Kanto Plain

The Kanto Plain is the largest flat area in Japan, stretching across the one metropolis and six prefectures of the Kanto region, including Tochigi Prefecture. Its size is about the same as Shikoku, accounting for roughly 5% of Japan’s land area. The climate is a warm temperate one, corresponding to the Pacific side climate with slightly more rainfall. With vast rice paddies and fields, its flat terrain makes it easy for people to live, and it is used for daily life and agriculture in places like Tochigi Prefecture.

gyoza

On the west side of Utsunomiya Station, there is a stone statue called the Gyoza Statue. Inspired by Utsunomiya’s famous gyoza, it depicts a “Gyoza Venus,” with Venus wrapped in a gyoza skin. It was created in 1994 as part of a TV program project aimed at revitalizing the town. It has become a unique tourist attraction that showcases the popularity of Utsunomiya’s gyoza.

I'm tired.

In the Tochigi dialect, the word “kowai” means “tired,” and it’s often used after doing heavy work. Also, the word “katai” used to be commonly used in the southern part of Tochigi in the past. However, fewer people use it these days. Tochigi has some interesting words that are a little different from those in other regions.

strawberry

Tochigi Prefecture has long had the highest strawberry production in Japan. In recent years, premium strawberries like “Skyberry” and the new variety “Tochiaika” have also been cultivated, and Tochigi’s strawberries are becoming increasingly popular. It’s famous as a prefecture where many sweet and delicious strawberries are grown.

Mount Shirane

Mount Shirane is a large mountain 2,578 meters high located between Nikko City in Tochigi Prefecture and Tone District in Gunma Prefecture. Because it is an active volcano, it could erupt at any time and is constantly monitored. The name “Shirane,” meaning “white peak,” comes from the summit’s white appearance when covered with snow. The mountain’s natural beauty attracts many hikers and sightseers, but caution is necessary due to volcanic hazards.

Nikkō Tōshō-gū

Nikkō Tōshōgū is a famous Shinto shrine located in Nikkō City, Tochigi Prefecture. It enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo shogunate, and serves as the head shrine of all Tōshōgū shrines in Japan. Tokugawa Iemitsu, Ieyasu’s grandson, held his grandfather in great esteem and built the present-day Nikkō Tōshōgū. Filled with ornate buildings and carvings, it is a place where you can experience history and culture.

sea

Japan has 47 prefectures, and eight of them are landlocked with no coastline. Tochigi Prefecture is one of them, so it has no sea. The nearest sea to Tochigi is the Pacific Ocean along neighboring Ibaraki Prefecture. Although the sea is far, Tochigi has many mountains and rivers and is rich in nature.