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Home | City Japan | Utsunomiya, Tochigi
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|} had a population of 888,005 in the 2000 Census. The nearby city of Oyama, Tochigi is included in Greater Tokyo, but Greater Utsunomiya is not, despite the two areas amalgamating somewhat. 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. The battle of Utsunomiya Castle took place between May 10 � 14, 1868, during the Boshin war. The city itself was founded on April 1, 1896. In 1954-1955, Utsunomiya city incorporated with Suzumenomiya town and Hiraishi, Yokokawa, Mizuhono, Kunimoto, Shiroyama, Tomiya, Toyosato, and Sugatagawa villeges and the part of Shinoi villege from Kawachi District and Kiyohara villege from Haga District. The city added the towns of Kamikawachi and Kawachi, both from Kawachi District, on March 31, 2007. Therefore the population of Utsunomiya city exceeded 500,000. 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. 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 represented in the J. League of football with its local club Tochigi S.C. In Japan Utsunomiya is famous for its gyoza (a pan friend dumpling). There are more than two hundred gyoza restaurants in Utsunomiya. |
