Utsunomiya gyoza宇都宮餃子
Utsunomiya is famous for its many gyoza shops serving pan-fried, boiled and deep-fried dumplings.
Kanto
Tochigi Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
Home to Nikko’s ornate Toshogu shrine, Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls, plus the Kinugawa and Nasu hot springs and Utsunomiya’s gyoza.
Open Tochigi on the map48 places on the map · 6 local favourites
Local tips
- TipReach Nikko on the Tobu line from Asakusa, or by JR shinkansen to Utsunomiya and then the JR Nikko Line.
- Heads upIn October, traffic on the Irohazaka road up to Lake Chuzenji can back up for hours; go early on a weekday.
- TipOku-Nikko around Lake Chuzenji is much higher and colder than Nikko town; leaves turn earlier and snow lingers longer.
- DoSee the giant wisteria at Ashikaga Flower Park from late April into May, including the evening illumination.
- TipHidden gem: the vast underground Oya stone quarry near Utsunomiya, a cool cavern even in summer.
What to eat
Nikko yuba (tofu skin)日光ゆば
Delicate layers of soy-milk skin, served in Nikko as sashimi, in soups or rolled and simmered.
Tochigi strawberries栃木のいちご
Tochigi is a leading strawberry producer; winter and spring are the season for picking them at local farms.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Orion-dori, Utsunomiya
オリオン通り ShoppingUtsunomiya's covered main shopping arcade, with small local shops, cafés and gyoza stops. Busy with locals in the evening.
● Mostly localsMashiko Sankokan Museum
益子参考館 Sights & HistoryThe home and workshop of potter Shoji Hamada, a leader of the mingei folk-craft movement, with his climbing kiln and his collection of crafts.
● Mostly localsKura no Machi Boat Ride, Tochigi
蔵の街遊覧船 ExperiencesA gentle punted boat ride along the Uzuma River through Tochigi's old warehouse district, with the boatman singing local songs.
● Mostly localsTochigi Kura no Machi
とちぎ蔵の街 Sights & HistoryThe old merchant quarter of Tochigi city, with black-plastered warehouses lining the Uzuma River. Easy day trip that few overseas visitors make.
● Mostly localsTonoike Sake Brewery
外池酒造店 Local FoodExperiencesA sake brewery in the pottery town of Mashiko offering tastings and brewery visits. Combine with a pottery-shopping day.
● Mostly localsWatahan Yokan, Nikko
綿半 Local FoodA long-established yokan maker in Nikko. Its sweet bean jelly, made with Nikko's soft water, is the classic local gift.
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Nikko Toshogu
日光東照宮 Temples & GoshuinchoSights & HistoryThe lavishly carved mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, famous for the three wise monkeys and the sleeping cat. The most ornate shrine in Japan.
Shinkyo Bridge
神橋 Sights & HistoryThe vermilion lacquered bridge over the Daiya River at the entrance to Nikko's shrines. You can pay to walk across it.
Kegon Falls
華厳滝 Nature & SceneryNikko's most famous waterfall, dropping from Lake Chuzenji into a gorge. An elevator takes you down to the viewing platform at the base.
Ashikaga Flower Park
あしかがフラワーパーク Nature & SceneryHome to giant wisteria trees whose trailing blossoms cover huge trellises. After dark in winter the park holds a big illumination.
Lake Chuzenji
中禅寺湖 Nature & SceneryA high mountain lake below Mount Nantai, ringed by old embassy villas you can visit. Cruise boats circle the lake in the warmer months.
Akechidaira Ropeway
Nature & SceneryExperiencesA ropeway in Nikko that whisks visitors up to the Akechidaira observation deck, offering sweeping panoramic views over the Irohazaka winding road and the surrounding…
Futarasan Jinja
Temples & GoshuinchoA revered Shinto shrine in Nikko, Futarasan Jinja is one of the area's iconic sacred sites and a UNESCO World Heritage component, dedicated to the deities of the…
Oya History Museum
Nature & SceneryA fascinating underground museum carved into the ancient Oya stone quarry in Utsunomiya, featuring vast subterranean chambers that showcase the history of Oya-ishi…