Top Restaurants in Tochigi | 4 Places to Visit to Enjoy the Flavors!

From Tokyo, it only takes about an hour aboard the bullet train to Tochigi, a popular travel destination. The region boasts several famous local specialties, including fresh fruit, ramen, and gyoza dumplings. We introduce four foods that are well-known, must-try local dishes at these top restaurants in Tochigi!

1. Strawberries

“During the winter, Tochigi is blessed with long daylight hours and a significant temperature difference from day to night. Both conditions are ideal for growing strawberries, and Tochigi is currently the top strawberry producer in Japan.

Tochigi’s “Tochiotome” and “Skyberry” strawberry varieties are especially famous, and visitors can enjoy both strawberry tasting and strawberry picking experiences. Tochigi’s strawberry picking season usually runs from late November until May.

Strawberries are usually at their absolute best before 11:00 in the morning, so if you want to experience strawberry picking we recommend staying overnight in Tochigi and waking up early the next day for the activity.”

A Popular Strawberry-Picking Venue

There are plenty of facilities that offer strawberry-picking activities in Tochigi. Yoshimura Strawberry Park, located in Mashiko, has become popular among international visitors. The park offers various types of strawberries, including the Tochiotome variety, and is a seven-minute walk from Kitayama Station along the Moka Railway.

Yoshimura Strawberry Park

• Address: Tochigi, Mashiko-machi, Hanawa 520
• Business Hours: 9:00-16:00 from December 1 to mid-May
  *Please note that the park will close once the strawberries run out.
• Admission Fee: 2,300 yen and up (The fee varies seasonally. Children between 3 to 12 years old will be charged 1,500 yen.)
• Contact Information: 0285-72-8189
• Official Website: https://strawberrypicking.jp/ (English)

Places to Visit in Mashiko After Picking Strawberries

Yoshimura Strawberry Park is located in Mashiko, a town famous for ceramic ware. The Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art/Ceramic Art Messe Mashiko, which displays works by potters designated as living national treasures, is also located in the town.

At the Mashiko Rest Area, visitors can purchase local farm produce and local pottery, as well as enjoy strawberry picking.

The Mashiko Rest Area is also famous for its stunning, photogenic building, which has won several architectural awards.

Mashiko is located about one hour by bus from Utsunomiya, the capital city of Tochigi Prefecture. Utsunomiya is home to many attractions as well as gourmet food, so we suggest either staying overnight in Utsunomiya while exploring Mashiko, or making a trip to Utsunomiya while staying in Mashiko.

2. Utsunomiya Gyoza Dumplings (Pot Stickers)

Utsunomiya is known as a city that consumes a large amount of gyoza yearly. You’ll find various types of gyoza dumplings, whether grilled, boiled, or fried.

Originating in China, gyoza saw a surge in popularity in Utsunomiya during World War II, as troops from the city learned about the dish while stationed in China.

Pan-fried gyoza dumplings are especially popular in the area, due to their ultra-thin skin and crunchy texture after cooking. Recently it’s also possible to enjoy creative new gyoza dishes while in Utsunomiya, such as gyoza burgers, gyoza chips and gyoza buns!

Furthermore, the hugely popular Utsunomiya Gyoza Festival is held on the first Saturday and Sunday in November every year.”

Recommended Gyoza Restaurants in Utsunomiya

There are many gyoza restaurants in Utsunomiya, each uniquely different from the next. With that said, first-time visitors should head to Kirasse.

The restaurant is managed by Utsunomiya Gyozakai, an association of 90 restaurants in the city. There are two eateries: the main branch and the Paseo branch. The former consists of five popular gyoza restaurants (permanent stores), daily stores offering 30 types of gyoza, and a souvenir store handling various gyoza-related ingredients and products, including frozen gyoza.

