Nikkō Tōshōgū
Riotously decorated shrine-mausoleum to Tokugawa Ieyasu; the three-monkeys carving is on a stable beside the main hall. UNESCO World Heritage.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Tochigi 栃木県
Just north of Tokyo: Nikkō's UNESCO Tōshōgū shrine, Utsunomiya gyoza, Mashiko folk pottery, and the wisteria tunnels of Ashikaga Flower Park. An automotive- and electronics-heavy prefecture that quietly produces more strawberries than any other in Japan.
Capital
Utsunomiya
Population
1.9 million
Area
6,408 km²
Region
Kantō
History
Nikkō was already a mountain-temple complex in the 8th century, but its present scale was decreed in 1617 when Tokugawa Ieyasu's grandson rebuilt Tōshōgū as the deified founder's mausoleum — a riot of gold, lacquer, and famously the sankozaru (three wise monkeys).
Mashiko's folk-pottery tradition exploded into modern art when Shōji Hamada and Bernard Leach made it the center of the 1920s mingei (folk-craft) movement; the twice-yearly Mashiko Pottery Festival still draws ~500,000 visitors.
Modern Tochigi industrialized along the Tōhoku Shinkansen corridor — Nissan's Tochigi plant builds the GT-R and Z, and Honda's nearby R&D center is the company's largest. The prefecture also leads Japan in strawberry production (the Tochiotome cultivar).
Economy & business
Tochigi's prefectural GDP is around ¥9.0 trillion (US$61 billion). Automotive and precision manufacturing dominate (Nissan Tochigi, Honda R&D, Hitachi Nikkō), with strong contributions from agriculture (Japan's #1 strawberry producer, plus rice, milk, tomatoes), Mashiko ware, and Nikkō tourism.
Key industries
Automotive
Nissan's Tochigi plant — home of the GT-R and Z — plus Honda R&D Tochigi, the company's biggest engineering center.
Agriculture
Japan's #1 strawberry (Tochiotome), top-3 milk and gyoza-wrapper flour producer.
Tourism
Nikkō, Kinugawa Onsen, Ashikaga Flower Park, Mashiko ceramics — collectively draw ~12 million visitors per year.
Ceramics & craft
Mashiko folk pottery, Kanuma's traditional papier-mâché crafts, Imaichi sake.
Pharmaceuticals
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical and Nikkō Chemicals run their main plants in the Kanuma-Tochigi industrial belt.
Notable companies
Nissan TochigiHonda R&D TochigiHitachi NikkōCalbee (Utsunomiya plant)Ashikaga BankTochigi BankKobayashi Pharmaceutical (Tochigi plant)
Trade partners
ChinaUnited StatesThailandTaiwanMexico
Tourism highlights
Ashikaga Flower Park
The 150-year-old wisteria tree creates a purple cathedral in May — one of CNN's '10 dream destinations.'
Open in Maps ↗Mashiko
Folk-pottery village; the Pottery Festival every spring and autumn turns the whole town into a marketplace of kilns and tents.
Open in Maps ↗Utsunomiya gyoza
Hundreds of gyoza specialists; the city competes with Hamamatsu every year for the title of Japan's #1 gyoza-consuming city.
Open in Maps ↗Kinugawa Onsen
Mountain hot-spring resort north of Nikkō; access to the Edo Wonderland period-drama theme park.
Open in Maps ↗Lake Chūzenji & Kegon Falls
Caldera lake at 1,269 m altitude; Kegon Falls drops 97 m off its shore — one of Japan's three great waterfalls.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Tochigi has been Japan's #1 strawberry producer for over 50 consecutive years; the Tochiotome cultivar was bred in the prefecture's experimental station in 1996.
The 'three wise monkeys' (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil) are carved on Nikkō Tōshōgū's sacred-stable building — the carving has become globally iconic but is technically a Buddhist parable rather than Shinto.
Utsunomiya and Hamamatsu have alternated as Japan's #1 gyoza-consuming city every year for the past decade — the rivalry has its own annual press conference.
About Tochigi — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Tochigi?
The capital of Tochigi is Utsunomiya.
What region of Japan is Tochigi in?
Tochigi is part of the Kantō region of Japan.
What are Tochigi's main industries?
Tochigi's key industries include Automotive, Agriculture, Tourism, Ceramics & craft.
What are the top tourist attractions in Tochigi?
Top attractions in Tochigi include Nikkō Tōshōgū, Ashikaga Flower Park, Mashiko, Utsunomiya gyoza.
What major companies are based in Tochigi?
Notable companies headquartered in Tochigi include Nissan Tochigi, Honda R&D Tochigi, Hitachi Nikkō, Calbee (Utsunomiya plant), Ashikaga Bank.
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