Tochigi

About Tochigi

Tochigi Prefecture is located in the northern Kanto region of Honshu, with an area of 6,408.09 square kilometers, the largest in Kanto and 20th nationwide, and a population of about 1,857,000 as of July 2026. Its capital is Utsunomiya City, the most populous city in northern Kanto with about 510,000 residents. Geographically, the prefecture divides into two major zones: the mountainous northwest formed by the Nasu volcanic chain, Mt. Takahara, the Nikko Range including Mt. Nantai and Mt. Nikko-Shirane, its highest peak at 2,578 meters, and the Ashio Mountains, designated as Nikko National Park and Oze National Park; and the flat to hilly southeast where the Kinugawa, Nakagawa and Watarase Rivers flow from those ranges to form the northern edge of the Kanto Plain and the alluvial fan of Nasunogahara. Historically Tochigi corresponds to ancient Shimotsuke Province, which split from Keno Province. During the Edo period, domains such as Utsunomiya and Ashikaga flourished as post towns on the Nikko Kaido leading to the Tokugawa shrine. The present prefecture was formed in 1871-73 through the merger of Tochigi and Utsunomiya prefectures following haihan-chiken, with further adjustment in 1876. Climate is Pacific-side: hot, humid summers and dry, sunny winters with little snow on the plains. Thunderstorms are frequent in summer; Utsunomiya is called the city of thunder, recording over 20 thunder days in summer on average. Precipitation exceeds 2,000 mm in Okunikko with subarctic climate at higher elevations, while the southern plains see about 1,200 mm and a warm-temperate Cfa climate. Agriculture thrives on the plains and highlands, with strawberries ranked first in Japan for more than 50 years, kanpyo dried gourd, leeks, rice and barley, plus dairy and livestock on the Nasu Highland. Industry forms part of the Kita-Kanto Industrial Region along the Tohoku Expressway and National Route 4, with automotive plants linked to Nissan and Honda in Utsunomiya, Mooka, Kaminokawa and Haga, tire manufacture, precision machinery, medical devices and photographic lenses in Nasushiobara and Otawara, and traditional textiles in Yuki Tsumugi and Ashikaga Meisen. Commerce centers on Utsunomiya as a regional hub. For visitors, Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine decorated with thousands of carvings and sleepy cats, Futarasan Shrine and Rinnoji Temple together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while nearby Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Falls accessed via Irohazaka winding road, Senjogahara marshland and Yumoto Onsen create the scenic Okunikko area. The Nasu Highlands offer Nasu Onsen villages, Mt. Chausu, Sessho-seki stone, ranch and Imperial villa, while Mashiko is famous for Mashiko pottery workshops and Ashikaga School preserves Japan’s oldest academic heritage.