Tochigi, Tochigi

Tochigi City 栃木市
—  City  —
Tochigi Autumn Festival
Location of Tochigi City in Tochigi
Tochigi City
Coordinates: 36°22′52″N 139°43′49″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi
Government
• Mayor	Toshimi Suzuki (since April 2010)
Area
• Total	284.83 km2 (110 sq mi)
Population (December 1, 2011)
• Total	144,541
• Density	507.0/km2 (1,313.1/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Aesculus
- Flower	Azalea
Phone number	0282-21-2224
Address	7-26 Irifune, Tochigi-shi, Tochigi-ken 328-8686

Tochigi (栃木市, Tochigi-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Despite its name, it is not the capital of Tochigi Prefecture; the capital is Utsunomiya.

The city took its current form on March 29, 2010 when the old city of Tochigi merged with the towns of Fujioka, Ōhira and Tsuga from Shimotsuga District to form the new city of Tochigi.

As of December 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 144,541 and a population density of 507 persons per km². The total area is 284.83 km².

Tochigi is located on the Ryomo Line and Tobu Nikkō Line (Tochigi Station).

Tochigi hosted its first film festival, the Kuranomachikado, or, Eizo Film Festival from 5 October 2007 to 8 October 2007. Tochigi City, being one of the few cities left intact during WWII, still carries a feeling of the past.^{[citation needed]}

History and General Characteristics

In the Edo period Tochigi was a rich commercial city. People used the Uzuma Canal that flows through the city center to go to Edo (as Tokyo was known at the time). Envoys using the Reiheishi Way sent from the Imperial Court going to the shrines and temples of Nikko stayed at the lodging area in the city. Another name for Tochigi is Koedo or Little Edo.

Because the city escaped war damage during WWII, many historical temples, traditional shops and Kura (Japanese traditional storehouses) remain in the city center. The city received the prize called the “Utsukushi-machinami Taisho” from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in 2009.

Tochigi City uses its historical properties as sight seeing and tourist resources.

Tochigi city holds the Koedo summit with Kawagoe City in Saitama Prefecture and Sawara City in Chiba Prefecture.

It’s also known as the city of “Kura,” also the Kurashiki of Kantou.

The view from Mt. Ohira, in the western part of the city, is called “the Matsushima of the land. “ It’s become a place of interest.

In the southern part of the city the Yanaka Reservoir, which is in the Watarase flood control area, is used for sailboating and windsurfing. There are a lot of kinds of precious plants living there. About 2 million tourists visit Tochigi’s places of interest every year.

Tochigi City is the administrative center of southern Tochigi Prefecture so National and Prefectural government branches, courts and administrative organs are gathered there.

After the Haihanchiken'' Tochigi city was the Prefectural capital of the old Tochigi Prefecture (currently Southern Tochigi Prefecture and part of Gunma Prefecture). After old Utsunomiya Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture merged Tochigi City was briefly the prefectural capital. But the capital was moved to Utsunomiya soon after.

Municipal Timeline

• April 1, 1937 - The city of Tochigi was founded.
• September 30, 1954 - The city absorbed the villages of Ōmiya, Minagawa, Fukiage and Terao, all from Shimotsuga District.
• March 31, 1957 - The city absorbed the village of Kōō from Shimotsuga District.
• March 29, 2010 - Tochigi absorbed the towns of Fujioka, Ōhira and Tsuga, all from Shimotsuga District, to form the new city of Tochigi.
• October 1, 2011 - The city absorbed the town of Nishikata from Kamitsuga District.

External links

• Tochigi official website (Japanese)
• Tochigi official website (English)