Name: Undiscovered Tochigi | Beyond Nikko on a 2-day trip from Tokyo
Uploaded: 2025-07-23T17:48:12.000Z
Duration: 12 min 26 s
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Located to the north of Tokyo, it's a part of Japan best known to visitors for the spectacular shrines and temples at Nikko, but as we'll show in this video, there is far more to see and do here besides.

From mountain peaks to subterranean Here's the plan.

On day one, we'll take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to the Nasu area of Tochigi, where we'll climb to the summit of an active volcano, bathe in a rustic local hot spring and make a stop at a modern art gallery before staying the night at a traditional inn.

On day two, we'll be looking at the area surrounding Tochigi's prefectural capital of Utsunomiya City.

We'll begin with a visit to a mind-blowing former underground stone quarry, then take a relaxing stroll around a bamboo forest and end our trip sampling the local favourite of gyoza in the city centre.

Join me on a two-day tour of Tochigi's lesser-known highlights.

Arriving at Nasu-Shiabara Station, we'll change to a local bus to the Nasu Ropeway from where a 40-minute climb will take us to the summit of Mount Chausu, one of Mount Nasudake's peaks.

Another bus ride will bring us to the lovely traditional bathhouse of Shikanoyu and the Killing Stone, a local spot with a surprising backstory.

Next, we'll take a taxi to the modern art gallery En's Yard and again to our accommodation for the night at the Sansui Kakuryo-kan.

Ranked as one of Japan's 100 most famous mountains, Nasudake is in fact a cluster of five complex volcanoes.

Of the five, Chausudake is the only one currently active and reaches 1,915 metres above sea level.

We've taken the easy way by riding the ropeway, but for climbers looking for a bit more of a challenge, there is also a well-maintained walking route leading all the way up from the bottom, and with a moderate level of fitness, it's very possible to reach three of the peaks.

As we approach the summit along the steep winding trail, more of the surrounding peaks come into view, creating an incredible panorama.

So here we are at the top of Mount Chausu.

Really wonderful views in every direction and behind me we can make out Mount Azahi and Mount Samboyari, the other two major peaks in the Nasu range.

After taking a few minutes to enjoy the summit, it's time to retrace our steps to the upper station and take the ropeway back down the mountainside.

On our way to Shikanoyu, we drop by another fascinating spot, the Killing Stone.

According to legend, there was once an evil sorceress whose true form was a nine-tailed fox.

After a lifetime of evildoing, she was finally killed by an army of brave warriors, but her story doesn't end there.

Her soul entered this rock, and it was said that anyone who approached the rock would be killed by the fumes it emitted.

With a history going back around 1,300 years, Shikanoyu is the oldest hot spring in Tochigi Prefecture and still feeds many of the local inns to this day.

The best place to try out the acidic and milky water is the old-fashioned bathhouse of the same name.

I just love the rustic atmosphere of the surroundings here.

There's a definite sulphury smell to the water, and one very unusual feature is that there are multiple baths, each at different temperatures, allowing bathers to choose the one that feels best.

From Shikanoyu, we take a 20-minute taxi ride to our next stop at En's Yard.

Set in a very modern building in attractive woody surroundings, En's Yard is a gallery mainly dedicated to the artist Nara Yoshitomo.

Known for powerful portraits whose subjects seem to gaze back at the viewer, producing new drawings every day, and his three-dimensional works in ceramic, bronze, and other materials.

Visitors can enjoy a drink in the cafe, check out the gallery shop, or take a stroll through the surrounding garden.

We end our first day in Tochigi at the Sansui Kakuryo-kan.

Located right by the imperial family's own Nasu Retreat, this inn is an elegant mix of modern and traditional, in a timber building dating to the 1930s.

Well this is just about the perfect way to wind down after a busy day of climbing and sightseeing.

I've been enjoying a gorgeous multi-course kaiseki meal with this local We begin day two with a bus to Kuroiso Station, where we change to a train to Utsunomiya.

From there we'll make our way to the Oya Museum by local bus, continue on to the Bamboo Forest by taxi, and finally take a bus back to Utsunomiya to end our day with a gyoza dinner.

Once a major source of wealth for the region, Oya Stone is a beautiful and highly distinctive type of volcanic rock, found only here in a few square kilometres near the town of Oya.

Our visit begins in a small museum, introducing Oya Stone, the tools used to mine it, and models of buildings made from this unique material.

After looking around the exhibition space, we descend 30 metres to the quarry floor.

A cavern spanning an incredible 20,000 square metres dug over the course of 70 years when the quarry was still in operation.

Of course, numbers are one thing, but the sheer sense of scale and atmosphere you get walking around in here is something else altogether.

Small wonder then that it's a regular location for music videos, photoshoots, and even weddings.

Just a few steps from the museum is another fascinating spot, the Oya Temple.

Built into the base of a cliff, the temple features a series of wonderful relief sculptures carved directly into the rock face, highlighting the strange beauty of this unique material.

Especially striking is the temple's main object of devotion, the Oya Kanon, a carving of the many-armed Buddhist deity of mercy created in 810.

But those aren't the only stone carvings worth seeing here.

Just across from the temple stands this 27-metre statue of Kanon, carved from the same distinctive Oya stone, dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Second World War, and a symbol for the hope for world peace.

Next, we jump in a taxi for a 10-minute ride to our next stop, the Wakayama Bamboo Forest.

Located in the northern part of Utsunomiya, the Wakayama Bamboo Forest is a massive, 24-hectare expanse of bamboo and chestnut trees, lovingly maintained by the same family for over 100 years.

While primarily managed for the purpose of growing bamboo shoots, the farm also produces mature bamboo for a range of uses and is a regular setting for film and TV.

There really is something magical about bamboo, from the way light seeps in through the tiny leaves to the sound it makes in the wind.

Many of you will have been to the more famous bamboo groves in Arashiyama in Kyoto or maybe Hokokuji in Kamakura, but the space, the scale, the incredible care that's gone into maintaining the forest here is just on another level.

After a relaxing time exploring the bamboo forest, it's time to make our way back into the centre of Utsunomiya for one final highlight.

Gyoza can be steamed, boiled or fried, but the most popular way to eat them is just like this, fried until crispy and then served with a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar and I like to add a little bit of chili oil.  and that was our two-day trip to Tochigi Prefecture.

Thanks for joining me, I hope you enjoyed this and perhaps even have some new ideas for your next visit to Japan.

For more information about this trip or to watch another video, click the links on the screen now or head over to japan-guide.com, your comprehensive, up-to-date travel guide, first-hand from Japan.

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