Utsunomiya

History

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that the area of Utsunomiya has been continuously settled since the Japanese Paleolithic period onwards, and numerous burial mounds from the Kofun period are found within its borders. The Utsunomiya Futarasan Shrine (宇都宮二荒山神社), which is the Ichinomiya of Shimotsuke Province claims to have been founded in 353 AD. The town of Utsunomiya developed around this shrine, and the area was under the control of the Utsunomiya clan, an offshoot of the Fujiwara clan from the Heian through Sengoku periods, and was destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

During the Edo period, the Utsunomiya area was ruled by a succession of daimyō clans under Utsunomiya Domain, and prospered from its location at the junction of the Nikkō Kaidō and the Ōshū Kaidō. During the Bakumatsu period Boshin War, the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle was a major conflict in the northern Kantō area. Following the Meiji restoration, Utsunomiya was briefly (1871–1873) part of Utsunomiya Prefecture, which was then merged into the new Tochigi Prefecture, and became the capital of the prefecture in 1884. Utsunomiya became an important garrison for the Imperial Japanese Army.

With the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Utsunomiya was officially established. At the end of 1889, Utsunomiya had a population of 30,698 making it the third most populous municipality in the Kantō area, after Tokyo and Yokohama. Utsunomiya was raised to city status on April 1, 1896. On July 12, 1945, much of Utsunomiya and the surrounding areas were destroyed in the American Bombing of Utsunomiya during World War II.

The city limits were expanded from 1951 to 1955 by annexing neighboring 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. In 1996, Utsunomiya was designated a core city with increased autonomy. On March 31, 2007, Utsunomiya absorbed the towns of Kamikawachi and Kawachi (both from Kawachi District), pushing the population of Utsunomiya City over 500,000.

Government

Utsunomiya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 45 members. Utsunomiya, together with the town of Kamikawa collectively contributes 13 members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Tochigi 1st district and Tochigi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Utsunomiya is the commercial and industrial center of Tochigi Prefecture. Utsunomiya is home to a Canon optical manufacturing plant, a Japan Tobacco plant, Honda design centers, and various other industrial concerns in the Kiyohara Industrial Park. In addition, one of the largest malls in the north Kantō region, Bell Mall is located near central Utsunomiya.

There are six industrial complexes located in Utsunomiya, in addition to Kiyohara Industrial Park, one of the largest parks in Japan.

Education

• Bunsei University of Art
• Sakushin Gakuin University
• Utsunomiya Kyowa University
• Utsunomiya Junior College
• Utsunomiya Kaisei
• Utsunomiya University
• Teikyo University Utsunomiya campus
• Utsunomiya has 68 public elementary schools and 25 public junior high schools operated by the city government as well as one junior high school operated by the prefectural government and one elementary school and one junior high school by the national government. In addition, there is one private elementary school and four private junior high schools. The city has ten public high schools operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education. There are also five private high schools. In addition, Tochigi Prefecture also operates eight special education schools for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railway

Utsunomiya is served by the high-speed Tohoku Shinkansen line from Tokyo, as well as a number of suburban lines operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and the private railway operator Tobu Railway.

JR East – Tohoku Shinkansen

• Utsunomiya

JR East – Tohoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line/Shōnan-Shinjuku Line/Ueno-Tokyo Line)

• Suzumenomiya - Utsunomiya - Okamoto

JR East – Nikkō Line

• Tsuruta - Utsunomiya

JR East – Karasuyama Line

• Utsunomiya - Karasuyama

Tobu Railway - Tobu Utsunomiya Line

• Nishi-Kawada - Esojima - Minami-Utsunomiya - Tōbu Utsunomiya

Construction of a light rail transit system, Utsunomiya Light Rail, connecting Utsunomiya railway station with the neighbouring town of Haga was approved in 2016, with completion scheduled for December 2019. The network started operation on August 26, 2023 and Utsunomiya became the first city in Japan to have a new tram system in 75 years after Takaoka, Toyama.

Highways

• Tōhoku Expressway
• Kita-Kantō Expressway
• Nikkō Utsunomiya Road
• National Route 4
• National Route 119
• National Route 121
• National Route 123
• National Route 293
• National Route 408

Air

The nearest airports to the city are Tokyo's Haneda Airport and Narita International Airport which both can be reached within 2 hours by road.

Local attractions

• site of Utsunomiya Castle
• site of Tobuyama Castle
• Ōya-ji – a Buddhist temple including a museum with artifacts dating back to the Jōmon Period.
• Official Utsunomiya City Tourism Website

Sports

• 1990 UCI Road World Championships took place in Utsunomiya.
• Utsunomiya is represented in the J. League of football with its local club Tochigi SC.
• Kiyohara Baseball Stadium
• The Utsunomiya Brex are part of Japan's main basketball league, the B.League
• Tochigi Green Stadium
• Utsunomiya Velodrome - Utsunomiya is the host city of the Japan Cup, a UCI-sanctioned cycling race.

Culture

Utsunomiya's famous dumplings

History of Gyoza

Following the Second World War, Japanese soldiers who returned from Manchuria brought home to Utsunomiya gyoza recipes that originated from China. Soon after, the soldiers began to open dumpling (gyoza) restaurants around Utsunomiya. After the Utsunomiya city officials started to realize the popularity of gyoza in 1990, the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association was created. The creation of this association only made gyoza's popularity grow in the city. Utsunomiya gyoza is famous country-wide, so it attracts many tourists, as well as brings in a significant amount of revenue into the city.

Popularity of Gyoza

The city has 30 restaurants that specialize in serving gyoza. Utsunomiya is allegedly the highest consumer city of gyoza in Japan. There is also a 1.5-metre (5 ft) statue in the shape of the gyoza outside of Utsunomiya's JR station.

The Gyoza Festival

Utsunomiya's annual Gyoza Dumplings Festival occurs at the Castle Ruins Park. Visitors are able to taste different types of gyozas served by various gyoza-making restaurants. Festival attendees can also watch various bands and comedians near the festival grounds.

Sister cities

• Auckland (then Manukau City), New Zealand, sister city since February 24, 1982
• Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States, sister city since July 10, 1992
• Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, China, friendship city since September 30, 1984
• Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, friendship city since June 12, 1998
• Orléans, Centre-Val de Loire, France, friendship city since May 7, 1989
• Pietrasanta, Tuscany, Italy, friendship city since August 3, 1995

Notable people

• Kozue Ando, professional football player
• Minori Chihara, voice actress
• Nanae Chrono, manga artist
• Yukio Edano, politician
• Hajime Funada, politician
• Yuria Hime, professional wrestler
• Kanako Itō, singer
• Naoya Kondo, professional football player
• Ai Kurogo, professional volleyball player
• Ikuo Matsumoto, professional football player
• Masako Mori, singer
• Meichi Narasaki, professional rock climber
• Tomoa Narasaki, professional rock climber
• Toshio Nobe, manga artist
• Takuya Nomura, professional wrestler
• Sadao Watanabe, jazz musician
• Naoki Yamamoto, professional racing driver
• Susumu Yanase, politician
• Rui Okubo, kickboxing champion