Utsunomiya

Utsunomiya (宇都宮市, Utsunomiya-shi) is the capital and most populous city of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

As of October 2010, the city has an estimated population of 510,416 and a population density of 1,224.49 people per km². The total area is 416.84 km². Greater Utsunomiya (宇都宮都市圏, Utsunomiya Toshi-ken) had a population of 888,005 in the 2000 Census. The nearby city of Oyama is included in Greater Tokyo, but Greater Utsunomiya is not, despite the two areas amalgamating somewhat. It is the 10th most populated city in the Kanto region.

Utsunomiya is approximately 100 km north of Tokyo. It is accessible by car via the Tohoku Expressway and by train via Utsunomiya Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen line. Narita International Airport is about three hours away by car or bus. The historic town of Nikkō is approximately 25 km northwest of Utsunomiya.

History

The Battle of Utsunomiya Castle took place May 10â€"14, 1868, during the Boshin War. (A park now exists on the castle grounds.)

The city itself was founded on April 1, 1896. In 1954â€"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.

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.

Climate

Utsunomiya has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot and humid summers and cool winters. Precipitation is heavy in the summer wet season, especially from July to September, and it is noticeably drier in the winter months from December to February.

Industry and economy

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.

Education

• Utsunomiya University
• Sakushin Gakuin University

Sports

Utsunomiya is represented in the J. League of football with its local club Tochigi S.C..

Utsunomiya is the host city of the Japan Cup, a UCI sanctioned cycling race, held on October 20 and 21, 2012.

Culture

The Buddhist temple of Ōya-ji is located in Utsunomiya, and it includes a museum with artifacts dating back to the Jōmon Period.

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

The first ever ekiben (station boxed meal) was sold on 16 July 1885 at Utsunomiya Station.

Transportation

Rail

• East Japan Railway Company (JR East)
  • Tōhoku Shinkansen
  • Utsunomiya Line
  • Shōnan-Shinjuku Line
  • Nikkō Line

• Tobu Railway
  • Tōbu Utsunomiya Line

Utsunomiya plans to build a light rail transit line in 2016.

Buses

• Kantō Bus (関東バス, Kanto Basu)
• Tōya Bus (東野バス, Toya Basu)
• JR Bus Kantō (ジェイアールバス関東, Jeiaaru-Basu Kanto)

Highways

• Tōhoku Expressway
• Kita-Kantō Expressway

Sister cities

• Manukau City, New Zealand
• Orléans, France
• Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America
• Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, China

References

External links

• Utsunomiya City official website (Japanese)