Three of the best places to visit in Utsunomiya

Utsunomiya City is located in the central part of Tochigi Prefecture and is popular among foreign tourists because of its proximity to popular tourist destinations such as Nikko and Ashikaga.
Utsunomiya is famous for its gyoza (Chinese dumplings)! So famous is Utsunomiya for its gyoza (dumplings) that many people from outside the prefecture come to eat them on holidays, making the city a popular destination for Japanese people as well.

In this issue, we will introduce some of the best spots in Utsunomiya.

Wakatake no Mori Wakayama Farm

It is located about 30 minutes by bus from the west exit of JR Utsunomiya Station.
Get off at Nozawadera-mae bus stop, then walk 600m or about 10 minutes in the direction of travel.
*About 20 minutes by cab.

Wakayama Farm has 24 hectares of land in the northern part of Utsunomiya City, and has been cultivating bamboo, chestnuts, and other crops for about 100 years with a natural recycling farming method in mind.
The vast bamboo grove, with its fantastic beauty, will make anyone sigh.
The farm has been used as a filming location for many movies, commercials, and music videos, including “Kingdom” and “Rurouni Kenshin: The Last Days of the Legend”, both of which are popular Japanese movies even overseas.
Why not get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life for a while, feel the wind and sunlight in the bamboo grove, and be healed.

Photography, including cosplay and pre-shoots, is available at Wakatake-no-mori.
The facility can also be rented out for commercial use, such as for filming movies, commercials, and music videos.
Please apply in advance via the website. The area is lit up at night, and depending on the season, you can also experience digging bamboo shoots or picking blueberries. You can also camp out in the field, and enjoy many other activities in addition to strolling through the bamboo grove. There is a fee for the use of the park, which includes a walk in the bamboo grove. Fees vary depending on the time of day, options, and use, so please check the website for details. Please check the website for details. Some activities require advance registration.

Wakatake no Mori Wakayama Farm
2018 Takaragihonmachi, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi
TEL: 028-665-1417
Business hours:
Weekdays: 9:00-17:00
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays: 9:00-20:00
From June 1 to August 31, the park closes at 21:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
*Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.
*The park closes at 21:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays during the summer (June through August).
https://www.wakayamafarm.com/

Otani Museum

The museum is located about 30 minutes by bus from the west exit of JR Utsunomiya Station. Get off at the bus stop at Shiryokan Iriguchi and walk about 5 minutes from there.
The Otani Museum is a museum where you can learn about the history of Otani stone mining. An admission fee is required to visit the museum. Oyaishi has long been used for stone walls and storehouses because of its ease of processing. Today, it is widely used for the interior and exterior of houses and stores.
Today, mining and transportation are done by hand, but until around 1960, when mechanization began, everything was done by hand. The work was done with several pickaxes and backpacks used to carry the stones.
At the Oya Museum, visitors can see the transition from the past to the present and how it was done.

The highlight is the huge space of the former underground mining site.
It covers an area of 20,000 square meters and is 30 meters deep.
The landscape, reminiscent of a huge underground structure, is breathtaking.
Oyaishi is said to have a high sound absorption rate, making it possible to create an excellent acoustic space.
Because of its mysterious and unique atmosphere, the underground space is often used as a concert venue, a filming location for dramas and movies, plays, shows, Noh plays, and many other fields.

The average temperature in the underground space is around 8 degrees Celsius.
It is truly a natural refrigerator.
During the hot season, the difference from the outside temperature can be more than 20 degrees Celsius.
Even in mid-summer, it is cold enough to require a jacket.

On the grounds of the Otani Museum, there is a store and cafe, ROCKSIDE MARKET, where you can purchase souvenirs and other items.
If you have time before your return bus, we recommend taking a break here.

Otani Museum
909 Otani-machi, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi
TEL: 028-652-1232
Hours of operation:
April-November 9:00-17:00 (last admission until 16:30)
December – March: 9:30 – 16:30 (last admission until 16:00)
Closed:
Open every day from April to November
December – March: closed every Tuesday (if Tuesday is a national holiday, closed the following day)
Year-end and New Year’s holidays: Dec. 26 – Jan. 1 (Closed on Jan. 2 and 3)
The hours on January 2 and 3 will be shortened to 10:00-16:00 (last admission at 15:30).
Please call to confirm the closing time.

ROCKSIDE MARKET
909 Otani-machi, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi
028-688-8604
Business hours: 9:30-17:00 (LAST ORDER. 16:30)
Closed: April-November: Open daily, December-March: Closed on Tuesdays (Year-end and New Year holidays are available for a short period of time and can be checked on the website)
https://oya-rsm.co.jp/

Utsunomiya Tower

It is located about 10 minutes by bus from the west exit of JR Utsunomiya Station.
The bus stop is in front of the prefectural government office, from where it is about a 15-minute walk.
Utsunomiya Tower is a radio tower located in Hachimanyama Park.
It is most recommended during the cherry blossom season, when it is open longer than normal hours, so be sure to visit at night to see the cherry blossoms.
You can see Utsunomiya Tower lit up in cherry blossom colors with the cherry blossoms, or you can view the nighttime cherry blossoms and the city of Utsunomiya from the tower’s observation deck.
There are many food stalls, and the place is crowded with people, making it look like a festival.
In addition to the Utsunomiya Tower, Hachimanyama Park also has an adventure zone with a large playground complex and go-carts, a zoo with cranes and rabbits, and other facilities that can be enjoyed by both children and adults, so bring the whole family.
*There is a fee for Utsunomiya Tower and go-carts*.

 
Hachimanyama Park, 5-1-1 Hanawada, Utsunomiya City
TEL: 028-624-0642
Hours: 9:00-16:30
*From the end of March to the beginning of April during cherry blossom viewing period: 9:00 – 20:00 (last admission 19:45)
Closed: Mondays
Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday), year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 through January 3)
https://hatimanyama.jp/%e6%96%bd%e8%a8%ad%e8%a9%b3%e7%b4%b0/