Tochigi Prefecture · Japan
Where to stay in Utsunomiya
Utsunomiya is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, home to about 518,000 people. This guide covers 3 hotels in Utsunomiya.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 3
- Nearest airport
- IBR63 km · Ibaraki Airport
- Currency
- JPYyen
- Time zone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Language
- Japanese
About
About Utsunomiya
Utsunomiya is the capital and largest city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of 1 July 2023, the city had an estimated population of 513,584, and a population density of 1,232 persons per square kilometre (3,190/sq mi).
Utsunomiya has more streets lined with horse chestnut trees (栃の木 tochi-no-ki), and more places and products labeled Marronnier (French for Aesculus hippocastanum) than any other city in Japan's Tochigi ("Buckeye") Prefecture. Utsunomiya is also the hometown of jazz great Sadao Watanabe and bills itself as a Jazz Town that is also famous for its cocktail bars. The small mining town of Oya, the source of the distinctive greenish-gray volcanic stone used to construct many of Utsunomiya's buildings, is a short bus ride away and makes a good half-day or day trip.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Utsunomiya
See
- Utsunomiya Museum of Art
- Utsunomiya Fairy Museum
- Tobiyama Castle Park
- Futaarayama Shrine
- Hachimanyama Park
- Utsunomiya Castle
- Matsugamine Church
- Romantic Mura
- Utsunomiya Zoo
- Oya History Museum
- Tenkaisan Ōya Temple
- Heiwa Kannon
Do
- Mobility Resort Motegi
- Orion Square
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Utsunomiya
3 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay |
|---|
| Toyoko Inn Tobu Utsunomiya-eki Nishi-guchi hotel |
| Toyoko Inn Utsunomiya Ekimae No.1 hotel |
| Toyoko Inn Utsunomiya Ekimae No.2 hotel |
Where to stay
Which part of Utsunomiya to stay in
Hotels range from grand (wedding hotels) to business hotels (small rooms and beds).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Utsunomiya
Utsunomiya has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; September is the wettest, with about 243 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Utsunomiya: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Ibaraki Airport (IBR), about 63 km from the city centre in a straight line; Fukushima Airport (FKS, 89 km) and Narita International Airport (NRT, 99 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
From Narita Airport, the fastest and most expensive way to reach Utsunomiya is to take the Narita Express train to Tokyo Station and transfer to the Tohoku Shinkansen Yamabiko, Nasuno or Tsubasa service (2 hr 15 min, ¥7800). From Haneda Airport, take the Keikyu Line train to Shinagawa, then the Yamanote or Keihin-Tohoku line train to Tokyo Station. From there, take the Tohoku Shinkansen (about 1 hr 45 min, ¥5200). A cheaper trip is to continue up the Yamanote to Ueno station and change to the JR Utsunomiya commuter line (3 hours, ¥2290).
Getting around
Public transport in Utsunomiya consists of buses and one light rail line east towards Haga. For most tourist staying for one night or wishing to simply shop, most stores, hotels, and restaurants are within convenient walking distance from the east and west exits of Utsunomiya Station. Much of Utsunomiya can easily be reached by foot from Utsunomiya Station. Some major shopping, hotels, grocery stores, and other shops can be walked to in five minutes or less. For other areas, such as Orion-Dori or the jazz clubs/restaurants, you can expect about 10 to 15 minutes.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
IBR · Ibaraki Airport
FKS · Fukushima Airport
NRT · Narita International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Utsunomiya
Eat
Utsunomiya is most famous for its gyōza (餃子) dumplings, available sauteed, deep-fried, boiled, and/or steamed with all sorts of stuffings all around the city. You can find gyoza just about anywhere, but here are some key areas.
Drink
Utsunomiya bills itself as a jazz town and a cocktail area. The quality varies however, in both departments of jazz and cocktails. Cover charges as high as ¥4000 can be expected, with cocktails starting at ¥1000 per drink. For regular bar experiences, see below.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Utsunomiya: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Utsunomiya?
Utsunomiya has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; September is the wettest, with about 243 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Utsunomiya?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Ibaraki Airport (IBR), about 63 km from the city centre in a straight line; Fukushima Airport (FKS, 89 km) and Narita International Airport (NRT, 99 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Utsunomiya?
yen (JPY).
Nearby
Destinations near Utsunomiya
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.