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Tochigi Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	栃木県
• Rōmaji	Tochigi-ken
Official logo of Tochigi Prefecture Symbol of Tochigi Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Island	Honshū
Capital	Utsunomiya
Government
• Governor	Tomikazu Fukuda
Area
• Total	6,408.28 km2 (2,474.25 sq mi)
Area rank	20th
Population (November 1, 2010)
• Total	2,005,096
• Rank	20th
• Density	313/km2 (810/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-09
Districts	5
Municipalities	26
Flower	Yashio tsutsuji (Rhododendron albrechtii)
Tree	Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata)
Bird	Blue-and-white Flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana)
Website	www.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/intro/gaikokugo/english/englishtop.html

Tochigi Prefecture (栃木県, Tochigi-ken^?) is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshu, Japan.^[1] The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.^[2]

Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture.^[3] Nikkō is approximately one hour by train from Tokyo, and approximately 35 km west of the capital Utsunomiya.

Other famous parts of Tochigi include a region called Nasu known for onsen and local sake and ski resorts. The Imperial family has a villa in Nasu. Nasu-Shiobara is a major Shinkansen station.

Another onsen resort is at Kinugawa Onsen.

Prefectural overview[link]

Situated among the inland prefectures of the northern part of the Kantō region, Tochigi is contiguous with Ibaraki, Gunma, Saitama, and Fukushima prefecture.

The climate of Tochigi may be classified as a humid temperate zone with broad variations in temperature. Winters are arid with dry winds, while summers are humid with frequent thunderstorms.

The population of Tochigi as of November 2010 was approximately 2,005,096. The population increased until 2005,^{[citation needed]} but started to decrease in 2006, as the population of Japan decreased, too. About 500,000 people live in the prefectural capital of Utsunomiya, with the remainder dispersed over 14 other cities and 17 towns.^{[citation needed]}

Located in the center of the prefecture is the largest open plain in the Kantō region. Shirane (2,578 m), Nantai (2,484 m) and Nasudake (1,917 m) mountain are in the northern part of the area. Kinugawa, Nakagawa, and Watarase River originate in this region, which flow across the Kanto plain before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Tochigi is the 20th largest prefecture in Japan with a total area of 6,408 square km.

Nikko Cedar Avenue

History[link]

Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Tochigi was known as Shimotsuke Province.^[4]

In the early 15th century, Ashikaga Gakko, Japan's oldest school of higher education, was re-established, holding over 3000 students by the 16th century. Saint Francis Xavier introduced Ashikaga to the world as the best university in Japan.

In the early 17th century, Japan was unified by the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu. After his death, Tōshō-gū shrine was built in Nikko on what the shoguns thought of as holy ground to protect and worship Ieyasu. The establishment of the Nikkō Tōshō-gū in 1617 brought Nikkō to national attention.^{[citation needed]} The Tokugawa Shogunate developed the Nikkō Kaidō (日光街道, part of the major road connecting Nikkō with Edo) and required lavish processions to worship Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa line of shoguns.

In the late 19th century the Tokugawa Shogunate fell and the new government established the prefectures. The prefectural capital was established in the city of Tochigi after the unification of Utsunomiya Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture in 1873.^{[citation needed]} By 1884, however, the capital was transferred to Utsunomiya.

In March 2011, following the Fukushima I nuclear accidents, levels of radioactivity in Utsunomiya were 33 times higher than normal.^[5]

Municipalities[link]

The Kegon Falls in Nikkō

The chief city of Utsunomiya is famous for its many gyoza specialist shops. Also located in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture has one of the largest shopping malls in the North Kantō region, Bell Mall.

Cities[link]

Fourteen cities are located in Tochigi Prefecture.

Towns[link]

These are the towns in each district:

Mergers[link]

Industry and agriculture[link]

Located close to Tōkyō, Tochigi is home to many corporations and industrial zones, including the Kiyohara Industrial Complex, one of the largest inland industrial complexes in the country.