Kirasse Main Store

• Address: Tochigi, Utsunomiya, Baba-dori 2-3-12, MEGA Don Quijote Lapark Utsunomiya, Basement Floor
• Business Hours: Kirasse is open year-round.
  Permanent Store/Weekdays 11:00-20:30 (On Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays, the store closes at 21:00.)
  Daily Store 11:00-21:00 throughout the week.
  Souvenir Store 10:00-21:00 throughout the week.
• Contact Information: 028-614-5388
• Official Website: https://www.gyozakai.com/kirasse/ (Japanese)

Places to Visit in Utsunomiya During a Food Trip

“The city offers various sightseeing spots, including the Oya History Museum with a former underground quarry on display. There’s also Oya-ji, a temple enshrining the oldest stone Buddhas in Japan. Additionally, we recommend visiting Wakayama Farm, which boasts an expansive bamboo grove.

In Utsunomiya, people can enjoy sightseeing during the day before savoring gyoza and drinks at night. Therefore, we recommend booking a stay for a day or two.

3. Sano Ramen

Sano is home to one of the major local brands of Japanese ramen.

Chefs use a green bamboo stick for kneading the noodles, adding pristine water to the mix to ensure a chewy yet smooth texture.

A Recommended Sano Ramen Restaurant

As of 2020, there are around 150 ramen restaurants in Sano competing to make their signature bowl of ramen noodles.

The most famous ramen restaurant is Yamato. Their rich-tasting broth is made from various ingredients, including chicken and pork bones, soy sauce, ginger, chicken oil, and seafood. The gyoza at Yamato is also popular, striking the perfect balance between tastiness and texture.

Yamato

• Address: Tochigi, Sano, Moroyama-cho 4-8
• Business Hours: Weekdays 11:00-14:00/17:00-20:00
  Saturdays, Sundays, and National Holidays 11:00-20:00
  Closed on Mondays
• Contact Information: 0283-55-4584
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sano_yamato/

Places to Visit in Sano After Savoring a Bowl of Sano Ramen

There are around 180 shops at the Sano Premium Outlets,offering a wide variety of products ranging from clothing to household goods.

Ashikaga Flower Park, a top-rated destination for domestic and international visitors, is also nearby.

At Ashikaga Flower Park, visitors can enjoy a variety of flowers throughout the year, and it is especially famous for the wisteria that bloom between April and May. The park was even selected as one of CNN’s dream destinations in 2014.

4. Japanese Sake

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice that has gained popularity overseas. Tochigi is known for its sake, boasting over 30 breweries throughout the prefecture.

High-quality clean water, which is essential for sake production, is a resource that Tochigi is blessed with. The prefecture is surrounded by mountainous areas to the northwest and home to large rivers such as the Kinugawa and Nakagawa, making it easy to obtain water ideal for sake production.

Furthermore, recently a variety of rice known as Yumesasara has been developed in the region, which is uniquely suitable for sake making, allowing visitors to enjoy the distinctive taste of Tochigi even more.

Recommended Sake Brewery Tours

While visitors can buy local sake in Tochigi, they can also taste it at restaurants and tour sake breweries.

Shimazaki Brewery, located in Nasu-Karasuyama, is a unique company. Established in 1849, the brewery has its storage located within an underground factory inside a cave. Since the temperature rarely rises in the cave year-round, the matured sake brew tastes exquisite.

Shimazaki Brewery

• Address: Tochigi, Nasu-Karasuyama, Kanaga, Aza-Tenjin 149 (Cave Tour), Tochigi, Nasu-Karasuyama, Chuo 1-11-18 (Brewery)
• Tour Hours: Saturdays, Sundays, and National Holidays from 10:00-16:00. For details, please check the official website. *No reservation required.
• Admission Fee: Adults (over 20 years of age) 200 yen
• Contact Information: 0287-83-1221
• Official Website: https://azumarikishi.co.jp/en/

There are also weekday tours, starting from 10:30 and 14:30. A reservation is required at least a day before the tour. This tour uses voice guidance recorded in English and Chinese.”

Places to Visit in Nasu-Karasuyama

Near Nasu-Karasuyama is the Ryumon Falls, measuring 65 meters in width and 20 meters in height. There’s also the Ohgane Onsen Grand Hotel, where guests can bathe in a hot spring rich in calcium.

Taki Station (JR Karasuyama Line) is the nearest station to embark on the cave tour at Shimazaki Brewery. It is a 50-minute train ride from Taki to Utsunomiya, so visitors can stay in Utsunomiya and enjoy a tour of the area.