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40-597: Utsunomiya is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture, with other major cities including Oyama , Tochigi , and Ashikaga . Tochigi Prefecture is one of only eight landlocked prefectures and its mountainous northern region is a popular tourist region in Japan. The Nasu area is known for its onsens , local sake , and ski resorts, the villa of the Imperial Family , and the Nasushiobara station of

80-598: A unicameral city legislature of 45 members. Utsunomiya, together with the town of Kamikawa collectively contributes 13 members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Tochigi 1st district and Tochigi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Utsunomiya is the commercial and industrial center of Tochigi Prefecture. Utsunomiya

120-530: A population of 888,005 in the 2000 census. The nearby city of Oyama is included in Greater Tokyo, but Greater Utsunomiya is not, despite the two areas amalgamating somewhat. It is the 10th most populated city in the Kantō region . Utsunomiya is located in south-central Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō plains . It is approximately 100 km (60 mi) north of Tokyo . The historic town of Nikkō

160-406: 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. Tochigi

200-508: Is approximately 2,005,096. Located in the center of the prefecture is the largest open plain in the Kantō region. Shirane (2,578 metres (8,458 ft)), Nantai (2,484 metres (8,150 ft)) and Nasudake (1,917 metres (6,289 ft)) 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

240-500: Is approximately 25 km (15 mi) northwest of Utsunomiya. The average elevation of the city is 100 metres (330 ft). Tochigi Prefecture Utsunomiya has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) with hot and humid summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Utsunomiya is 14.3 °C (57.7 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,524.7 mm (60.03 in) with September as

280-534: Is home to a Canon optical manufacturing plant, a Japan Tobacco plant, Honda design centers, and various other industrial concerns in the Kiyohara Industrial Park. In addition, one of the largest malls in the north Kantō region , Bell Mall is located near central Utsunomiya. Utsunomiya is served by the high-speed Tohoku Shinkansen line from Tokyo, as well as a number of suburban lines operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and

320-567: Is home to many universities and colleges including those for science and technology , literature , medicine , education , and art . Below is an alphabetical list of some of the universities located in Tochigi. The sports teams and events listed below are based in Tochigi. Tour de Tochigi , a cat 2.2 three-day road race of the UCI Asia Tour Nikkō National Park is famous for its UNESCO World Heritage Site which

360-560: Is seen in the Records of Longquan County ( 龍泉縣志 ) compiled by He Zhan ( 何澹 ) in 1209 during the Song dynasty in China. The 185-word description of shiitake cultivation from that literature was later cross-referenced many times and eventually adapted in a book by a Japanese horticulturist Satō Chūryō ( 佐藤中陵 ) in 1796, the first book on shiitake cultivation in Japan. The Japanese cultivated

400-986: 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. The Tōhoku Shinkansen and

440-645: Is the Latin word for "edible". It is also commonly called " sawtooth oak mushroom", "black forest mushroom", "black mushroom", " golden oak mushroom", or "oakwood mushroom". Shiitake grow in groups on the decaying wood of deciduous trees , particularly shii and other chinquapins , chestnut , oak , maple , beech , sweetgum , poplar , hornbeam , ironwood , and mulberry . Its natural distribution includes warm and moist climates in Southeast Asia . The earliest written record of shiitake cultivation

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480-533: Is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan . As of 1 July 2023 , the city had an estimated population of 513,584, and a population density of 1,232 persons per square kilometre (3,190/sq mi). The total area of the city is 416.85 km (160.95 sq mi). Utsunomiya is famous for its gyoza (pan fried dumplings). There are more than two hundred gyoza restaurants in Utsunomiya. Greater Utsunomiya ( ja:宇都宮都市圏 , Utsunomiya Toshi-ken ) had

520-574: The Ashikaga Gakkō , Japan's oldest school of higher education, was re-established in the prefecture, holding over 3,000 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 under the shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu . After his death, the Nikko Tōshō-gū shrine was built in Nikkō in 1617 on what

560-743: The Edo period , the Utsunomiya area was ruled by a succession of daimyō clans under Utsunomiya Domain , and prospered from its location at the junction of the Nikkō Kaidō and the Ōshū Kaidō . During the Bakumatsu period Boshin War , the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle was a major conflict in the northern Kantō area. Following the Meiji restoration , Utsunomiya was briefly (1871–1873) part of Utsunomiya Prefecture, which

