10 Religion Utsunomiya’s Matsugamine Church Tomoko Kamishima Constructed in 1932, the Catholic Matsugamine Church is the oldest and largest surviving building made of Ohya-ishi (Ohya Stone)...
Museums Utsunomiya’s Ohya-ji Temple Tomoko Kamishima Ohya-ji Temple, located in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, is famous for its old Buddhist carvings (from 1200 years ago) inside..
8 Temples & Shrines Nikko's Taiyu-in Temple/Mausoleum Larry Knipfing What attracted me most of all about Nikko's Taiyu-in is its location: Situated amongst hundreds of tall, old beautiful cedar..
6 Arts & Crafts Nikko Woodcarving Center C. Rio If you have visited the temples in Nikko or any others in Japan, then you have an idea of what the traditional woodcraft look like...
12 Traditional Nasu-onsen-jinja Shrine Tomoko Kamishima Nasu-onsen-jinja Shrine is at the foot of Chausu-dake Mountain (1915m). Nasu-yumoto Onsen Hot Springs is very close to this shrine...
11 Temples & Shrines Tochigi's Ohira-san Jinja Shrine Larry Knipfing This shrine was established in the early Heian Period. You can drive to the shrine, or better yet, enjoy a leisurely hike up from..
12 Museums Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts Stacy Kurokawa Tochigi Prefecture Museum is barrier-free (slopes, elevators, washrooms), open and bright. Even if you are not an art-lover, you..
Historical Nikko’s Chuzen-ji Temple Tomoko Kamishima Chuzen-ji is an old temple standing on the east side of the lake. It’s famous for a unique wooden Buddha statue and the wonder..