Tochigi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi). Tochigi ...
* Oyama
*
Shimotsuke
*
Kanuma
*
Sano
*
Mibu
270px, Mibu Toy Museum
is a town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 39,158 in 16,149 households, and a population density of 640 persons per km². The total area of the town is .
Geography
Mibu is l ...
*
Nogi
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
*
Koga
KOGA is a Dutch bicycle manufacturer based in Heerenveen, Friesland. The company is known for its long time partnership with Japanese frame manufacturer Miyata, producing bicycles and sponsoring racing teams under the brand name Koga Miyata. As ...
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima ...
*
Itakura
is a town located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 14,323 in 5717 households and a population density of 340 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Itakura's animal mascot is the catfish. It is ...
Climate
Tochigi has a
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tochigi is 14.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1325 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.9 °C.
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Tochigi has remained relatively steady over the past 50 years.
History
In the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
, Tochigi prospered from its location on the Uzumagawa River, which connected with the
Tone River
The is a river in the Kantō region of Japan. It is in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano) and has a drainage area of (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (); ''Bandō'' is an obsolete alias of the Kantō ...
to
Edo. Envoys using the ''Reiheishi Way'' sent from the Imperial Court going to
Shrines and Temples of Nikkō
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Shrines and Temples of Nikkō encompasses 103 buildings or structures and the natural setting around them. It is located in Nikkō, Tochigi, Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The buildings belong to two Shinto shrine ...
stayed at the lodging area in the city. Most of the area was formerly ''
tenryō
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
'' territory controlled directly by the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
; however, the minor
feudal domain
A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. The concept or ...
of
Fukiake Domain was located within the borders of modern city of Tochigi.
Following the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
and the creation of Tochigi Prefecture, Tochigi Town was the prefectural capital from 1871 until its relocation to
Utsunomiya
is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its ''gyoza'' ...
in 1884. On April 1, 1937, Tochigi was elevated to city status.
On September 30, 1954, Tochigi absorbed the villages of Ōmiya, Minagawa, Fukiage and Terao (all from
Shimotsuga District). This was followed by the village of Kōō (from Shimotsuga District) on March 31, 1957.
Tochigi hosted its first film festival, the ''Kuranomachikado'', or, "Eizo Film Festival" from October 5, 2007, to October 8, 2007.
On March 29, 2010, Tochigi absorbed the towns of
Fujioka,
Ōhira and
Tsuga
''Tsuga'' (, from Japanese (), the name of ''Tsuga sieboldii'') is a genus of conifers in the subfamily Abietoideae of Pinaceae, the pine family. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed folia ...
(Shimotsuga District). This was followed by the town of
Nishikata (from
Kamitsuga District) on October 1, 2011, and the town of
Iwafune (from Shimotsuga District) on April 5, 2014.
Government
Tochigi has a
mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a
unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
city legislature of 30 members. Tochigi contributes four members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the
Tochigi 2nd district
Tochigi 2nd district (栃木県 区, ''Tochigi-ken- ai-ikku'') is a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the national Diet of Japan. It is located in northeastern Tochigi and consists of the towns of ...
,
Tochigi 4th district
Tochigi (栃木) may refer to:
* Tochigi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture
* Tochigi (city), a city in Tochigi prefecture, Japan
* Tochigi Station, a railroad station in Tochigi city, Japan
* Tochigi SC
, commonly referred to as Tochigi SC ar ...
and
Tochigi 5th district of the
lower house
A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...
of the
Diet of Japan
The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...
.
Economy
Tochigi city is a regional commercial center, and has a mixed local economy. Food processing, automotive parts and light manufacturing dominated the industrial sector.
Isuzu has maintained a factory since 1961. In 2010, the city ranked first in the number of farming families in the prefecture.
Education
*
Kokugakuin Tochigi Junior College
*Tochigi has 29 public
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
s and 15 public
middle school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
s operated by the city government. The city has eight public
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
s operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operated one special education school for the handicapped.
Transportation
Railway
JR East
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...
