Kanto, Japan · City
The capital of Tochigi Prefecture, and one of the highest gyoza-consuming cities in all of Japan, with hundreds of specialized restaurants; on the outskirts, the Oya History Museum, an underground stone quarry measuring 140x150m, dug 60m below ground (used as an air-raid shelter and aircraft factory during World War II), the Oya-ji temple carved directly into the cliff next to the quarry, and the Wakayama bamboo farm.
Train — Direct Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo/Ueno, no transfer, ~50min, ¥5,000 unreserved (trains roughly every 20 min). The station is well connected to downtown on foot or by a short bus ride.
An underground stone quarry measuring 140x150m, dug 60m deep, with a constant temperature of 7°C year-round; used as an air-raid shelter and aircraft factory during World War II, today a common location for music videos and commercials.
One of Japan's highest gyoza-consuming cities per capita, with hundreds of specialized restaurants and even a statue dedicated to the dish outside the station.
Utsunomiya has called itself 'the cocktail city' since the 1990s: dozens of signature bars concentrated around Orion-dori, with national cocktail champions and a festival of its own.
Asia's most important cycling race, held here every October since 1992, with a city-centre criterium that turns the centre into a party.
A guided tour of quarry galleries closed to the general public, including a crossing of the underground lake by inflatable boat; an active complement to the museum visit.
A temple carved directly into the Oya stone cliff face next to the underground quarry, featuring a large Buddhist relief cut into the rock itself.
Tochigi has been Japan's leading strawberry-growing prefecture for more than 50 years; from January to May the greenhouses open on an all-you-can-eat basis.
The Utsunomiya Museum of Art and the Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts, both with their own collection and temporary programme.
The city's great August festival, with huge mikoshi and taiko drums moving through the centre.
The principal shrine of the old province of Shimotsuke and the origin of the city's own name, on a hill above the centre.
Keirin is track cycling with legal betting, a very Japanese and very popular sport; the Utsunomiya velodrome schedules races almost all year.
Opened in 2023, it is the first entirely new tram line built in Japan since 1948: nearly 15 km that have become an object of pilgrimage for urban planners.
A Romanesque-style Catholic church built entirely in Oya stone, a national cultural property and the best demonstration of what the local stonemasons could do.
A 27-metre Kannon carved directly into the quarry wall after the war, as a monument to peace.
A 45-hectare complex on the outskirts with a natural hot spring bath for day use, a farm, a pool and lodging; the weekend break locals themselves take.
The huge underground space at Oya is used as a concert hall, a film set and even a wedding venue; check the programme before going.
One of the big teams in Japanese basketball, champion of the league and of the Asian league, with a crowd atmosphere remarkable for a city this size.
The big geek building of northern Kanto: anime and figure shops, second-hand manga and an arcade with more than 150 machines.
Birthplace of saxophonist Sadao Watanabe, the city has a municipal jazz policy, clubs with live music and a festival of its own.
An extensive bamboo forest on the outskirts of the city, with quiet paths between the stalks.
The grounds of the old castle turned into a park, with reconstructed turrets and walls and a small interpretation centre.
The tuff walls of the Oya area and the routes on Mount Kogashi offer climbing and short walks a step from the centre.
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