Category: Tochigi
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Nasu Highland and Nakagawa Guide
Nasu Town (Nasu-machi) is located in the northernmost area of Tochigi prefecture. The town is about 180km distant from metropolitan Tokyo, or halfway between Tokyo and Sendai. The town stretches out on the foot of the Nasu range of mountains and a row of Yamizo Mountains where Chausu-dake Mountain (1915 m), the main peak of…
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Visiting Shrines and Temples of the Ashikaga Clan
Ashikaga is the home of the Ashikaga clan that became the mainstream of Seiwagensei family. Ashikaga has many shrines and temples with the Ashikaga clan connections. We recommend this course include other traditional sites in the Kamakura era and the Muromachi era ( the 14th c. – the 17th c.). Bannaji Temple Bannaji, a Temple…
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Things To Do In Tochigi City
Tochigi City (Tochigi-shi/ 栃木市), with a population of 144,541 (December 1, 2011), is located about 80km north of Tokyo. The area is 284.83 km2 (109.97 sq mi) and is unique in character. Possessing cultural and social diversity, our city has flourished throughout its long history as an important regional hub. Each season provides a natural…
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Shiobara Hot Springs Village
Shiobara is the second largest hot spring area in Tochigi. This quiet mountain village became a popular destination for scholars during the Meiji Period. Shiobara-onsen-kyo Hot Spring Village is located slightly to the southwest of Nasu along the Shiobara Valley at the upper reaches of the Houki-gawa River, and is commonly known simply as “Shiobara’s…
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Hunter Mt. Shiobara – Ski & Snow Resort
JapanGuides.net Hunter Mountain Shiobara is one of the largest snow resorts in the Tokyo region, has 12 trails for you to enjoy including a 3km downhill trail. There is also the ‘Snow Park’, which has rails, boxes kickers and a half pipe, a ‘Slalom’ trail, the ‘Family Park’, where children can enjoy skiing and snowboarding,…
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Nasukarasuyama Yama-age Festival
Yama-age festival is held on 4th Saturday in July following Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Yama-age festival is said to data from 1560, when Suketane Nasu, the lord of the Karasuyama castle deified Susano-no-mikoto, the brother of the Su-goddess to drive out the plague. In Shintoism he was believed to be potent in amelioration of…
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Ashikaga Gakko: Visit Japan’s Oldest School
Ashikaga Gakko in Tochigi Prefecture appears in history textbooks as “the oldest school in Japan. It is said to have been founded at the beginning of the Heian Period or during the Kamakura Period. There are various theories as to who founded the school, but Ashikaga Yoshikane, the second head of the Ashikaga clan, is…
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The 5 Mountain Peaks in Nasu
Mt. Chausu-dake Chausu-dake, the highest mountain, is an active volcano and at a height of 1915 m above sea level, fumes white smoke. This is a popular hiking trail, where holidaymakers and their families can climb as far up as the 8th stage of the mountain by ropeway. Mt. Minami-gassan Minami-gassan is a mountain ridge…
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Keisokuji Temple
Over 1,100 years ago, this temple was opened by Joe Shonin (a Buddhist priest of Todaiji Temple in Nara Pref.). At first, the name was Sesonji Temple (Shakyamuni Temple). During the Tengyo-no-Ran (Tengyo War) (939-940), Hidesato Fujiwara (the head of a powerful family of the Heian period) overthrew Masakado Taira (a general of the Heian…
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Nasukarasuyama City (Nasukarasuyama-shi)
Nasukarasuyama City (Nasukarasuyama-shi) is famous for it’s handmade Japanese paper and the Yama-age Festival, which is over 400 years old. The festival originated in 1560 when a terrible plague ravaged the city. The festival evolved as a way to drive away the evil spirits and bring locals hope and happiness. Every year from July 25th…
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Nakagawa Town (Nakagawa-machi) Tourist Info
Nakagawa is a famous fishing village situated along the Nakagawa River. From June – October you can try your luck fishing for sweet fish. After catching them with your bare hands, have them prepared at one of the nearby restaurants. A favorite of the celebrated poet Basho, the beautiful grounds of Kurobane are also worth…
