Nasushiobara

Nasushiobara 那須塩原市
City
Nasushiobara City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Nasushiobara in Tochigi Prefecture
Nasushiobara
Coordinates: 36°57′42.2″N 140°2′45.8″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi Prefecture
Area
• Total	592.74 km2 (228.86 sq mi)
Population  (May 2015)
• Total	116,813
• Density	197/km2 (510/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Pine
- Flower	Yatsuo Tsutsuji (Rhododendron pentaphyllum var. nikoense)
Phone number	0287-62-7117
Address	108-2, Kyōkonsha, Nasushiobara-shi, Tochigi-ken 325-8501
Website	http://www.city.nasushiobara.lg.jp/

Nasushiobara (那須塩原市, Nasushiobara-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of May 2015, the city had an estimated population of 116,813 and a population density of 197 persons per km². Its total area is 592.74 km².

Geography

Nasushiobara is the northernmost city in the Kantō region of Japan, bordering Fukushima Prefecture to the north. It is located in the northern portion of Tochigi Prefecture, in the mountains.

Surrounding municipalities

• Tochigi Prefecture
  • Ōtawara
  • Yaita
  • Nikko
  • Shioya
  • Nasu
• Fukushima Prefecture
  • Minamiaizu
  • Shimogō
  • Nishigō

History

The modern city of Nasushiobara was established on January 1, 2005, from the merger of the former city of Kuroiso, and the towns of Nishinasuno and Shiobara (both previously constituent towns of the separate Nasu District).

Economy

Nasushiobara relies heavily on seasonal tourism to its hot spring and ski resorts. Agriculture is centered on dairy production. The city mascot, Miruhi, was created to represent the city's dairy production.

Education

• Utsunomiya Kyowa University
• Nasushiobara has 22 primary schools, ten middle schools and four high schools.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Tōhoku Shinkansen
  • Nasushiobara
• JR East – Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)
  • Nishi-Nasuno – Nasushiobara – Kuroiso

Highway

• Tōhoku Expressway – Nishinasuno IC, Kuroiso IC
• Japan National Route 4
• Japan National Route 400
• Japan National Route 461

Local attractions

Nasushiobara serves as a gateway for tourism in northern Tochigi.

• Shiobara onsen
• Itamuro onsen
• former house of Aoki Shuzo
• Nogi Jinja (former residence of General Nogi Maresuke
• Hunter Mountain Shiobara
• Momiji-dani Suspension Bridge

Noted people

• Hiromi Hara – professional football player
• Yoko Shibui – Olympic runner
• Aya Hirayama – actress
• Yoshimi Watanabe - politician
• Masayoshi Takayama - three-star Michelin head chef of the Manhattan sushi restaurant Masa (born in Kuroiso)

External links

Media related to Nasushiobara, Tochigi at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Website (in Japanese)
• Shiobara Onsen