Nikko and Lake Chuzenji area, where Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Nikko-zan Rinnoji Temple are located, are representative tourist attractions in Tochigi Prefecture, and you can enjoy rich nature such as Kegon Falls, Iroha Slope, Akechidaira, Nantai-san, and Nikko Cedar Namiki.
Tochigi Prefecture is also famous as a hot spring kingdom with Nikko Yumoto Onsen, Nasu Onsen, Shiobara Onsen, and Kinugawa Onsen. There is also a wide variety of local gourmet food, such as gyoza (dumpling) eating contests in Utsunomiya and Sano ramen in Sano City in the southern part of the prefecture, making it possible to enjoy a day trip to hot springs and gourmet food from the Tokyo metropolitan area.
To enjoy sightseeing in Tochigi Prefecture
In the Nikko and Chuzenji-ko areas, where Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Nikko-zan Rinnoji Temple, the representative tourist spots of Tochigi Prefecture, are located, you can enjoy rich nature such as Kegon Falls, Ryuzu Falls, Iroha Slope, Akechidaira, Senjogahara, Nantaiyama, and Nikko Cedar Namiki, which shows various aspects of nature depending on the season.
Tochigi Prefecture is also famous as a hot spring kingdom, with Nikko Yumoto Onsen, a hot spring located deep in Nikko, and Nasu Onsen, Shiobara Onsen, and Kinugawa Onsen, which spread out at the foot of Mount Chausu in the northern part of the prefecture.
The Nikko area is home to Nikko Edomura and Tobu World Square, while the Nasu area offers many family-friendly spots such as Nasu Highland Park, Nasu Rindoko Lake View, and Nasu Animal Kingdom.
There is also no shortage of gourmet food, historic sites, and activities, such as a dumpling eating contest in Utsunomiya, a stroll through the ruins of Ashikaga School and Ashikaga Temple of the Ashikaga clan in Ashikaga, a visit to the Ashio Copper Mine ruins where historical events took place, and a line rafting trip along the Kinugawa River.
There are two outlets, Nasu Garden Outlets and Sano Premium Outlets, located in the north and south of the city, so you can also enjoy shopping in between sightseeing tours.
History of Tochigi Prefecture
Before the Kamakura period (1185-1333), Tochigi Prefecture was the power base of the Kanto samurai, and the samurai culture took root in Utsunomiya City and Oyama City.
In the Edo period (1603-1867), when Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun, died, Ieyasu was deified as Tosho Daigongen and enshrined at Nikko Toshogu Shrine. As a result, Nikko became a sacred place under the patronage of the Edo shogunate, and was ruled by feudal lords and bannermen until the end of the Edo period.
In the Meiji era (1868-1912), Tochigi Prefecture was created as a result of the abolition of feudal domains, and in 1884, the prefectural government was moved to Utsunomiya, marking the beginning of full-fledged prefectural administration. Later, when the former Japanese National Railways and Tobu Railroad laid the railroad, Utsunomiya City developed as a core city, and Utsunomiya and other major cities in the prefecture have continued to develop as satellite cities of Tokyo up to the present day.
Local Gourmet, Food Culture, and Specialties of Tochigi Prefecture
Utsunomiya's specialty, gyoza (dumplings), is so famous that people travel from other prefectures to enjoy the taste of this long-established specialty. In the city center, there are many food courts where visitors can taste gyoza at one place, making it possible for beginners to visit famous gyoza restaurants. Frozen gyoza sold at stores are also recommended as souvenirs.
Utsunomiya also offers other B-class gourmet foods such as Utsunomiya yakisoba. In Sano City in the southern part of the prefecture, there are Sano ramen noodles with a clear soy sauce broth and Sano-mimi udon noodles, which were eaten to ward off evil spirits, as well as rare local delicacies such as yakisoba noodles in soup in the Nasu area.
Livestock raising and agriculture are thriving in Tochigi Prefecture, a prefecture without a sea, and visitors can enjoy dishes using brand-name beef such as Otawara beef and Tochigi Wagyu beef, as well as sweets using Tochiotome brand strawberries.
Of course, local delicacies such as yuba, suiton, Imaichi soba, Kanuma konnyaku, and bandaimochi are also local delicacies that should not be missed. The area is also filled with other unique gourmet foods that every Tochigi resident should try at least once, such as lemon milk and shimotsukare, which are well-known to everyone in Tochigi Prefecture.
The shrine is dedicated to the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Shogunate. The gorgeous architecture represented by the Yomeimon Gate is unparalleled in its mixed Shinto/Buddhist style. Together with Kunouzan Toshogu Shrine and Ueno Toshogu Shrine, it is one of the three major...»
