Takasaki, So Make a Wish

I'll explain this in a minute.

Takasaki is located right smack in the center of Gunma prefecture and is effectively its most populated city. Really, at first sight, it's an area thats doesn't seem to have anything special going for it, if nothing but the fact that it has the one major train station in the whole prefecture of Gunma. A whole lot of people who work in Tokyo actually commute from Takasaki, and I've been through the city a couple of times on my way to other places.
 It's only until I did a little bit of research that I chanced upon a few interesting things about the city, and it turns out that, even though you won't find it in most guide books, there's stuff in Takasaki that make it quite viable for a day trip! It's been on my mind for a while, so I figured today was the day.
 The sightseeing core of Takasaki is actually a 20 minute bus ride from the city center, in an area called Kannonyama. Once there, it's pretty easy to figure out where the place got its name. Overlooking the mountain is one of the tallest statues you might have ever seen.

There's a small temple beside it too!

This big white lady is the Byakue Kannon, one of the aspects of the Goddess of Mercy who figures quite prominently in the Buddhist religion and whom I've encountered before in Nokogiriyama. The mountain being quite forested, she makes for a pretty imposing sight when seen looming over the trees. Plus, she's so white she practically glows. The statue itself has a partially hollowed interior, which can be climbed until the height of her shoulders. Inside are enshrined other deities which can be revered and prayed to, for bestowing such blessings as safe childbirth and good fortune. Or you can be gloomy and pray to the Gatekeeper of Hell. For some reason, that's an option too. At any rate, once at the top of the statue, you get a pretty clear view of Takasaki, and, given favorable conditions, you can see the mountain ranges of Gunma in the distance too. I had no such fortune.
  I heard from someone that the Kannon of Takasaki and the Buddha of Kamakura were built facing one another, but I can't confirm nor deny the claim.

 If you haven't done enough worshiping/sightseeing here, there's an equally worthwhile opportunity to do so just a kilometer or so away. In the very same mountain is a cavern where 33 aspects of Kannon (including another of the very same Byakue Kannon above) are enshrined. Though at first this may seem like nothing but a minor attraction, the immensity of the 33 Kannon Cavern soon comes into evidence as you step inside its damp, dark halls. The entire 400 square meters of cave was hollowed out by shovel and pickaxe, with none of the modern machinery we now have. This feat alone makes the den quite impressive, but the statues themselves are the real treat here. At first individually enshrined in little notches along the walls, the cavern eventually opens up into majestic displays, putting some of the statues up high in magnificent natural-seeming displays. My personal favorite of the 33 aspects was the one in mid-transformation into a dragon. I was thoroughly happy with what I got for my 700¥.

 And of course, Takasaki is also the birthplace of the Daruma doll, further cementing the town's relationship with ancient Buddhism. For those of you who don't know, Daruma is a representation of the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. According to legend, Bodhidharma stared at a wall for 9 years in meditation. One version of the legend is that his legs fell off from atrophy. Another says that he once fell asleep, and cut off his eyelids so it would never happen again.
 Either way, in modern practice, Daruma dolls are round, hollow and (traditionally) red. They're a symbol of perseverance, and are built in such a

way that they're very hard to topple completely. Upon receiving one, the person who obtains the doll must make a wish and paint one eye black. Should the wish come true, the other eye must be painted black as well. Of course, having come all this way from Tokyo, nothing would do but to buy one of my own!
All in all, Takasaki's worth the trip, folks. If it happened to be closer to Tokyo, no doubt it would be swarming with tourists, but as it is, you can go there and enjoy all the peace and quiet of Gunma while learning lots and seeing great things. I recommend!