Tochigi

At the Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga city, Tochigi Prefecture, is famous for the light up of Japanese wisteria flowers, and the "Garden of light flowers", which was selected one of Japan’s best three illuminations. The night light up in a fantastic atmosphere is really amazing. Especially in the garden filled with flowers that bloom in all seasons, the "Miraculous Wisteria" that has seen over 150 springs is reminiscent of the "soul tree" in James Cameron's "Avatar" and was chosen by CNN as...

The Yamaage-matsuri Festival consists of the Karasuyama Yamaage Festival and the mikoshi (portable shrine) of the Yagumo Shrine. The festival is held for three days around the fourth Saturday of July in Nasukarasuyama City, Tochigi Prefecture. The Yamaage Festival boasts a tradition dating back over 450 years and features an extravagant open-air kabuki play unmatched even in Japan. The main attractions are the beautiful dance and the stage setting with the perfectly coordinated movement of...

Gyoza is the signature food of Utsunomiya. Having claimed the highest annual spending on gyoza in Japan several times, Utsunomiya is literally the city of gyoza. You can enjoy its tasty delights cooked in a variety of ways, such as grilling, boiling, and frying, as well as in size, ingredients, skin thickness and sauce at respective restaurants.

There are three representative holy places (two shrines and a temple) in Nikko: Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Nikko Futarasan Shrine, and Rinno-ji Temple. There is the architecture of great historical value, such as national treasures and important cultural properties at Nikko Toshogu Shrine, which enshrines Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, and Rinno-ji Temple, which features the grave of the third Shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa. Visitors must see the gorgeous sculptures including Nemuri-neko (sleeping cat) and the...

Kinugawa Onsen is a hot spring resort with a time-honored history. Discovered in 1691, only priests visiting Nikko and feudal lords were allowed to bathe in it at that time. After it was opened to the public in 1868, the resort became popular with tourists and developed into one of the largest resorts in the Kanto region, with numerous inns and hotels lining up along the gorge of the Kinugawa River.

Recognized as a Night View Heritage of Japan, the mesmerizing scenery of the Sawaguchi Riverbed with hundreds of candle-lit miniature kamakura snow houses is a fantastic sight like you have never seen. It is also chosen as one of the “Breathtaking Sights You Need to See Before You Die.”

The birthplace of the famed Nasu Onsen hot spring resort, Shikanoyu is the oldest hot spring in Tochigi Prefecture with around 1,390 years of history. The Shikanoyu public bathhouse is located near the Sessho-seki ("killing stone"), a tourist spot in Nasu. The sulfur spring water is characterized by its milky white color, and the surrounding distinctive fragrance helps to heighten the hot spring mood. The nostalgic building is reminiscent of its original appearance around a century ago,...