Travel back in time through a barrier gate! After passing through the barrier gate, you will be in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo). This is a cultural park where you can experience the culture of the Edo period. Once you step into the entrance gate, you will be greeted by samurai warriors and t...»
It is the oldest school in Japan and is designated as a national historic site. There is no clear information on the founding of the school, and there are various theories as to the exact date of its founding. Some say that Ono Takamura founded the school in the early Heian period (794-1192). After...»
The Utsunomiya Zoo is a theme park where visitors can enjoy interacting with nature, animals and children. At Utsunomiya Zoo, visitors can interact with a total of 400 animals in 95 species, ranging from fierce animals such as lions and Bengal tigers to small animals such as raccoons, raccoons, gira...»
The black walls and warehouse buildings stand side by side for more than 100 meters, and a sightseeing boat cruises leisurely along the Tomoehagawa River in front of the buildings, symbolizing "Koedo Tochigi" and "Kura-machi. Tochigi City has prospered since the Edo period as a post town on the Nik...»
The name of Utsunomiya is said to derive from the fact that this shrine was once called "Ichinomiya" in Shimono. It is said that the history of Utsunomiya began about 1,600 years ago, together with Mt. Futaarasan. The shrine has a long history, dating back to its founding about 1,600 years ago, wh...»
The museum is an underground museum that was built on the site of an Oya Stone quarry. Even if you are not familiar with the name Oyaishi, the texture of the stone should be familiar to you. This stone has long been used as a building material for houses and walls, but where and how it is mined is ...»
Located in Ishi-no-Sato, this is a very rare temple surrounded by natural caves. This temple was built on the site of an ancient cave dwelling, and is known as one of the best cave temples in Japan. Inside the mysterious main hall are 10 beautiful Buddha images carved into the natural rock walls. A...»
A 27-meter-high statue of the Great Kannon carved into a rock wall In Oya, a stone village in Utsunomiya City, there is a huge stone statue of Kannon standing on the site of the Oya Stone Mining Site. The towering statue stands 26.93 meters tall (88 shaku 8 sun 8 min) with a girth of 20 meters. T...»
This is a water and greenery experience zone where visitors can come into contact with the nature of Naka River and the fish that live there. Here, fish that live in Naka River, freshwater fish from around the world, and fish from tropical rain forests and coral reefs are exhibited. Freshwater fish...»
A magnificent building and a lovely garden welcome you to this museum, where you will feel as if you were in England. The majestic stone-built medieval nobleman's pavilion stands in a lush garden that recreates the rural landscape of the Cotswolds region in England, and you will be completely encha...»
Beautiful flowers under eight different themes are planted in the vast 94,000 m2 garden. The garden is beautifully decorated with flowers blooming in each season. The large wisteria trellis, which is especially spectacular in spring, can be seen from mid-April to mid-May. The wisteria flowers of va...»
Orihime Shrine is located halfway up Mount Orihime and features a beautiful vermilion-lacquered temple. It was built in 1879 and enshrines Yachinahime-no-mikoto and Amamimihoko-no-mikoto. It was built to pray for the promotion of industry. It stands in the mountains surrounded by greenery. The shri...»
The temple is located in Ashikaga City and is the family temple of the Ashikaga clan, which can still be seen in the samurai residences of the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The temple was originally built in 1196 by Yoshikane, the second generation of the Ashikaga clan, who built a Buddha hall in hi...»
Of the 48 waterfalls scattered around Nikko, Kegon Falls is the most famous. It is 97 meters high, 7 meters wide, and 4.5 meters deep, with the water from Lake Chuzenji falling all at once from its large cliffs. This waterfall, which allows visitors to enjoy the grandeur of nature and its beautiful...»
Located in "Mibu Highway Park and Roadside Station Mibu" with an area of 52.4 ha (more than 10 times the size of Tokyo Dome), this is an urban park with flowerbeds where you can enjoy seasonal flowers and a vast field. Since Mibu Highway Station Mibu is also a highway oasis at the Mibu PA on the Ki...»
Mibu Highway Park, a highway oasis adjacent to Mibu Parking Area (Mibu PA), is easily accessible from both expressways and ordinary roads. The tourist exchange center "Miraikan" where tourist information on Mibu-cho is gathered has various stores and facilities such as restaurants, stores, and a di...»
