Tochigi Prefecture

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Before the Meiji Restoration, Tochigi was known as Shimotsuke Province. In the early 15th century, the Ashikaga Gakkō, Japan's oldest school of higher education, was re-established in the prefecture, holding over 3,000 students by the 16th century. Saint Francis Xavier introduced Ashikaga to the world as the best university in Japan. In the early 17th century, after the death of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Nikko Tōshō-gū shrine was built in Nikkō in 1617 on what the shōguns thought of as holy ground to protect and worship Ieyasu. Its establishment brought Nikkō to national attention. Ieyasu's successors as Tokugawa shogun developed the Nikkō Kaidō and acquired lavish processions to worship Ieyasu. In the late 19th century, the Tokugawa shogunate fell and the new government established the prefectures. The prefectural capital was established in the city of Tochigi after the unification of Utsunomiya Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture in 1873. By 1884, however, the capital was transferred to Utsunomiya.

Reader's Guide

Tochigi Prefecture holds historical significance as the site of the Ashikaga Gakkō, Japan's oldest institution of higher education, and the Nikko Tōshō-gū shrine, a major Shintō shrine built to honor Tokugawa Ieyasu. The prefecture's capital, Utsunomiya, is famous for its many gyoza specialist shops and hosts one of the largest shopping malls in the North Kantō region, Bell Mall. Tochigi is also an industrial hub, home to the Kiyohara Industrial Complex, one of the largest inland industrial complexes in the country, with vehicle parts and accessories as primary products. Agriculturally, it is known for strawberries, Chinese chives, and Japanese pears. The prefecture's natural parks, including Nikkō National Park and Oze National Park, cover 21% of its land area. Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, levels of radioactivity in Utsunomiya were 33 times higher than normal. The Twin Ring Motegi circuit hosts the only IndyCar race outside the United States, as well as Super Formula and motorcycle races.

Did You Know?

• Tochigi is one of only eight inland prefectures in Japan.
• The Ashikaga Gakkō, re-established in the early 15th century, held over 3,000 students by the 16th century and was introduced by Saint Francis Xavier as the best university in Japan.
• The Cedar Avenue of Nikkō, lined with about 13,000 400-year-old Japanese Cedars for roughly 35 km, is the longest tree-lined avenue in the world.
• Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, levels of radioactivity in Utsunomiya were 33 times higher than normal.
• The Twin Ring Motegi circuit hosts the only IndyCar race outside the United States.