600-644: The Kofun period are found within its borders. The Utsunomiya Futarasan Shrine ( 宇都宮二荒山神社 ) , which is the Ichinomiya of Shimotsuke Province claims to have been founded in 353 AD. The town of Utsunomiya developed around this shrine, and the area was under the control of the Utsunomiya clan, an offshoot of the Fujiwara clan from the Heian through Sengoku periods , and was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi . During

640-608: The Shinkansen railway line. The city of Nikkō , with its ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples , is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Situated among the inland prefectures of the northern part of the Kantō region, Tochigi is contiguous with Ibaraki, Gunma, Saitama, and Fukushima Prefectures. 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

680-528: The private railway operator Tobu Railway . [REDACTED] JR East – Tohoku Shinkansen [REDACTED] JR East – Tohoku Main Line ( Utsunomiya Line / Shōnan-Shinjuku Line / Ueno-Tokyo Line ) [REDACTED] JR East – Nikkō Line [REDACTED] JR East – Karasuyama Line [REDACTED] Tobu Railway - Tobu Utsunomiya Line Construction of a light rail transit system, Utsunomiya Light Rail , connecting Utsunomiya railway station with

720-528: 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

760-499: The Kantō area, after Tokyo and Yokohama . Utsunomiya was raised to city status on April 1, 1896. On July 12, 1945, much of Utsunomiya and the surrounding areas were destroyed in the American Bombing of Utsunomiya during World War II . The city limits were expanded from 1951 to 1955 by annexing neighboring Suzumenomiya town and Hiraishi, Yokokawa, Mizuhono, Kunimoto, Shiroyama, Tomiya, Toyosato, and Sugatagawa villages and

800-535: The Pacific Ocean. Tochigi is the 20th largest prefecture in Japan with a total area of 6,408.09 square km. As of 1 April 2012, 21% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks , namely Nikkō National Park , Oze National Park , and eight Prefectural Natural Parks. Before the Meiji Restoration , Tochigi was known as Shimotsuke Province . In the early 15th century,

840-646: The Utsunomiya Freight Terminal. 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. 36°31′N 139°49′E  /  36.517°N 139.817°E  / 36.517; 139.817 Utsunomiya Utsunomiya ( 宇都宮市 , Utsunomiya-shi , [ɯᵝt͡sɯ̃ᵝno̞mija̠] )

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880-530: The basis for a kind of vegetarian dashi , and as an ingredient in many steamed and simmered dishes. Two prized varieties are produced in cooler temperatures: One high-grade variety is called dōnggū ( 冬菇 ) (literally "winter mushroom") in Chinese, or donko ( 冬子 ) in Japanese. The most highly prized variety is called huāgū ( 花菇 ) (literally "flower mushroom") in Chinese, due to

920-810: The body including face and scalp, appearing about 24 hours after consumption, possibly worsening by sun exposure and disappearing after 3 to 21 days. This effect – presumably caused by the polysaccharide , lentinan – is more common in East Asia, but may be growing in occurrence in Europe as shiitake consumption increases. Thorough cooking may eliminate the allergenicity . Fresh and dried shiitake have many uses in East and Southeast Asia. In Chinese cuisine, they are used in many dishes, including soups, braises, and stir-fried vegetable dishes such as Buddha's delight . In Japan , they are served in miso soup , used as

960-436: The city of Tochigi's Autumn Festival where doll floats are pulled around the city once every five years. Other attractions include: 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

1000-563: The city. The city has 30 restaurants that specialize in serving gyoza. Utsunomiya is allegedly the highest consumer city of gyoza in Japan. There is also a 1.5-metre (5 ft) statue in the shape of the gyoza outside of Utsunomiya's JR station. Utsunomiya's annual Gyoza Dumplings Festival occurs at the Castle Ruins Park. Visitors are able to taste different types of gyozas served by various gyoza-making restaurants. Festival attendees can also watch various bands and comedians near

