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From the observation deck at the top of the prefectural offices, you can see just how lush the greenery is. Spacious greenbelts run along both sides of the Tonegawa, and the banks of the river Hirosegawa are lined with willows. And there are many tree-covered areas such as the area's numerous parks, ancient burial mounds, Shinto shrines, and Buddhist temples. To the south lies an extensive agricultural region, including many rice paddies, and to the north, a 2000-meter mountain range rises up in the distance.
It is believed that the area's natural beauty is why Maebashi has produced so many well-known poets. A good example is Sakutaro Hagiwara (1886–1942), one of the greatest Japanese poets of the early 20th century. Hagiwara is renowned for having abandoned the poetic conventions of his time to produce a new style of intensely personal, narrative poetry. |
