群馬
Gunma
群馬 · ぐんま
Prefecture
Kanto
Kanji Literal Meaning
"Group of Horses"
True Etymology
The name evokes a gathering or herd of horses. The Kanto plain of Gunma was historically renowned for horse breeding, and ancient Kozuke Province supplied horses to the imperial court. The characters 群 (group/flock) and 馬 (horse) reflect this equestrian heritage.
Alternative Theory
An alternative reading traces 'gunma' to the ancient clan name Kurumamusha or a local tribe called the Kuruma, whose phonetic rendering was later written with the horse characters for auspicious reasons.
Key Facts
| Capital | Maebashi |
|---|---|
| Region | Kanto |
| Reading | ぐんま |
| Pre-Meiji Domains | Maebashi Domain, Takasaki Domain, Annaka Domain |
| Domain Lords | Matsudaira clan (松平氏), Okabe clan (岡部氏) |
| Established | 1871-present |