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1Uzuma Riverside
The most atmospheric stretch runs for a few hundred metres either side of Korai Bridge: black wooden fences, white-and-black storehouses, willows and carp in the clear water. Morning and late afternoon light are best.
ℹ️ Free, always accessible. 10 minutes’ walk from Tochigi station.
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2Kura-no-Machi boat ride
Boatmen and women pole small wooden boats along the river for about 20 minutes, telling the town’s history and singing the Tochigi river boat song. Conical hats are lent to passengers.
ℹ️ About 10:00–16:00 (to 15:00 in winter), daily except in bad weather or high water; around ¥1,000. Pier beside Kura-no-Machi Yuransen Machiaisho.
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3Tsukada Memorial Museum and Kura-no-Machi Avenue
The Tsukada family were timber merchants; their riverside compound, with its long black fence, has displays on the river trade and a mechanical puppet show. A few minutes east, the main avenue is lined with storehouse shopfronts, among them the Yamamoto Yuzo literary museum, a float hall, and miso and sweet shops.
ℹ️ Tsukada museum about 9:30–16:30, closed Mondays; admission around ¥700. The Tochigi Dashi (float) Hall is around ¥500.
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4Carp streamers over the Uzuma
From mid-March to mid-May more than a thousand <em>koinobori</em> are strung across the river, fluttering over the boats — the town’s most colourful season.
ℹ️ Free. Best seen from Korai Bridge and from the boat.
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5Mount Ohira
A low mountain south-west of the centre, with a shrine at the top, the Kenshin-daira lookout over the Kanto plain, cherry-lined roads in early April and about 1,000 stone steps flanked by hydrangeas in June. Tea houses on the ridge serve the “three specialities”: dango, grilled chicken skewers and rolled omelette.
ℹ️ Free. Bus from Tochigi station to the foot (about 15 minutes) in season, or taxi; the steps take 20–30 minutes to climb.
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6Watarase Retarding Basin
A 33-square-kilometre flood-control basin of reeds and lakes shared by four prefectures and registered under the Ramsar Convention. Good for cycling and birdwatching; the reed beds are burned off in a dramatic event each March.
ℹ️ Free. Nearest stations Shin-Koga or Fujioka (Tobu Nikko Line); rental bicycles at the Yanaka Lake centre.
Things to Do in Tochigi City — Uzuma River, Kura Museums & Mount Ohira
The old town is a 10–15 minute walk north of the station; everything central is on foot.
Best tours & tickets: Tochigi City
Real GetYourGuide products that cover Tochigi City, checked against the live catalogue.
Private tour from US$395 per group From Tokyo: Tochigi Kura Town by Boat & on Foot
A private nine-hour tour of Tochigi City’s storehouse district, with the river boat and a museum in a converted kura.
Guided tour from US$127 Nishibori Sake Brewery Tour and Tasting (Oyama)
Tour a family brewery with its fifth-generation owner and taste limited-production sake.
Private tour from US$500 per group From Tokyo: All-You-Can-Eat Strawberry Picking & Farm Day
Thirty minutes of unlimited strawberries in a greenhouse, a farm lunch and a countryside stop, by private vehicle.
Combine Tochigi City with
Sano
Outlet shopping, a famous bowl of ramen and a temple for warding off bad luck — an easy day trip 70 km from Tokyo.
Ashikaga
World-famous wisteria and winter illuminations at Ashikaga Flower Park, plus Japan’s oldest school and a moated samurai temple.
Utsunomiya
Japan’s gyoza capital, with a vast underground stone quarry, a new tram line and a reputation for cocktails and jazz.
See Tochigi City the easy way
See live prices and availability for Tochigi City tours, tickets and day trips from Tokyo on GetYourGuide.