Shoji Hamada was a potter and living national treasure. This memorial hall in Mashiko Town， Haga County， Tochigi Prefecture showcases his pottery collection. The facility consists of Hamada’s residence and a portion of his workshop. An exhibition hall， studio， his climbing kiln， and a seasonal flower garden are all open to the public."

An art museum in Utsunomiya City. Their collection brings together modern art， posters， and designer furniture that focus on the themes of Art and the Region， Art and Life， and Art and the Environment. They also display works of art from local Utsunomiya artists. The museum holds special exhibitions and art related workshops as well as nature viewing excursions into Utsunomiya's Cultural Forest."

This restaurant is located inside Subanazaka Park， a nature park on the Subanazaka Hill. Situated near the central starting point for the park's hiking courses， here customers can enjoy handmade soba noodles made with an abundance of local buckwheat flour. The restaurant's traditional flavors， prepared by local housewives， are perfect for enjoying after a nature hike. The restaurant's manju steamed buns， which are made by hand starting from the filling， are also highly acclaimed. The surrounding area is a famous destination for viewing Genji fireflies， and when the fireflies appear in June， a variety of locally-operated food stalls also open up nearby. "

This park is famous for its cherry blossoms, azaleas, hydrangeas, and other flowers. Some of the park's attractions include a Japanese garden, a French garden, and a garden with all the prefectural trees from across the country. Visitors can also enjoy a sweeping view of Nasunogahara from the top of the hill. The best time to see the park's roughly 1300 Yoshino cherry trees is from early to mid-April each year."

Encompassing 3，500 square meters， Grand Maze Palladium allows both children and adults to challenge themselves as they navigate this enormous maze."

The Takase Kanko Yana is a weir on the fresh waters of the Ara River.Come try fresh sweetfish cuisine while looking at the clear waters of the nearby Nakagawa River. You can even try your hand at catching sweetfish with their Yana traps. Enjoy robata-yaki in the tatami rooms and food cooked directly in front of you. The restaurant is open from June to November each year in accordance with the sweetfish fishing season."

This Buddhist temple was the greatest in the Kanto provinces and was known for having one of the three most majestic ordination platforms in the country alongside the Todaiji temple and the Kanzeon-ji Temple. Built at the end of the seventh century， in the mid-eighth century， it is said to have been so prosperous. Today， a portion of the site of its ruins are maintained as a public park."

The relaxed pace of a Nature Planet tour is perfect for shaking off the stress of day-to-day life. Take it slow for a while and let your worries float away.

3x3 basketball, now recognized as an official Olympic sport, is showcased at its highest level in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour—an international series organized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to determine the world’s best 3x3 club team. The 2025 season will span across 15 cities worldwide. The top teams from the tour will advance to the World Tour Final, where the global champion will be crowned. Featuring the previous year’s champions and top-ranked teams from around the world, this tournament represents the pinnacle of 3x3 basketball competition. Since 2016, the city of Utsunomiya has continuously hosted the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. Beginning in 2022, Utsunomiya was selected to kick off the season as the host of the Utsunomiya Opener, and will continue to do so through 2028—marking seven consecutive years as the opening venue. The 2025 Utsunomiya Opener is scheduled to take place over three days, from Friday, April 25 to Sunday, April 27. The venue for the event is the historic Utsunomiya Futaarayama Shrine, said to have over 1,600 years of history. A special 3x3 court will be set up in front of the shrine’s grand torii gate, creating a striking fusion of tradition and modern sports culture. Japanese elements such as mikoshi (portable shrines) will be featured to further enhance the atmosphere and share the unique spirit of "3x3 City Utsunomiya" with the world. In 2024, the local team UTSUNOMIYA BREX.EXE competed in the Utsunomiya Opener as the host city representative. They made history by advancing through the qualifiers to the final tournament stage for the second consecutive year—a first for any Japanese team. In the knockout stage, they faced off against UB (Serbia), the reigning champions of both the 2022 and 2023 World Tours. Although they were defeated 22–11, the team showed tremendous strength and determination in their battle against the world’s best.