–
Ryōmō Line
The is a Japanese railway line connecting Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture with Maebashi in Gunma Prefecture. long, the line is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The name refers to the fact that Gunma and Tochigi pre ...
* - -
Tobu Railway
is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...
–
Tobu Nikko Line
is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...
* - - - - - - -
Tobu Railway
is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...
–
Tobu Utsunomiya Line
is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...
* - -
Highway
* – Sano-Fujioka Interchange, Iwafune Junction, Tochigi Interchange, Tochigi-Tsuga Junction, Tsuga-Nishikata Parking Area
* – Iwafune Junction, Tochigi-Tsuga Junction, Tsuga Interchange
*
*
Local attractions
*the sound of Tree frogs in Ajisai-zaka, Mount Ohirasan in Tochigi have been designated as one of the
100 Soundscapes of Japan by the
Ministry of the Environment
Sister City relations
*
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
, USA,
Noted people from Tochigi
*
Namihei Odaira
was a Japanese entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Hitachi.
Life
Odaira was born on January 15, 1874, in Ienaka, Shimotsuga, Tochigi Prefecture (present-day Tsugamachi Kassenba, Tochigi), the second son of Odaira Sōhachi and Chiyo.
...
, founder of
Hitachi
() is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
*
Yūzō Yamamoto
was a Japanese novelist and playwright. His real name was written as "山本 勇造" but pronounced the same as his pen name.
Biography
Yamamoto was born to a family of kimono makers in Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture. After finishing high s ...
, author
*
Tanaka Isson, artist
*
Toyo Shibata was a bestselling Japanese poet; her first anthology ''Kujikenaide'' (″Don't lose heart″), published in 2009, sold 1.58 million copies. In comparison, poetry book sales of 10,000 are considered successful in Japan. Her anthology also topped Ja ...
, poet
*
Tomoko Yamaguchi
is a Japanese actress, Voice acting in Japan, voice actress and singer from Tochigi, Tochigi, Tochigi. She is the lead actress for the classic dorama series Long Vacation, starring alongside Takuya Kimura.
She has been married to Toshiaki Karasa ...
, actress
*
Toshio Furukawa
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. He is married to fellow voice actor Shino Kakinuma.
Career
He became famous for his roles in his career as Kagege (''Keroro Gunso''), Kai Shiden (''Mobile Suit Gun ...
, voice actor
*
Yuriko Handa, Olympic volleyball athlete
Yuriko Handa
sports-reference.com
*Hirokazu Sawamura
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played in NPB for the Yomiuri Giants and the Marines, and has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston ...
, professional baseball player
*Takayuki Terauchi
is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league cham ...
, professional baseball player
*Takuya Takei
is a Japanese football player currently playing for Matsumoto Yamaga FC.
Career statistics
''Updated to 23 February 2017''.Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社"2016J1&J2&J3選手名鑑" 10 February 2016, Japan ...
, professional football player
* Shingo Tomita, professional football player
* Koji Hachisuka, professional football player
*Toshiaki Kawada
(born December 8, 1963) is a Japanese semi-retired professional wrestler best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), whom he worked for from his debut in 1982 up until 2008. In All Japan, he was a 5 time Triple Crown Heavyweight ...
, professional wrestler
*Ryoji Isaoka
is a retired Japanese weightlifter who competed in the light-heavyweight category. He won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were ...
, Olympic weightlifter [Ryoji Isaoka]
sports-reference.com
*Tochigiyama Moriya
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the sport's 27th ''yokozuna'' from 1918 until 1925. Generally he is considered one of the pioneers of modern sumo. He remains the lightest ''yokozuna'' in the history of the sport with a weight ...
, sumo wrestler
*Kosuke Hagino
is a Japanese former competitive swimmer who specialized in the individual medley and 200 m freestyle.
He is a four-time Olympic medalist, most notably winning gold in the 400 m individual medley at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Hagino holds the ...
, swimmer
References
External links
*
Official Website
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Tochigi Prefecture
Tochigi, Tochigi