Greater Tokyo

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Mooka Railway SL Kyuroku (96) Kan

Mooka Railway SL Kyuroku (96) Kan

Known as the city of steam locomotives, the railway museum “Mooka Raiway SL Kyuroku (96) Kan” is located here in Mooka. The collection includes Japan’s only self-driving 9600 steam locomotive with a compressed air engine, along with a D51 steam locomotive and the old-style passenger train “Suhafu 4425”. The self-driving 9600 steam locomotive runs three times a day (at 10am, 12pm and 2:30pm) on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays and visitors can ride in the guard’s van (300 yen per person).

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Ashikaga Orihime Shrine

Ashikaga Orihime Shrine

Registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in June 2004, Ashikaga Orihime Shrine has long been worshipped as home to guardian deities of local industry and matchmaking.   The vermillion-lacquered shrine stands in beautiful contrast to the surrounding green forests. Located on the hillside, the shrine commands magnificent views of the city of Ashikaga and the Watarase River. On fine days,the view extends as far as the Kanto Plains and the Tokyo Skytree. The shrine is a starting point for a walking trail through the Prefectural Natural Park. The trail is popular for enjoying seasonal views and is suitable for children.   A large number of visitors come and enjoy music performances and local delicacies at the shrine during the grand spring festival in May and autumn festival in November. It has become a popular dating spot since being named a sacred place for lovers and one of the best night view locations in 2014.

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Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park

Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park

From the mid Meiji to the early Showa periods, the area around Lake Chuzenji was home to foreign embassies and villas and flourished as summer resorts. The villa was built as a summer house for the Italian ambassador in 1928 and used by successive ambassadors until 1997. Along with the main building reconstructed with the original floor, fittings and furniture, the cottage is now open to the public as a history museum of the local international summer resorts. In addition to the buildings, the park pleases the eye with a lovely view of Lake Chuzenji.   The villa was designed by Czech architect Antonin Raymond (1888-1976). Raymond moved to the United States when he was 22 years old where he took up architecture. His first visit to Japan was during the New Year’s period in 1919-20 to work on the project of the Imperial Hotel with his mentor Frank Lloyd Wright. Raymond was advised by local craftsmen on traditional architectural materials. He made a good use of the local Nikko cedar on the walls and his chequered design creates a beautifully modern exterior to the two-storey wooden villa. The whole ceiling of the ground floor was made with cedar bark by wickerwork, a popular technique in the traditional Japanese Sukiya style of architecture. The space of the living room and study is skilfully divided by wickerwork patterns.

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The site of Ashikaga School

The site of Ashikaga School

It is said that over 3,000 students studied at the school during the disturbances of the 10-year civil war (Onin War) starting in the 15th century.   When the Catholic missionary Francis Xavier came to the country in 1549, he described it as “Japan’s largest and most famous school” in his correspondence. Ashikaga thus became widely known overseas as well.   Today buildings have been restored,and visitors can view classrooms in their original historic form and join a program reading The Analects of Confucius on Sundays.

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Nasu Senbonmatsu Ranch

Nasu Senbonmatsu Ranch

Nasu Senbonmatsu Ranch, located in Nasushiobara City, is a vast ranch with abundant nature. Visitors to the ranch can enjoy activities such as interacting with animals, cycling, horseback riding, and delicious meals made with locally produced products. The dairy products made from the high quality milk produced by the farm's careful attention to soil and grass cultivation are all excellent, and make excellent souvenirs. Visitors can also enjoy strawberry picking in winter and spring, and blueberry picking in summer.

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Kinugawa Okashino Shiro (Dessert Castle)

Kinugawa Okashino Shiro (Dessert Castle)

From popular sweets to outdoor activities — a delicious and relaxing stop on your hot spring tripKinugawa Okashino Shiro is a multi-purpose tourist facility that combines Japanese and Western sweets, cafés, and hands-on experiences. Inside, more than 30 varieties of handmade sweets are available, including seasonal fried bread, natural shaved ice, and other popular items, making it the perfect spot to buy souvenirs or enjoy sweet treats. The facility also includes “KINU COFFEE” café and “FUN GARDEN” outdoor space, where you can enjoy freshly grilled skewers, cakes, barbecues, and seasonal activities. Visitors can even take part in a dorayaki (red bean pancake) making workshop, adding an enjoyable hands-on element to the trip.

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Fairfield by Marriott Tochigi Motegi

Fairfield by Marriott Tochigi Motegi

The hotel is located in Motegi, a small town rich in nature. It is surrounded by forest and does not receive city lights, so at night the sky is filled with stars. At the neighboring roadside station Motegi, they sell Yuzu Shio Ramen, which won the Grand Prix at Japan's roadside station gourmet competition, as well as freshly baked Baumkuchen. Also nearby is Mobility Resort Motegi, which offers a wide range of activities such as motorsports and athletics, making it the perfect base for car enthusiasts and families.

