Utsunomiya Station (宇都宮駅)

Station Type: Train station

Utsunomiya Station is a station on Japan’s Tohoku Shinkansen Line and is located in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture. Utsunomiya City has long flourished as a transportation hub between the Tohoku and Kanto regions. Utsunomiya City is also the capital of Tochigi Prefecture and home to many administrative offices.

There are many sightseeing spots around the station. For example, there are many gyoza restaurants in Utsunomiya City, which is famous as the birthplace of gyoza. Also, within walking distance from the station are tourist attractions such as Utsunomiya Castle Ruins Park and the Utsunomiya City Museum of Art.

Utsunomiya Castle Ruins Park is the site of the former residence of the lord of the Utsunomiya Domain, which still remains as the ruins of the castle. The park has historical buildings and a large garden, and in spring, cherry blossoms are in full bloom. In summer, a fireworks display is held at a pond in the park.

The Utsunomiya City Museum of Art is located in Utsunomiya City and exhibits contemporary art and modern crafts. The museum also has a café and restaurant where visitors can enjoy a meal while viewing art.

The area around the station offers easy access to Utsunomiya City and other tourist attractions in Tochigi Prefecture, making day trips to the area possible. For example, Nikko Toshogu Shrine, a World Heritage Site in Nikko City, and Nasu Animal Kingdom in Nasu Shiobara City are located in the area.

Utsunomiya Station itself is a convenient spot for travelers, with a tourist information center, restaurants, cafes, and stores. There is also a bus terminal in front of the station, providing easy access to nearby tourist attractions.

Table of contents

Utsunomiya Station (宇都宮駅)

Restaurants, Foods
Tourist area
Hotels
Convenience Stores, Grocery Stores
Tourist Information Center
1. Utsunomiyashi Information Centre (宇都宮市観光案内所)

Restaurants, Foods

Some restaurants and food shops around the station.

Gyoza to ieba Bariron (餃子といえば芭莉龍（バリロン）)

Restaurant Type: Restaurant

Yashu soba Utsunomiya4th store (野州そば宇都宮4号店)

Restaurant Type: Soba noodle shop

Nihonbashi Karari (日本橋からり宇都宮駅ビルパセオ店)

Restaurant Type: Tempura restaurant

Tourist area

Some tourist area – the best views, museums and parks – around the station.

Utsunomiya Gyoza Statue (宇都宮餃子像)

Tourist Area Type: Sculpture

The Gyoza Zozo is a stone statue located at the west exit of Utsunomiya Station in Kawamukai-cho, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture.

The statue is a carving of “Venus of Gyoza” wrapped in dumpling skin. It is a 1.6 meter high, 1.7 ton stone statue carved out of Oyaishi, a specialty of Utsunomiya City. Contemporary sculptor Koji Nishimatsu was in charge of the design, and a friend of the staff member in charge of the Commerce and Tourism Division of Utsunomiya City sculpted it free of charge using Oyaishi stone provided by the Oya Stone Cooperative Association.

Utsunomiya Castle Ruins Park (宇都宮城址公園)

Tourist Area Type: Park

Utsunomiya Joshi Park is a city park (district park) in Honmaru-cho, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture. Its former name was Gohonmaru Koen (御本丸公園).

The park is a popular place for local residents to gather and enjoy the view of downtown Utsunomiya and Futara no Mori from the platform, and to participate in events held in the park such as the “Utsunomiya Castle Ruin Festival. It also serves as a “visitor center” for not only residents but also visitors from outside the city.

Utsunomiya Castle has been the residence of the Utsunomiya clan since the late Heian period (794-1185) and is one of the seven best castles in the Kanto region. By the mid-Showa period, only a small portion of the Honmaru earthen mound remained. The remains were developed into “Honmaru Park,” and in the early Heisei period, a historical museum, “Seimeikan,” was constructed in the park. After careful excavation and document research, the city renovated and reorganized the “Gohonmaru Park” and reconstructed the “Seimyodai”, “Fujimi-yagura”, “Ishigaki and earthen mounds”, “Mudwall”, and “Moat” that were part of the original Utsunomiya Castle, and renamed it the “Utsunomiya Castle Site Park”. The park was renamed “Utsunomiya Joshi Koen” (Utsunomiya Castle Site Park). The renovation and restoration work was completed in December 2006, and the opening ceremony for Utsunomiya Castle was held on March 25, 2007 (Heisei 19), after renewing the management policy of the park together with “Seimeikan”.

Hachimanyama Park Utsunomiya Tower (八幡山公園宇都宮タワー)

Tourist Area Type: Observation deck

Utsunomiya Tower is a radio tower located in Hachimanyama Park, Hanawada 5-chome, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture. The height of the Hachimanyama Park Observation Tower tower is 89 meters, but since it is located at an elevation of 158 meters, the total height is 247 meters.

The observation deck is located 30 meters above the ground and offers a panoramic view of Utsunomiya City. The tower itself is 158.5 meters above sea level. The tower itself is set at an elevation of 158.7 meters, so even though the observation deck is low, it is possible to see far into the distance.

旧篠原家住宅 (旧篠原家住宅)

Tourist Area Type: Historical place

The former Shinohara Family Residence is a historical building located in Imaizumi 1-chome, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture. The main building (storehouse and residence) and new storehouse were built in 1895 by the Shinohara family, a representative old family in Utsunomiya City that was a wealthy merchant since the Edo period.

The Shinohara family was a merchant family engaged in the soy sauce brewing business, established at the end of the Edo period in Hakuromachi (current location) under Utsunomiya Castle by the third son of the fourth generation of the Shinohara family of Shukugo Village, Kawachi-gun, Shimono-kuni (current Shukugo, Utsunomiya City). In 1924, the family had 111 hectares of rice paddies and 150 tenant farmers.

Utsunomiya Station (宇都宮駅) – Introductions of Restaurants, Tourist area, Hotels and so on