Utsunomiya, city of festivals, gyoza, cocktails, ohya stone, blossoms and romance is best experienced on foot or by bicycle. So, where to go, what to see? Let’s start with Utsunomiya Castle Ruins Park near City Hall. The park opened in 2007, after the walls, turrets and moat were rebuilt, and..
Welcome to Nikko! Nikko, located in the northwest corner of Tochigi Prefecture, is known for its picturesque beauty, and was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Nikko boasts of three main areas of interest: The World Heritage Tosho-gu Shrine along with other temples and shrines nea..
The three M’s of southwestern Tochigi Prefecture are Moka, Mashiko and Motegi. Today I’d like to talk about Moka (pronounced Moh-oh-ka). There ought to be a dance called the loka moka and a drink the moka moka. I’ll work on that if the Mooka tourism board ever hires me. For now, l..
On a day-trip from Utsunomiya to the charming small town of Ooya, best known for its limestone and its large statue of the Buddhist Kannon (Goddess of Mercy), I wanted to find somewhere for lunch before embarking on the climb to the mountain temple o..
For a quick break between Christmas and New Year one time, I decided to visit Utsunomiya, and after an early start and a long train ride I arrived around lunchtime, very ready for lunch. The staff at Hotel MyStays let me leave my bags, and gave me an..
For those living downtown or here on a short-term stay, getting a cat fix has never been easier thanks to cat cafes. Utsunomiya City has two that I know of. The cafes meet a demand for cat-time, and down time. Cats create a laid-back atmosphere, loun..
Nikko is a town at the entrance of Nikko National Park, famous for Japan's most lavishly decorated temples and shrines, and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Nikko had been a center of Shinto and Buddhist&nb..
Summer in Japan’s lowlands, even in Hokkaido, can get unbelievably hot and humid. Hot by itself is bearable, but hot and sticky is just depressing. So you either need to be near a beach, which is what most Japanese do, or take yourself to the h..
Kinugawa is an onsen town about 17km to the north of Nikko. It’s an easy drive, or cycle, in my case, and unlike hyperactive Nikko it is best used as a place for relaxing and dining. The hot springs were first discovered in the 1600s by local v..
The second day of our Nikko trip we headed to Kinugawa. I had watched an NHK program on Tobu World Square and wanted to see it for myself. Tobu Park consists of 102 architectural structures from 21 countries on a 1/25 scale. The exhibit includes 46 ..
In the Nikko area you never run out of things to do. Our third trip in two years and we still managed a new and exciting adventure. Nikko was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 and somehow we missed exploring the shrines and temples on previous ..
Break formation from the well-trodden tourist trail to Nikko's Toshogu shrine and discover a new adventure a little to the east up in the Nikko Kirifuri Highlands. Ozasa Farm offers a great getaway for families with a wide range of activities an..