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Mobility Resort Motegi Firework Festival

Mobility Resort Motegi Firework Festival

Motorsports theme park “Mobility Resort Motegi” holds the “Mobility Resort Motegi Fireworks Festival” every summer and winter. The fireworks will be accompanied by music, and visitors can enjoy the vibrant fireworks from a close distance, immersing themselves in a feast for both the eyes and the ears. Mobility Resort Motegi has a variety of amusement facilities, restaurants, and other facilities that can keep you played all day long. Please refer to the official website for more information on ticket sales for the fireworks festival.

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Gyoushintei Buddhist cuisine

Gyoushintei Buddhist cuisine

Named after Nikko’s former Gyoushintei Monastery, this restaurant is the gateway to Nikko city's over 1,200 years historical specialization in Buddhist cuisine. Its uniquely-flavored traditional Gozen-ryori is prepared in the Shinjo Shinryu style, which only uses vegetables, grains, and soybean-based products like yuba and tofu, making it completely vegetarian. And since they always use what’s in season, the ingredients change from month to month, providing a rare opportunity to enjoy seasonal, traditional vegetarian cuisine.

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Isoyama Benzaiten Shrine, Izuruhara Benten Pond (Isoyama Park)

Isoyama Benzaiten Shrine, Izuruhara Benten Pond (Isoyama Park)

Izuruhara Benten Pond, the source of the Izuru River, is designated a Prefectural Natural Treasure and was selected as one of the nation’s clearest water sources by the Ministry of Environment. Take a look down into the transparent water and you will find Koi fish with sparkling scales swimming gracefully over swaying water plants. Samples of the pristine water are available to take home from the neighbouring Ichinokan hotel. Be sure to take a close look at the main building of Isoyama Benzaiten Shrine. Reconstructed in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), this cultural property is constructed without nails and displays the beauty of traditional Japanese architectural methods. Isoyama Benzaiten (nicknamed Fuzai) is a goddess of music, arts and knowledge and is one of seven lucky Sano gods built here in 948. The Benzaiten Shrine was moved here at the request of “Suisha-ko”, a group of devout local worshippers.

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Lake Chuzenji

Lake Chuzenji

Lake Chuzenji is the largest lake in Tochigi, framed by 25 kilometres of incredible nature. The area used to be a popular summer resort for foreigners in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The villas of French and Belgian embassies can still be found here. You can enjoy seasonal charms by the lake. Walking trails surround the water’s edge and there is an excursion boat available on the lake. The views from the lake are spectacular, particularly when the cherry blossoms or azaleas are blooming or when the autumn leaves are turning. The “Koyo-meguri” tour, enjoying autumn leaves reflecting on the lake, is highly recommended.

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Yoshimura Nouen

Yoshimura Nouen

Since its establishment in 1986, Yoshimura Nouen has been devoting itself to producing strawberries that make everyone fall in love, enjoy, and smile. It is also producing a unique blend of soil, which is indispensable for growing tasty strawberries. In its 30 greenhouses, strawberries that fit the preference of the times are produced with innovative efforts, and visitors can enjoy picking a wide variety of strawberries there. You can taste the difference of not only rare breeds but also breeds that represent Tochigi, including Tochiotome, Skyberry, and Tochi-Aika. To make strawberry picking enjoyable to more people, the farm has created a walkway wide enough for strollers and wheelchairs. In 2023, the farm also created a café space.

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KINUGAWA COUNTRY CLUB

KINUGAWA COUNTRY CLUB

Kinugawa Country Club, designed by the master golfer Torakichi Nakamura, opened in August 1959 in the scenic site along the clear waters of the Kinu River overlooking the Nikko Mountain Range. This course with a long history has been designed to allow all golfers, from beginners to advanced players, to have fun but at the same time play a round aggressively and strategically. At the clubhouse, you can enjoy the natural hot spring and tasty meals prepared with locally produced ingredients. Why don’t you spend a relaxing time while golfing with your family or friends at this golf course with tradition and a hot spring?

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GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS in the town of Nasu is a commercial building complex that connects farming, social services, and tourism to help create a sustainable town. The land is divided into GOOD NEWS NEIGHBORS and GOOD NEWS DAIRY. GOOD NEWS NEIGHBORS is a shopping area where shops working on environmental issues are gathered. There are nine shops in total including an outdoor gear shop for enjoying nature and a roastery café that composts waste coffee grains. GOOD NEWS DAIRY, as a communicator of the attractiveness of Nasu where dairy farming is active, sells soft ice cream from a ranch where the forest is effectively used in dairy farming, and offers products from a cheese factory working on upcycling of waste whey.

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