The town of Shimotsuke offers bike rental to tourists (adults and children over 13 years old) at Ishibashi station， Jichiidai station and Koganei station. Head for the Tempyo-no-Oka Park by bike and explore the historic sites located in the park. Or extend your journey a little further to the Michi-no-Eki Shimotsuke and enjoy shopping for local products!

The town of Nogi is a popular tourist spot thanks to its beautiful flowers and the Nogi-machi Brick Kiln. The town hosts a summer “Sunflower Festival” in late July. Visitors can enjoy walking through 4.3 hectares of fields where two hundred thousand sunflowers are in full bloom.

The Taishi Food Inc. Nikko plant is located close to the Daiya River and produces tofu and soybean-processed foods made with clear spring water and selected ingredients. Visitors are free to come inside the factory， look around and learn about the healthy and nutritious soybeans via displays and videos. Other attractions offered at the factory include a tofu-making experience and sampling freshly made tofu and fried tofu. [Tofu making workshop] Hours  (1)10:30am - 11:30am    (2)1:30pm - 2:30pm Fare    300yen/per person Booking  6 people to max. 50 people Please make a reservaion 7days in advance， by phone or fax.

Visitors can enjoy the yuba making process， experience pulling up tofu skin， and tasting. *Japanese language only. Please come with an interpreter. *Approx. 30 minutes experience *Booking by Phone or FAX， 7 days before your visit niizuma@nikkoyuba.net

“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!

The Meisui-no-Sato Nikko Okaki Factory produces rice crackers utilising Nikko’s clear spring water and domestically grown rice. Choose savoury delights for yourself or the perfect gifts for your loved ones from over 50 varieties of products available at the on-site shop. Sample the range of flavours on offer based on the special family-secret recipes and traditional handcraft skills. Some products are only available at the factory shop such as the freshly fried “Age-mochi Okaki” rice crackers. Try your hand at baking rice crackers or making your own hand-illustrated rice crackers， a memorable travel experience! Enjoy complimentary tea， coffee and soft drinks at the lounge. You can also place an order online or by phone or fax.

Oshiraji Falls are known as the “falls of illusion”. Oshiraji is the term for unbaked white ceramics. From the tourist information centre “Yama-no-Eki Takahara”， drive 5 minutes in the direction of Nasu-Shiobara and then take the footpath for another 5 minutes. You will find a crystal clear blue pool created by the falls. The view is a breath-taking harmonisation of the mysterious blue of the water in combination with the green mountains and sunlight filtering down through the trees. Come here in the wet season for a splendid view of the waterfall. Please note that mobile phone service can be limited in the area. The ground can be slippery in some places， please wear appropriate shoes.

Roadside Station Mashiko(Michi-no-Eki Mashiko)  is a roadside station offering fresh local produce and local products and crafts at the “Mashiko-no-Marche” as well as reasonably-priced lunches with freshly picked vegetables at the “Mashiko-no-Gohan” restaurant. The information centre “Concierge” provides information on tourism， special exhibitions and workshops， along with advice on moving to the town and booking rental space. Please find more information on their website.

The Mibu Highway Park at Michi-no-Eki Mibu is a roadside station connected to the Mibu PA (motorway rest area) and conveniently located between both the motorway and the local highway (route 71). Located in the centre of the local municipality， the “Mirai-kan” information centre at the Mibu Highway Park is a hub for tourism offering information， local products and fresh local vegetables. Along with the Mibu Highway Park， Michi-no-Eki Mibu has Tochigi Wanpaku Park and Mibu-machi Toy Museum within its vast 52.5-hectare grounds. A great place for a break or a whole family day out.

The former Kibata elementary school is now open to the public as a traditional village offering a wide range of activities including farming experience， pottery classes and noodle， tofu and Konjac making workshops. The venue has a café as well as camping and barbeque areas.

Built in 1987， Mikaeri Suspension Bridge stretches 100 metres across and 30 metres over Shiobara Gorge. The bridge is known as the starting point of the Shiobara Gorge walking trail and has a charm unique from the magnificent neighbouring Momijidani Suspension Bridge. Cross the Mikaeri Suspension Bridge and walk a further 10 metres to the observation deck for incredible views of Mikaeri Falls.