This is a museum where visitors can "play" with toys in a building reminiscent of a medieval Western castle. It is located in the Mibu Town General Park (Road Station Mibu) in Mibu Town, which has a strong connection with toys, and is also known as "Toy Town," a place where toy manufacturers' factor...»
The museum displays many exhibits that will tickle the curiosity of both adults and children. At the entrance, a life-size bust of the RX-78 Gundam stands 5.6 meters tall, welcoming visitors with its pilot, Amuro Rei. The museum's carefully selected exhibits include a toy collection of approximatel...»
Iroha Slope, a steep sightseeing road with 48 characteristic curves, connects downtown Nikko with Lake Chuzenji and Oku-Nikko. The road consists of two slopes, the first Iroha slope for downhill and the second Iroha slope for uphill, and the total number of sharp curves on the two slopes is as many...»
Many elegant villas standing by the lakeside of Lake Chuzenji in the rich nature were built by foreigners and embassies of various countries from the middle of Meiji Era to the beginning of Showa Era, and flourished as international summer resorts. The building in the park was built in 1928 as a vi...»
You can enjoy the rich nature of Lake Chuzenji, an international summer resort in Oku-Nikko, and the history of British culture in this park. Many foreign villas were built along the shores of Lake Chuzenji from the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912) to the beginning of the Showa period (1926-1...»
Located near Kegon-no-taki Waterfall and Lake Chuzenji, this museum offers visitors a fun way to learn about the nature and history of Oku-Nikko through the use of video equipment and other facilities. It also functions as a visitor center and a base for disseminating information on Oku-Nikko, and ...»
Located in the center of Oku-Nikko, Lake Chuzenji is one of the highest lakes in Japan at 1,269 meters above sea level. The lake is filled with clear water, and the surrounding area offers beautiful scenery in each of the four seasons. The azaleas in early summer and the autumn leaves in fall are e...»
Rinnoji Temple, founded in the Nara period (710-794), is the main temple of Japan and, along with Toeizan and Hieizan, is one of Nikko's representative temples and shrines, with a vast area of land. This Rinnoji is the general name for the entire Nikko Mountain, and there are many branch temples wi...»
After reaching the unprecedented summit of Mt. Nantai (2,486 m above sea level), Shodo Shonin, a priest of the Nara period (710-784) and the founder of Nikkozan, built Chuzenji Temple in Enryaku 3 (784) as a place for ascetic practice. Initially, the temple was located toward the entrance to the Na...»
This hot spring resort extends behind Nikko's especially beautiful "Senjogahara" and is spread out along the shores of Lake Yunoko at the foot of Kinsei Pass, with high mountains such as Mt. Shirane looming in the background. Here, visitors can soak in the hot springs while viewing the beautiful se...»
Located on the northern shore of Lake Chuzenji, which was created by the eruption of Mount Nantai, this hot spring resort has been popular as a summer resort since ancient times. The source of the hot spring is Nikko Yumoto Onsen, which began to be drawn in 1951. The quality of the spring water in ...»
The spacious garden is a tranquil space surrounded by flowers and greenery, and includes a large greenhouse where visitors can appreciate approximately 1,200 kinds of plants. The large flower beds are filled with beautiful flowers that are well cared for each season. The vast grounds of the greenho...»
Killing Stone is a rocky, desolate landscape that is also known as a historical site where the legend of the nine-tailed fox remains. This lava flow near Nasu Yumoto Onsen (hot spring) creates a unique atmosphere with the smell of sulfur surrounding the area. This place is known as the place where...»
This is a suspension bridge for pedestrians that connects the Kinugawa Onsen Hot Spring Resort and Tateiwa. It is approximately 140 meters long and offers a panoramic view of the rapids of the Kinugawa River and beautiful mountains. The bridge is approximately 40 meters high and spans through a lar...»
This is a scenic spot deep in Nikko with beautiful valleys. Surrounded by rich natural tourist attractions such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Kegon Falls, and Kinugawa Hot Spring Village. The beauty of the valley, bathed in sunlight and filled with negative ions, is sure to enchant you with its beauty. ...»
Once known as "Japan's No. 1 mining town," this copper mine has a prosperous history. Visitors can tour the mine shafts. After the mine was closed, some of the tunnels were opened to the public, and visitors ride a trolley train through the dimly lit tunnels, where realistic dolls recreate the ore m...»
Kinugawa Onsen is one of the most beautiful hot spring resorts in the Kanto region, with its magnificent valleys and beautiful scenery. Discovered in the Edo period (1603-1867), Kinugawa Onsen has a long history, and at that time, only Buddhist monks and feudal lords on pilgrimages to Nikko were al...»