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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Numata
沼田
Use Numata as a gateway to Oze National Park and Nikko, not a destination: one night or a half-day stop for the castle ruins and a hot spring.
Numata is a small city in Gunma Prefecture, known as the entrance to Oze National Park and a convenient stop on the way to Nikko. Its main draw is the Ruins of Numata Castle in Numata Park, plus hot springs and fruit-picking orchards. Most travellers pass through in half a day or stay one night at a hot-spring inn.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 沼田
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (cold, snow possible)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–9,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–16,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥300–500 |
| Noodle soup (ramen or soba) | ¥700–1,200 |
| Beer: draught in a pub / can at a konbini | ¥500–700 / ¥250–350 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ¥2,000–2,500 |
| JR Joetsu Line to Takasaki | ¥1,200–1,500 |
| Castle ruins entry | Free |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NRT · Narita International Airport
- About 3 h by train via Tokyo and Takasaki
- HND · Tokyo Haneda Airport
- About 2.5 h by train via Tokyo and Takasaki
Typical fares
- Numata → Takasaki, JR Joetsu Line
- about ¥1,200–1,500, about 1 h (check)
- Taxi from Numata Station to a hot-spring inn
- ¥1,000–2,000
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walkable centre; taxis available at the station. A car is useful for orchards and Oze trailheads.
See and do
Known for
- Ruins of Numata Castle
- Gateway to Oze National Park
- Hot springs and orchards
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Oze National Park | Bus from Numata Station to Oze trailhead, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Nikko | JR Joetsu Line to Minakami, then bus or train via Katashina, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Takasaki | JR Joetsu Line, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Kiryu | JR Joetsu Line to Shibukawa, then local train, about 1.5 h | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Near Numata Station
- Convenient for train access; limited hotels, mostly business hotels.
- Hot-spring inns (onsen ryokan)
- Scattered around town; book ahead for dinner included.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| Where is the bus stop? | バス停はどこですか？basutei wa doko desu ka |
| How much is this? | これはいくらですか？kore wa ikura desu ka |
| I'd like to check in | チェックインをお願いしますchekkuin o onegai shimasu |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Last trains on the JR Joetsu Line run before 22:00; check the timetable.
- Oze National Park entry requires a bus from Numata or nearby; no direct train.
- Fruit-picking orchards are seasonal; call ahead or check the tourist association site.
Numata is a quiet, safe town. Risks are limited to winter road ice and the occasional bear warning on Oze trails: check local advisories.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Numata yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ruins of Numata Castle
- Gateway to Oze National Park
- Hot springs and orchards
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Numata City Tourist Association: www.numata-kankou.jp/en/index.html
- Wikivoyage: Numata, revision 5250041 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5250041
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Numata沼田
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
The US has a consulate in Tokyo; most other countries: embassies in Tokyo.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/numata). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.