At Ichigo-no-Sato Farm, you can enjoy picking ripe strawberries such as Tochi-Aika and Skyberry from December to May. Besides strawberries， the farm offers a variety of other fruits such as cherries， grapes and blueberries depending on the season. There are cafes， an Italian buffet restaurant and shops providing a wide range of products made with freshly picked fruits. Seasonal events are held at the studio such as cake baking classes and jam making workshops. Ichigo-no-Sato Farm also grows a rare variety of strawberries called "Tochihime," which has soft flesh and is difficult to transport, so can only be eaten at tourist strawberry farms. There are strawberry-picking plans available that allow you to eat Tochihime, so be sure to try the difference in taste.

Furumine Shrine was built to worship the legendary hero Yamato Takeru 1，300 years ago. The shrine is where the monk Shodo Shonin， founder of the temples in Nikko， was trained. The shrine is also known for the enshrined Tengu， a messenger from the gods who protects people from bad luck. People come here to pray for good luck， fire protection， safe voyage， rich harvests， traffic safety， business success and family health as the god is believed to make all these wishes come true.

The History of Utsunomiya Castle Utsunomiya Castle is believed to have been originally built by the legendary Japanese warrior Fujiwara no Hidesato. During the medieval period, it served as the stronghold of the Utsunomiya clan for generations. After the Utsunomiya clan was stripped of its land by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Utsunomiya Castle became the residence of fudai daimyō (samurai families who had pledged loyalty to the Tokugawa clan before the Battle of Sekigahara) during the Edo period. The castle also played an important role as a key stopover point for Tokugawa shoguns traveling to Nikkō Tōshō-gū to pay their respects. In 1868, the castle was engulfed in the flames of war during the Boshin War, a conflict between the new Meiji government forces and the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate. Most of the original structures were destroyed in the battle. Today, the castle ruins have been transformed into a historical park, with efforts focused on reconstructing parts of the Edo-period (1600–1867) main keep (Honmaru) to preserve its legacy. Utsunomiya’s Earliest and Most Famous Cherry Blossom Viewing Spot From March to April, Utsunomiya Castle Ruins Park is adorned with beautiful cherry blossoms. The season begins in mid-to-late March with the early-blooming Kawazu-zakura, followed by Somei Yoshino, Shidare-zakura, and finally culminating in the Oyama-zakura in mid-April. For a full month, visitors can immerse themselves in a breathtaking sea of pink petals. During cherry blossom season, the park hosts the Utsunomiya Sakura Festival, featuring stage performances, local street food stalls, and festive activities in addition to stunning cherry blossoms. This makes it one of Utsunomiya’s most renowned hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots.

At the entrance of the Omocha-no-Machi Bandai Museum visitors are welcomed by a full-scale RX-78 Gundam bust (5.6 metres in height) and its pilot Amuro Ray. The museum’s collection includes a large selection of toys from home and abroad dating from the Edo period (1603-1867). Highlights are the world’s leading collection of Thomas Edison’s inventions and the old and rare steam car, the “Pendle Princess” (made in the U.K. in 1919). This is a great place to enjoy learning about the history of toys. Gundam fans shouldn’t miss the “Zaku’s Dream” and “White Base” exhibitions.

The Mibu-machi Toy Museum provides displays of model trains on an elaborate landscape diorama along with a model train driving experience. 18 world heritage sites including temples and shrines of Nikko are placed on the N-gauge (25m2) diorama. The driver’s seat on the HO-gauge (37m2) provides excellent views, and is equipped with a sound system to give visitors a realistic railway experience.   The museum has an interactive app-based game, which you can unlock fun quizzes and characters on your device. Collect answers and points within the specified time limit to break the hidden seal in the castle! The app is the perfect way for the whole family to play and learn about the museum.

Many farms across the prefecture offer seasonal fruit picking. Aside from the nation’s largest crops of strawberries， you can enjoy picking a variety of other fruits such as cherries， peaches， grapes， blueberries and pears. Some also provide baking and cake decorating classes and jam making workshops using these seasonal fruits. The farm shops sell a wide range of products made with freshly picked fruits such as organic jams， sweets， gelatos and other gifts. As fruits in season may vary depending on farms and varieties， contact each farm for more information.

Located in the eastern area of Tochigi， this Onsen snuggles into a bend of the Naka River. The simple alkaline hot spring water promotes smooth skin， for which the Onsen is known as the “hot spring of beauty”. Most of the hot spring baths in the area face west， leading to another nickname of “the sunset Onsen-kyo” thanks to the great sunset views. You can also have a splendid view of mountains with wisps of white smoke.