Utsunomiya facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids

Utsunomiya

宇都宮市

Core city

Utsunomiya Castle, Gyoza statue
Futaarayama Shrine, Oya Stone Museum
Utsunomiya Tower, City view

Flag

Seal

Where Utsunomiya is in Tochigi Prefecture

Utsunomiya

Location in Japan

Country

Japan

First official recorded

353 AD

City Settled

April 1, 1896

Area

• Core city

416.85 km² (160.95 sq mi)

Population

(July 1, 2023)

• Core city

513,584

• Density

1,232.059/km² (3,191.02/sq mi)

• Metro

(2015)

1,103,745 (15th)

Time zone

UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)

Phone number

028-632-2222

Address

1-1-5, Asahi, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi-ken 320-8540

Climate

Cfa


Symbols
Flower	Satsuki azalea
Tree	Ginkgo biloba

Utsunomiya City Hall

Utsunomiya (宇都宮市, Utsunomiya-shi) is a big city in Japan. It's the capital of Tochigi Prefecture, located in the northern Kantō region. As of July 2023, about 513,584 people live here. The city covers an area of about 416.85 square kilometers. Utsunomiya is super famous for its gyoza (pan-fried dumplings)! You can find more than 200 gyoza restaurants in the city.

Exploring Utsunomiya's Location

Utsunomiya is in the south-central part of Tochigi Prefecture. It sits on the northern Kantō plains.

How Far is Utsunomiya from Other Cities?

Utsunomiya is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Tokyo. The historic town of Nikkō is about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) northwest. The city's average height above sea level is 100 meters (328 feet).

Neighboring Towns and Cities

Utsunomiya is surrounded by several other places in Tochigi Prefecture:

Nikkō
Kanuma
Shimotsuke
Mooka
Sakura
Mibu
Kaminokawa
Takanezawa
Shioya

Utsunomiya's Climate and Weather

Utsunomiya has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and cool winters. The average yearly temperature is about 14.3°C (57.7°F). The city gets about 1524.7 mm (60 inches) of rain each year, with September being the wettest month. Temperatures are usually highest in August, around 26.0°C (78.8°F). They are lowest in January, around 2.8°C (37.0°F).

Climate data for Utsunomiya (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1890−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	21.0 (69.8)	24.6 (76.3)	27.2 (81.0)	30.4 (86.7)	34.4 (93.9)	37.5 (99.5)	38.7 (101.7)	37.5 (99.5)	36.5 (97.7)	33.5 (92.3)	25.1 (77.2)	24.7 (76.5)	38.7 (101.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	8.6 (47.5)	9.7 (49.5)	13.4 (56.1)	18.8 (65.8)	23.3 (73.9)	25.9 (78.6)	29.5 (85.1)	30.9 (87.6)	27.0 (80.6)	21.4 (70.5)	15.9 (60.6)	10.8 (51.4)	19.6 (67.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)	2.8 (37.0)	3.8 (38.8)	7.4 (45.3)	12.8 (55.0)	17.8 (64.0)	21.2 (70.2)	24.8 (76.6)	26.0 (78.8)	22.4 (72.3)	16.7 (62.1)	10.6 (51.1)	5.1 (41.2)	14.3 (57.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−2.2 (28.0)	−1.3 (29.7)	2.1 (35.8)	7.4 (45.3)	13.0 (55.4)	17.4 (63.3)	21.4 (70.5)	22.5 (72.5)	18.8 (65.8)	12.6 (54.7)	5.7 (42.3)	0.2 (32.4)	9.8 (49.6)
Record low °C (°F)	−14.8 (5.4)	−13.3 (8.1)	−12.4 (9.7)	−6.4 (20.5)	−0.8 (30.6)	4.7 (40.5)	10.3 (50.5)	11.4 (52.5)	5.5 (41.9)	−2.7 (27.1)	−6.7 (19.9)	−10.9 (12.4)	−14.8 (5.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	37.5 (1.48)	38.5 (1.52)	87.7 (3.45)	121.5 (4.78)	149.2 (5.87)	175.2 (6.90)	215.4 (8.48)	198.5 (7.81)	217.2 (8.55)	174.4 (6.87)	71.1 (2.80)	38.5 (1.52)	1,524.7 (60.03)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	7 (2.8)	8 (3.1)	2 (0.8)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	1 (0.4)	18 (7.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.5 mm)	4.3	5.5	9.6	11.2	12.4	14.9	16.0	13.8	13.6	11.4	7.1	4.7	124.4
Average relative humidity (%)	61	59	60	64	69	76	79	78	77	74	71	66	70
Mean monthly sunshine hours	211.7	193.3	194.2	184.9	175.4	118.5	118.9	140.9	119.8	140.3	165.9	197.4	1,961.1
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

Population Growth in Utsunomiya

The number of people living in Utsunomiya has grown a lot over many decades. Recently, the population has stayed about the same.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1950	235,516	—
1960	261,964	+11.2%
1970	324,216	+23.8%
1980	408,908	+26.1%
1990	465,162	+13.8%
2000	487,560	+4.8%
2010	511,296	+4.9%
2020	518,757	+1.5%

A Look at Utsunomiya's Past

People have lived in the Utsunomiya area for a very long time. Archaeologists have found tools and burial mounds from ancient times. The Utsunomiya Futarasan Shrine (宇都宮二荒山神社) was built in 353 AD. The town of Utsunomiya grew up around this important shrine.