1040-447: The festival grounds. Shiitake The shiitake ( / ʃ ɪ ˈ t ɑː k eɪ , ˌ ʃ iː ɪ -, - k i / ; Japanese: [ɕiꜜːtake] Chinquapin, Chinese/black forest mushrooms or Lentinula edodes ) is an edible mushroom native to East Asia , which is cultivated and consumed around the globe. The fungus was first described scientifically as Agaricus edodes by Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1877. It

1080-623: The largest shopping malls in the North Kantō region, Bell Mall . Fourteen cities are located in Tochigi Prefecture: These are the towns in each district : 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

1120-599: The longest tree-lined avenue in the world. 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

1160-543: The mushroom by cutting shii trees with axes and placing the logs by trees that were already growing shiitake or contained shiitake spores . Before 1982, the Japan Islands' variety of these mushrooms could only be grown in traditional locations using ancient methods. A 1982 report on the budding and growth of the Japanese variety revealed opportunities for commercial cultivation in the United States. Shiitake are widely cultivated worldwide, contributing about 25% of

1200-488: The neighbouring town of Haga was approved in 2016, with completion scheduled for December 2019. The network started operation on August 26, 2023 and Utsunomiya became the first city in Japan to have a new tram system in 75 years after Takaoka, Toyama . Following the Second World War, Japanese soldiers who returned from Manchuria brought home to Utsunomiya gyoza recipes that originated from China. Soon after,

1240-423: The part of Shinoi village from Kawachi District and Kiyohara village from Haga District . In 1996, Utsunomiya was designated a core city with increased autonomy. On March 31, 2007, Utsunomiya absorbed the towns of Kamikawachi and Kawachi (both from Kawachi District), pushing the population of Utsunomiya City over 500,000. Utsunomiya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and

Tochigi Prefecture - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-524: 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

1320-494: The shōguns thought of as holy ground to protect and worship Ieyasu. Its establishment brought Nikkō to national attention. Ieyasu's successors as Tokugawa shogun developed the Nikkō Kaidō (日光街道, part of the major road connecting Nikkō with Edo ) and acquired lavish processions to worship Ieyasu. In the late 19th century, the Tokugawa shogunate fell and the new government established the prefectures . The prefectural capital

1360-500: The soldiers began to open dumpling (gyoza) restaurants around Utsunomiya. After the Utsunomiya city officials started to realize the popularity of gyoza in 1990, the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association was created. The creation of this association only made gyoza's popularity grow in the city. Utsunomiya gyoza is famous country-wide, so it attracts many tourists, as well as brings in a significant amount of revenue into

1400-437: The total yearly production of mushrooms. Commercially, shiitake mushrooms are typically grown in conditions similar to their natural environment on either artificial substrate or hardwood logs, such as oak. Rarely, consumption of raw or slightly cooked shiitake mushrooms may cause an allergic reaction called "shiitake dermatitis", including an erythematous , micro- papular , streaky pruriginous rash that occurs all over

1440-644: The wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C (78.8 °F), and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C (37.0 °F). Per Japanese census data, the population of Utsunomiya has recently plateaued after decades of strong growth. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that the area of Utsunomiya has been continuously settled since the Japanese Paleolithic period onwards, and numerous burial mounds from

1480-526: Was established in the city of Tochigi after the unification of Utsunomiya Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture in 1873. By 1884, however, the capital was transferred to Utsunomiya. In March 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster , levels of radioactivity in Utsunomiya were 33 times higher than normal. The chief city of Utsunomiya is famous for its many gyoza specialist shops. Also located in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture has one of

1520-441: Was placed in the genus Lentinula by David Pegler in 1976. The fungus has acquired an extensive synonymy in its taxonomic history: The mushroom's Japanese name shiitake ( 椎茸 ) is a compound word composed of shii ( 椎 , Castanopsis ) , for the tree Castanopsis cuspidata that provides the dead logs on which it is typically cultivated, and take ( 茸 , "mushroom") . The specific epithet edodes

1560-569: 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

1600-477: Was then merged into the new Tochigi Prefecture, and became the capital of the prefecture in 1884. Utsunomiya became an important garrison for the Imperial Japanese Army . With the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Utsunomiya was officially established. At the end of 1889, Utsunomiya had a population of 30,698 making it the third most populous municipality in

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