Industrial manufacturing accounts for 36.6% of the prefecture's total output. Vehicle parts and accessories are the primary products, followed by vehicles, radios and televisions, pharmaceuticals, and wireless communication equipment.

Below are goods manufactured in Tochigi with the highest market share in Japan:

(The 2004 industrial analysis report published by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)

The annual gross agricultural output in Tochigi is about 274 billion yen. Rice, vegetables, and livestock are produced in the region. Tochigi is also known for strawberries, Chinese chives, and Japanese pears sold throughout Japan and exported to other countries. Approximately 55% of Tochigi is covered by forests. Mushrooms, such as Shiitake mushrooms, make up half of the forest industry, with an output of approximately 5.6 billion yen.

Education[link]

Tochigi is home to many universities and colleges including those for science and technology, literature, medicine, education, and art. Below is a list of some of the universities located in Tochigi.

• Utsunomiya University
• Ashikaga Institute of Technology
• International University of Health and Welfare, Otawara
• Sakushin Gakuin University, Utsunomiya
• Jichi Medical School, Shimotsuke
• Teikyo University, Utsunomiya
• Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu
• Utsunomiya Kyowa University, Utsunomiya and Nasushiobara
• Hakuoh University, Oyama
• Bunsei University of Art, Utsunomiya
• Oyama National College of Technology
• Tochigi College of Industry and Technology (Central), Utsunomiya
• Tochigi College of Industry and Technology (North), Nasu
• Tochigi College of Industry and Technology (South), Ashikaga

People[link]

Sports[link]

The sports teams listed below are based in Tochigi.

Football[link]

• Tochigi S.C. (Utsunomiya)

Ice hockey[link]

• Nikkō Ice Bucks (Nikkō)

Basketball[link]

• Tochigi Brex

Motorsport[link]

• Twin Ring Motegi circuit

Tourism[link]

Nikkō National Park is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Site which was registered as the 10th World Heritage Site in 1999. This encompasses Rinnō-ji, Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Mount Nantai, and Futarasan Shrine. The Kegon Falls, also in Nikkō, is popular with tourists. To travel between the city and the falls, automobiles and buses take the Irohazaka, a road with dozens of switchbacks. In addition, 400 year-old Japanese Cedars (about 13,000 in total) line the famous Cedar Avenue of Nikkō for roughly 35 km, making it the longest tree-lined avenue in the world.^[6]

Statues in Nikkō

Three wise monkeys at Nikkō Tōshō-gū

A more recent and modern attraction is the Twin Ring Motegi Circuit race course, which hosts the only IndyCar race outside the United States. The track also hosts many other race events including Formula One and motorcycle races as well as festivals and fireworks events.

Tochigi has many traditional festivals and events such as Nikkō Tōshō-gū's 1000 Samurai Procession and Horseback Archery Festival, and the city of Tochigi's Autumn Festival where doll floats are pulled around the city once every five years.

Other attractions include:

• Nikkō Tōshō-gū
• Rinnō-ji
• Futarasan Shrine
• Kegon Falls
• Lake Chuzenji
• Kirifuri Falls
• Mashiko
• Shiobara Hot Spring
• Nasu resort area
• Kinugawa Hot Spring

Transportation and access[link]

Roads[link]

Traversing the prefecture along the north-south axis and connecting to the rest of the country are the Tōhoku Expressway and the new and old Route 4. From east to west spans Route 50, connecting southern Tochigi with Ibaraki and Gunma Prefectures.

Also connecting Tochigi, Gunma, and Ibaraki is the Kita-Kantō Expressway, with the 18.5 km that connect the Tochigi-Tsuga Interchange and the Utsunomiya-Kaminokawa Interchange. Portions of the Kita-Kantō Expressway are still being constructed and is set to be fully completed by 2011. The highway will link the region's other main transport arteries, the Tōhoku, the Jōban and the Kan-Etsu Expressways, providing a link to the international port of Hitachinaka in Ibaraki.