An ancient shrine rebuilt in the Nara era and included in the Engi-Shiki (set of ancient Japanese governmental regulations)， it is also a famous place in Kanto for the first shrine visit of the New Year (hatsumode). The main shrine building， which is a prefectural cultural property， is a masterwork of Genroku-era carpenter Sezaemon Sakurai and sculptor Entetsu Shimamura.

Nikko Strawberry Park is the first strawberry grower in Tochigi to be certified by Global G.A.P.*， and is committed to high standards of safety and quality. Nikko experiences dramatic changes in temperature between the mornings and evenings， and has a source of clean water in the Nikko Mountain Range. These elements combined with the farmer's skill produce juicy strawberries with the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness. Additionally， there is a space where the strawberries are grown in movable elevated benches， eliminating the need to bend over to pick them so that visitors in wheelchairs or with baby carriages can also enjoy strawberry picking. *Global G.A.P. is an internationally recognized label granted to deserving companies in recognition of their practice of sustainable production which takes into account food safety， labor conditions， and environmental impact. G.A.P. stands for "Good Agricultural Practices".

A traditional event that has been passed down in the Kugeta area since 1873. Chokai mikoshi for town associations and children's mikoshi go forth to fill the streets with excitement.

Wakayama Farm is a family farm that has been producing chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and bamboo seedlings over three generations. The spectacular bamboo forest that extends in the 24-hectare land is also popular as a filming location for movies and commercials. Farm visitors can try bamboo shoot harvest and bamboo craft creation in addition to a walk in the bamboo forest. On weekends and holidays, you can enjoy an out-of-ordinary experience including drinking matcha from a bowl made from bamboo and seeing the illuminated bamboo forest at night. The café offers meals that feature the flavor of ingredients grown by farmers in the neighborhood and drinks that are perfect to take on a walk. The farm also has a museum where visitors can learn about the ecology and use of bamboo and a gallery showcasing Japanese bamboo handicrafts. The shop sells agricultural products including bamboo shoots, chestnuts, and blueberries, and also the chestnuts sweet “Oh Kuri” made by thoroughly kneading the nuts of carefully grown chestnuts. You will also find the farm’s original bamboo shoot products such as jars of additive-free boiled bamboo shoots harvested in spring.  

Try your hand at painting, hand building and wheel throwing at the Koisagoyaki Pottery Experience Centre “Toyu-kan”. Using local clay, visitors can enjoy a therapeutic and creative experience within natural surroundings. The spacious centre with a capacity of up to 100 is perfect for groups. Koisagoyaki is a historic gold-glazed ceramic art and is officially recognised as one of prefecture’s traditional crafts. The Koisago area in Nakagawa-machi is the home of Koisagoyaki pottery and a member of the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Japan. One of the famous Koisagoyaki potteries, Fujita Pottery was featured on NHK Television’s travel programme in 2016.

Dress up in Samurai armour at the Ashikaga Machinaka Yugakukan and enjoy strolling around the neighbouring historic area that is home to the National Historic Site of Ashikaga School and the National Treasure， Banna-ji Temple. Stride along the atmospheric stone-paved streets dressed as a brave Samurai!

“Washi-no-Sato” is a Washi papermaking factory in the mountain village of Nasu-Karasuyama. Washi is traditional Japanese hand-made paper increasingly attracting the attention of people abroad. “Karasuyama Washi” has a history dating back 1，200 years in Tochigi. Come to our workshops to learn about the traditional craftsmanship and make your own sheet of Washi paper!

Made in 1890， the Nogi-machi Brick Kiln is a Hoffmann kiln that belonged to the former Shimotsuke brick manufacturer and was a major contributor to Nogi’s industrialisation. This is the only perfectly original Hoffmann kiln in Japan and is designated as an Important Cultural Property. It is in the shape of a hexadecagon (a 16-sided polygon) and is 34 metres in height and 100 metres in circumference. The kiln baked up to 408，000 bricks per year during the 80 years between 1890 and 1971. The conservation and repair work on the kiln was completed in September 2015 and the kiln was open to the public on 10 May 2016. The Nogi Koryu Centre (known as the “Nogi Hoffmann Kan”) was built and opened to the public at the same time. The centre offers activities and workshops as well as original goods and light meals. Come and experience the culture of the Meiji period!