From Feudal Lords to Modern City

For centuries, the Utsunomiya clan ruled this area. They were a powerful family. During the Edo period, different lords called daimyō controlled Utsunomiya. The city became busy because it was on two important old roads.

In 1889, Utsunomiya officially became a town. It was one of the biggest towns in the Kantō area. In 1896, it became a city. Sadly, much of Utsunomiya was destroyed during World War II in 1945. After the war, the city rebuilt and grew. In 1996, Utsunomiya became a "core city," which means it has more control over its own affairs.

Utsunomiya's Economy and Jobs

Utsunomiya is a major center for business and industry in Tochigi Prefecture. Many companies have factories and design centers here.

Major Industries and Companies

Canon has a factory that makes optical parts.
Japan Tobacco has a plant.
Honda has design centers.
There are many other industrial businesses in the Kiyohara Industrial Park.

Utsunomiya also has one of the biggest shopping malls in the northern Kantō region, called Bell Mall.

Learning in Utsunomiya: Schools and Universities

Utsunomiya has many schools for all ages.

Higher Education

Utsunomiya University
Sakushin Gakuin University
Bunsei University of Art
Utsunomiya Kyowa University
Utsunomiya Junior College
Utsunomiya Kaisei
Teikyo University Utsunomiya campus

Local Schools

The city government runs 68 public elementary schools and 25 public junior high schools. There are also private schools and special education schools. For older students, there are ten public high schools and five private high schools.

Getting Around Utsunomiya: Transportation

Utsunomiya has excellent transportation links, including high-speed trains and local lines.

Train Travel

Utsunomiya Station West Exit (August 2023)

The Tohoku Shinkansen high-speed train connects Utsunomiya to Tokyo.
East Japan Railway Company (JR East) operates several local lines:
- Tohoku Main Line (also known as Utsunomiya Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Ueno-Tokyo Line)
  - Stations: Suzumenomiya - Utsunomiya - Okamoto
- Nikkō Line
  - Stations: Tsuruta - Utsunomiya
- Karasuyama Line
  - Stations: Utsunomiya - Karasuyama
The private railway Tobu Railway operates the Tobu Utsunomiya Line:
- Stations: Nishi-Kawada - Esojima - Minami-Utsunomiya - Tōbu Utsunomiya

Utsunomiya's New Tram System

Map of the Utsunomiya Haga Light Rail Line

Utsunomiya now has a new light rail transit system called Utsunomiya Light Rail. It connects Utsunomiya railway station with the nearby town of Haga. This system started running on August 26, 2023. Utsunomiya is the first city in Japan to get a brand new tram system in 75 years!

Major Roads and Highways

Several important highways and routes pass through Utsunomiya, making it easy to travel by car.

Tōhoku Expressway
Kita-Kantō Expressway
Nikkō Utsunomiya Road
National Route 4
National Route 119
National Route 121
National Route 123
National Route 293
National Route 408

Fun Things to See and Do in Utsunomiya

There are many interesting places to visit in Utsunomiya.

Utsunomiya Castle site: Explore the ruins of an old castle.
Tobuyama Castle site: Another historic castle site.
Ōya-ji: A Buddhist temple with a museum. It has ancient items from the Jōmon Period.
Official Utsunomiya City Tourism Website: https://discover-utsunomiya.com/: Find more places to visit!

Sports Teams and Venues

Utsunomiya is home to several professional sports teams and hosts exciting events.

Tochigi SC: The city's professional soccer team, part of Japan's J. League.
Utsunomiya Brex: A professional basketball team in Japan's top league, the B.League.
Tochigi Green Stadium: A sports stadium.
Kiyohara Baseball Stadium: A baseball stadium.
Utsunomiya Velodrome: This is where the Japan Cup, a big international cycling race, is held.
The 1990 UCI Road World Championships (a major cycling event) also took place in Utsunomiya.

Utsunomiya's Famous Gyoza Culture

Utsunomiya is known across Japan for its delicious gyoza dumplings.

The Story of Gyoza in Utsunomiya

After World War II, Japanese soldiers came back from Manchuria (a region in China). They brought gyoza recipes with them to Utsunomiya. Soon, these soldiers started opening gyoza restaurants. In 1990, city officials noticed how popular gyoza was becoming. They created the Utsunomiya Gyoza Association. This made gyoza even more famous in the city. People from all over Japan visit Utsunomiya just to try its gyoza. This brings a lot of money to the city.

Why Gyoza is So Popular Here

Utsunomiya has about 30 restaurants that specialize in serving gyoza. It's said that people in Utsunomiya eat more gyoza than in any other city in Japan! You can even see a 1.5-meter (5-foot) tall statue shaped like a gyoza outside Utsunomiya's main train station.

The Annual Gyoza Festival

Every year, Utsunomiya hosts a Gyoza Dumplings Festival at the Castle Ruins Park. Visitors can try many different kinds of gyoza from various restaurants. The festival also features live bands and comedians.