is the capital and most populous city

Cities of Japan

||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 of Tochigi Prefecture

Tochigi Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. In October 2010 the city had an estimated population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 510,416 and a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 1,224.49 people per square kilometer. The total area is 416.84 km². had a population of 888,005 in the 2000 Census. The nearby city of Oyama, Tochigi

Oyama, Tochigi

is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.As April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 163,954, with 62,714 households, and a population density of 955.39 persons per km²...

 is included in Greater Tokyo, but Greater Utsunomiya is not, despite the two areas amalgamating somewhat.

Utsunomiya is approximately 100 km north of Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

. It is accessible by car via the Tohoku Expressway

Tohoku Expressway

The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned by Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Naming:Tōhoku refers to the Tōhoku region, the northernmost region on the island of Honshū....

 and by train via Utsunomiya Station

Utsunomiya Station

is a JR East railway station located in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.Tōbu Utsunomiya Station is located 1.6 km west of this station.-Lines serving Utsunomiya:* Tōhoku Shinkansen* Utsunomiya Line...

 on the Tohoku Shinkansen

Tohoku Shinkansen

The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...

 line. Narita International Airport

Narita International Airport

is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....

 is about three hours away by car or bus. The historic town of Nikkō

Nikko, Tochigi

is a city in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Approximately 140 km north of Tokyo and 35 km west of Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi Prefecture, it is a popular destination for Japanese and international tourists...

 is approximately 25 km northwest of Utsunomiya.

History

The Battle of Utsunomiya Castle

Battle of Utsunomiya Castle

The was a battle between pro-Imperial and Tokugawa shogunate forces during the Boshin War in Japan in May 1868. It occurred as the troops of the Tokugawa shogunate were retreating north towards Nikkō and Aizu.-Background:...

 took place between May 10–14, 1868, during the Boshin War

Boshin War

The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....

 (a park now exists on the castle grounds). The city itself was founded on April 1, 1896. In 1954–55, Utsunomiya city incorporated with Suzumenomiya town and Hiraishi, Yokokawa, Mizuhono, Kunimoto, Shiroyama, Tomiya, Toyosato, and Sugatagawa villages and the part of Shinoi village from Kawachi District and Kiyohara village from Haga District. The city added the towns of Kamikawachi

Kamikawachi, Tochigi

Kamikawachi was a town located in Kawachi District, Tochigi, Japan.On March 31, 2007 Kamikawachi, along with the town of Kawachi, also from Kawachi District, was merged into the expanded city of Utsunomiya....

 and Kawachi

Kawachi, Tochigi

Kawachi was a town located in Kawachi District, Tochigi, Japan.On March 31, 2007 Kawachi, along with the town of Kamikawachi, also from Kawachi District, was merged into the expanded city of Utsunomiya....

, both from Kawachi District

Kawachi District, Tochigi

Kawachi is a district located in Tochigi, Japan.As of 2005, the district has an estimated population of 76,471 and a density of 480.35 persons per km²...

, on March 31, 2007, pushing the population of Utsunomiya city over 500,000.

Industry and economy

Utsunomiya is home to a Canon

Canon Inc.

is a Japanese multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers. Its headquarters are located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.-Origins:...

 optical manufacturing plant, a Japan Tobacco

Japan Tobacco

, abbreviated JT, is a cigarette manufacturing company. It is part of the Nikkei 225 index. In 2009 the company was listed at number 312 on the Fortune 500 list. The company is headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo. The international headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.-History:The company...

 plant, Honda

Honda

is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

 design centers, and various other industrial concerns in the Kiyohara Industrial Park. In addition, one of the largest malls in the north Kantō region

Kanto region

The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....

, Bell Mall

Bell Mall, Utsunomiya

Bell Mall is a modern shopping mall in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It opened in 2004.　-Location:Bell Mall is located near the central area of Utsunomiya City, a large regional city in the Northern Kantō region, and it is one of the largest shopping centers in the North Kantō area...

 is located near central Utsunomiya.

Sports

Utsunomiya is represented in the J. League

J. League

The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...

 of football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 with its local club Tochigi S.C.

Tochigi S.C.

are a football club based in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. They play in the J. League Division 2. Their team colour is yellow.Tochigi, uniquely, is the only major Japanese professional club to retain the word "soccer" in its English name, despite efforts by football authorities to...

Culture

The Buddhist temple of Ōya-ji

Oya-ji

is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. According to legend, the temple was established by Kūkai, the founder of the Shingon sect, in the year 810, but this has not been firmly established. The temple was rebuilt during the years 1615 to 1624...

 is located in Utsunomiya, and it includes a museum with artifacts dating back to the Jōmon Period

Jomon period

The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...

.

Utsunomiya is famous for its gyoza (pan fried dumplings). There are more than two hundred gyoza restaurants in Utsunomiya.

Sister cities

Manukau City, New Zealand Orléans

Orléans

-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...

, France Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...

, United States of America Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, China

External links