Railways[link]

The Tōhoku Shinkansen and the JR Utsunomiya Line are the main railways running north and south in Tochigi. Shinkansen runs from Tokyo Station to Oyama in south Tochigi in 43 minutes. Utsunomiya can be reached by rail in as little as 48 minutes, and many parts of Tochigi are within commuting range of central Tokyo. To the east and west, the Mito and Ryōmō Lines connect Tochigi to Ibaraki and Gunma.

Freight is served by the Utsunomiya Freight Terminal.

• East Japan Railway Company
  • Tōhoku Shinkansen
  • Shōnan-Shinjuku Line
  • Utsunomiya Line (Tōhoku Main Line)
  • Nikkō Line
  • Ryōmō Line
  • Mito Line
  • Karasuyama Line
• Tobu
  • Isesaki Line
  • Nikko Line
  • Kinugawa Line
  • Utsunomiya Line
  • Sano Line
• Mooka Railway
• Yagan Railway
• Watarase Keikoku Line

Air travel[link]

Fukushima Airport is approximately an hour's drive from Utsunomiya on the Tōhoku Expressway. International and national air transportation is through Narita International Airport to the east of Tokyo, approximately three hours by vehicle from Utsunomiya.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-01753-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tochigi prefecture

• Official Tochigi Prefecture website
• Tochigi International Association website

• Tochigi travel guide from Wikitravel

v t e Tochigi Prefecture Cities Ashikaga Kanuma Mooka Nasukarasuyama Nasushiobara Nikkō Ōtawara Oyama Sakura Sano Shimotsuke Tochigi Utsunomiya (capital) Yaita Haga District Haga Ichikai Mashiko Motegi Kawachi District Kaminokawa Nasu District Nasu Nakagawa Shimotsuga District Iwafune Mibu Nogi Shioya District Shioya Takanezawa

v t e Regions and administrative divisions of  Japan Regions Hokkaido Tōhoku Kantō Nanpō Islands Chūbu Hokuriku Kōshin'etsu Shin'etsu Tōkai Kansai Chūgoku San'in San'yō Shikoku Kyushu Northern Kyushu Ryukyu Islands Prefectures Hokkaido Hokkaido Tōhoku Aomori Iwate Miyagi Akita Yamagata Fukushima Kantō Ibaraki Tochigi Gunma Saitama Chiba Tokyo Kanagawa Chūbu Niigata Toyama Ishikawa Fukui Yamanashi Nagano Gifu Shizuoka Aichi Kansai Mie Shiga Kyoto Osaka Hyōgo Nara Wakayama Chūgoku Tottori Shimane Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Shikoku Tokushima Kagawa Ehime Kōchi Kyushu Fukuoka Saga Nagasaki Kumamoto Ōita Miyazaki Kagoshima Okinawa

Coordinates: 36°31′N 139°49′E / 36.517°N 139.817°E / 36.517; 139.817

Tomikazu Fukuda (福田 富一, Fukuda Tomikazu^?, born May 21, 1953) is the governor of Tochigi Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 2004. A native of Imaichi, Tochigi and graduate of Nihon University, he had served in the city assembly of Utsunomiya, Tochigi since 1983 and then in the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly since 1991. He also served as mayor of Utsunomiya for two terms from 1999 until his election as governor in 2004. He was reelected on November 16th, 2008 in a two-person election.

References[link]

• "政治家情報 〜福田 富一〜" (in Japanese). ザ･選挙. JANJAN. http://www.senkyo.janjan.jp/diet/profile/0001/00001973.html. Retrieved 2007-11-27. 
• "栃木県知事選 福田氏が再選" (in Japanese). NHK. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/t10015419331000.html. Retrieved 2008-11-16. 

External links[link]

• Official website (Japanese)

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