Tochigi-ken (Tochigi prefecture): toe-chig-ee-ken
The name Tochigi derives from the name of a tree called Tochinoki (torch-no-key, toe-chino-key) in Japanese, which belongs to buckeye tree species.
Tochigi-ken is one of the prefectures of Japan, located in the north of Kanto Region. The capital is Utsunomiya city. Nikko National Park is located in this prefecture, which has tourist attractions and resort spots such as Nikko and Nasu.
Tochigi-ken (Tochigi prefecture): toe-chig-ee-ken
The name Tochigi derives from the name of a tree called Tochinoki (torch-no-key, toe-chino-key) in Japanese, which belongs to buckeye tree species.
Tochigi-ken is one of the prefectures of Japan, located in the north of Kanto Region. The capital is Utsunomiya city. Nikko National Park is located in this prefecture, which has tourist attractions and resort spots such as Nikko and Nasu.
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Tochigi-ken is a midland prefecture without coast and located in the north of Kanto (Kun-toe) Region, which is composed of six other prefectures: Tokyo Metropolis, Ibaraki, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa. The prefecture is divided into three districts: the central, south and north. The major cities in the prefecture are Utsunomiya, Kanuma, Shimotsuke, Moka, Sakura and Nikko, located in the middle of the prefecture (the central); Oyama, Tochigi, Sano and Ashikaga, located in the south; and Ohtawara and Nasushiobara, located in the north. On June 15th 1873 (Japanese year Meiji 6), a former Tochigi prefecture merged with Utsunomiya prefecture, and the prefecture name "Tochigi" was kept and used for the new prefecture since a prefectural office was still in Tochigi city. The name "Tochigi" was kept being used although the office was moved into Utsunomiya city afterwards. The date of June 15 was designated as the Day of the People of Tochigi Prefecture.
The land of Tochigi prefecture has many mountains ranging from the northwest to the north and the east. They are the Ashio Mountains, the Shimotsuke Mountains, the Ohu (or Ou) Mountain Range and Yamizo Mountains. They are the sources for the Watarase (Watarase-gawa) River, the Kinugawa River and the Nakagawa River, which had formed alluvial plains and diluvial plateaus such as the Kanto Plain and the Nasunogahara Plateau. The population of Utsunomiya city, which is located in the middle of the prefecture, is 500,000. It is as large as one-quarter of the total prefecture population. The cities of Oyama, Ashikaga, Tochigi, Sano, Nasushiobara and Kanuma are more than 100,000 in population.
In economy of Tochigi prefecture, agriculture, manufacturing, commerce and tourism are active. Rice and wheat farming is in the plain region and dairy farms and stockbreeding are in the highlands with strawberries and dried gourd shavings, called "Kanpyo," raised as specialties of Tochigi prefecture. Various manufacturing industries as parts of the North Kanto manufacturing area are located along Tohoku Expressway and National Rout 50. For instance, the Utsunomiya area, where the munitions industry had been centered during World War II, has been developing the machinery, metalworking, food and beverage industries. The Moka, Kaminokawa and Haga areas are active in automobile-related industries for Nissan and Honda. The south area is active in the textile industry. Commerce is the retail business developing in the capital city, Utsunomiya, and the wholesale business is active in the industrial area. Tourism is active in Nikko and Kinugawa of the northeast area and Nasu and Shiobara of the north. Tourist attractions are the hot spring bathing facilities of Kinugawa Onsen, Nikko Yumoto Onsen, Nasu Onsen Village and Shiobara Onsen Village; the world heritage of Tohshogu shrine and Rinnoji temple; and the abundant nature of Lake Chuzenjiko, Senjyogahara high land, Mt. Nasudake and Nasukogen Highlands. They are the popular resort spots, and tourists can access there with ease by direct express railway lines, the Shinkansen (bullet trains) and expressway from Tokyo area. These are located in Nikko National Park, which is one of the first national parks in Japan and is protected by nature reserve laws.
