Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, Kantō Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Isesaki (伊勢崎市) is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Isesaki is located in the north-western part of the Kantō Plain of southern Gunma Prefecture. It is adjacent to Saitama Prefecture across the Tone River, which runs through the southern part of the city. The distance to the centre of the city is about 15 km (9.3 mi) from Maebashi City, the prefectural capital of Gunma, 20 km (12 mi) from Takasaki, and about 95 km (59 mi) from central Tokyo.

Surrounding municipalities: Gunma Prefecture: • Maebashi • Kiryū • Ōta • Midori • Tamamura.

Saitama Prefecture: • Honjō • Fukaya.

Isesaki developed during the Sengoku period as a castle town surrounding Akaishi Castle, a stronghold in southern Kōzuke Province controlled by the Yura clan. During the Edo period, it was the centre of Isesaki Domain, a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate controlled by the Sakai clan. The area also contained two post towns on the Nikkō Reiheishi Kaidō, a subroute to Nikkō Kaidō which connected the Nakasendō directly with Nikkō, bypassing Edo.

Isesaki Town was created within Sai District, Gunma Prefecture on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system after the Meiji Restoration. Sai District and Nawa District merged to form Sawa District in 1896. It merged with the villages of Uehasu and Moro to form the city of Isesaki on September 13, 1940. On January 10, 1955 the village of Misato was annexed by Isesaki, followed by the villages of Nawa, Toyouke and Miyagō on March 25 of the same year.

On January 1, 2005 the towns of Akabori and Sakai, and village of Azuma were incorporated into Isesaki. On April 1, 2007, Isesaki was proclaimed a special city (tokureishi) with increased autonomy.

Economy Isesaki (along with neighboring Kiryū) was traditionally famous for sericulture since ancient times, with a cloth called "Isesaki Meisen" as one of its most famous products. This cloth has been made since the late 17th century, and became popular during the Meiji and Taishō periods. Now, however, due to the ubiquity of Western-style clothes, its popularity is decreasing.

The automotive equipment and electrical equipment manufacturing company Sanden Corporation is headquartered in Isesaki. Also the city is home to Meisei Electric, a communications and electronics equipment and electric measuring instruments manufacturing company. Large industrial parks have been built in the suburbs, making it one of the leading industrial cities in the northern Kantō region.

It is also the location of J-List, a retailer of anime goods, visual novels and related products from Japan.