Shimotsuke, Tochigi

Shimotsuke 下野市
City
Shimotsuke City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Shimotsuke in Tochigi Prefecture
Shimotsuke
Coordinates: 36°23′13.9″N 139°50′31.4″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Toshio Hirose <広瀬寿雄> (from August 2006)
Area
• Total	74.59 km2 (28.80 sq mi)
Population  (May 2015)
• Total	59,635
• Density	800/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Zelkova serrata
- Flower	Calabash
- Bird	Japanese bush warbler
Phone number	0285-40-5551
Address	1127 Koganei, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi-ken 329-0492
Website	http://www.city.shimotsuke.lg.jp/

Shimotsuke (下野市, Shimotsuke-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of May 2015, the city had an estimated population of 59,635, and a population density of 800 persons per km². Its total area is 74.59  km².

Geography

Shimotsuke is located in southeastern Tochigi Prefecture.

Surrounding municipalities

• Tochigi Prefecture
  • Utsunomiya
  • Oyama
  • Tochigi
  • Mooka
  • Mibu
  • Kaminokawa

History

The modern city of Shimotsuke was established on January 10, 2006, from the merger of the towns of Minamikawachi (from Kawachi District), and the towns of Kokubunji and Ishibashi (both from Shimotsuga District).

Economy

Agriculture and light manufacturing are mainstays of the local economy, with production of Kanpyō, turmeric and spinach being prominent local crops. The city is increasingly a bedroom community for neighboring Utsunomiya.

Education

• Jichi Medical University
• Shimotsuke also has twelve primary schools, four middle schools and one high school.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)
  • Koganei - Jichiidai - Ishibashi

Highway

• Japan National Route 4
• Japan National Route 352

Local attractions

• site of Shimotsuke kokubun-ji
• Shimotsuke Yakushi-ji temple and grave of Dōkyō

International relations

• – Dietzhölztal, Hesse, Germany – Friendship city

Noted people from Shimotsuke

• Eiji Ochiai – professional baseball player
• Arisa Komiya - voice actress

External links

Media related to Shimotsuke, Tochigi at Wikimedia Commons

• Website (in Japanese)