcanic backbone—also create ski resorts that serve Tokyo's weekend market.
This combination—manufacturing base, hot spring tourism, ski access, agricultural hinterland (konjac production leads Japan)—creates economic diversification unusual for inland prefectures. By 2026, Gunma tests whether automotive-to-EV transition can proceed while maintaining employment; whether hot spring tourism can recover post-COVID; whether Tokyo's remote work migration might favor mountain access over beach access. The prefecture that helped industrialize Japan may help it de-industrialize gracefully.