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Ashikaga City (Ashikaga-shi) Tourist Information Centers
Ashikaga is very proud of its nature and history. Ashikaga is surrounded by green mountains and the city is divided by the Watarase River. Ashikaga, with great pride, offers you many historical and cultural heritages including Ashikaga Gakko (Ashikaga school), the oldest school in Japan and Bannaji temple which is closely connected to the Ashikaga…
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Four seasons in Nasu Town (Nasu-machi), Nasu Highland
JapanGuides.net Spring, the season when pretty little flowers greet you. Trees which endured at the severe winter come into beautiful and crisp flower, encouraging and moving us. A new year of Nasu starts in this year, again. Summer (Suikan) Fresh green and vibrant life shine Whiteness of the remaining snow, fresh green and blue in…
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Kuizome Temple, Nasu Town (Nasu-machi)
JapanGuides.net The name “Kuizome”, or “start to eat”, originates from an old legend that a princess of Kurobane Clan, suffering from a strange disease which coursed her to loose the ability to eat, prayed here and attained recovery. Its garden has Juzuwariishi stones, which are said to have been cut into two by Buddhist Saint…
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Oiwa Bishamonten (Saishoji Temple), Akutai & Tainagashi no Shiki Festival in Ashikaga City (Ashikaga-shi)
JapanGuides.net The “Bishamonten” are dedicated to the God of war. Oiwa Bishamonten is one of the three famous Bishamonten in Japan. The other two are located on Kurama mountain in Kyoto Pref. and on Shigi Mountain in Nara Pref. The main hall was rebuilt in 1762(Houreki 12nen) and in 1993 it was widely repaired. The…
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Kurita Bijutsukan (Kurita Museum) in Ashikaga
JapanGuides.net This museum has a fine collection of both “Imari” and “Nabeshima” porcelains which were the first kinds of pottery made by the Nabeshima clan in Japan during the “Edo” period ( 1603-1867 ). It is the largest porcelain museum in the world with a collection of over 10,000 pieces. It has an area of…
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Ashikaga Flower Park
Ashikaga Flower Park , whose area is 20.3 acres, is well-known that the transplantation of Ofuji , wisteria, over 100 years old succeeded for the first time in Japan. There are remarkable four spots with big wisteria trellis besides 160 wisterias over sixty years old, 1500 azaleas over sixty years old, more than 1000 hydrangeas,…
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Kanuma City Guide
This town is known throughout Japan as the best spot in the nation for Azaleas. Other places of interest are Yatainomachi Chuo-Koen (Central Park), where many wooden crafts are on display, and Kikusuien Japanese garden. The city of Kanuma (鹿沼市, Kanuma-shi), also largely surrounded by mountains, extends east and west in central Tochigi Prefecture. Highways…
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Kanuma Yatai Float Center
The Yatai (ornately carved wooden floats), cultural assets unique to Kanuma, were also made during this period. Many of the woodworkers who constructed the famous Toshogu shrine in Nikko were Kanuma citizens. These woodworkers had to be highly skilled craftsmen in order to complete the intricate details of the shrine. More than four million, five…
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Orihime Shrine and Orihime Park, Ashikaga City (Ashikaga-shi)
JapanGuides.net “When you come to Ashikaga, put a mark on the vermilion Orihime Shrine, Karariko-ton-ton, Karariko-ton, Ashikaga is as beautiful a city as a picture, a textile city.” The Orihime Shrine appeared in the Ashikaga Ondo(chorus) like this. Orihime Shrine is Weaving Goddess of Ashikaga. The present shrine was re-built through the funding of the…
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Utsunomiya City (Utsunomiya-shi)
The capital of Tochigi Prefecture, Utsunomiya City (Utsunomiya-shi/宇都宮市) is located 100 kilometers north of Tokyo and is easily accessed by bullet train or highway. The cultural, political and economic center of the prefecture is home to about 440,000 people. Within the city, “Romantic Mura” features a local brewery where you can enjoy a beer, and…