Tochigi-Ji-Guide in English
Nakagawa Area
symphony of water and greenery
This area extends along the Nakagawa River, known as the storehouse of sweetfish. The pastoral landscapes, the Yamizo mountain range and the Nasu mountain ranges seen in the distance enhance the scenic beauties of this area. Visitors can also appreciate valuable historic resources here, including traditional craftwork and festivals developed through the long history of the local area.
Sightseeing spot navigation
Yamaage Festival
This festival with a history of 450 years is the greatest outdoor performance in scale in Japan, held annually for three days from Friday through Sunday, with the fourth Saturday of July in between. A variety of devices are made for the stage background, called “Yama (mountain),” which changes its appearance following cues from the musical director, delighting the eye of the spectators. This type of festival is without parallel in Japan, thus designated by the Japanese Government as a Significant Intangible Folk cultural Asset and by the Tochigi Prefectural Government as an Important Cultural Legacy.
Karasuyama Japanese Paper Center
The Karasuyama handmade Japanese paper is said to have started when the Nasu family invited papermakers from Echizen (the present Fukui Prefecture) to make the paper for the official letters of Nasu Government. Japanese paper is displayed and sold and events for Japanese paper-making experience are held here.
Bato-machi Hiroshige Museum
Works by Hiroshige Utagawa, one of the most famous Japanese Ukiyoe artists, are on display. The collection here includes his original drawings and Japanese prints by artists belonging to the Utagawa school.
Nakagawa Aquarium
This aquarium by the crystal-clear Nakagawa River is unique in Japan in that it focuses on freshwater fish. The main facility is the Omoshiro Gyokan (center for unique fishes), consisting of a section primarily showing fishes inhabiting the Nakagawa River (“Exhibition Zone”) and a section offering a variety of experience-based attractions for people of all ages (“Experience & Exchange Zone”).
Basho Center
Kurobane is famous for its associations with Matsuo Basho, who is believed to have stayed here for the longest period of time he stayed at any one place while writing his book of poems “Okunohosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Far North).” The Basho Center is a central facility of a number of Basho-related spots in this town, displaying various materials on him and the Ozeki family of the Kurobane clan.
Kurobane Castle Park (hydrangea)
The mounds, empty moats and canals of Kurobane Castle, constructed by Takamasu Ozeki in the Age of Civil Wars, are preserved here. A total of 5,500 hydrangeas are in full bloom in June, attracting many tourists from within and outside of the prefecture.
Trap Fishing
Yana (a bamboo device to catch fish) is set up in many parts of the Nakagawa River, which is one of the clearest rivers in eastern Japan. Many tourists come from summer to autumn to enjoy sweetfish, the most famous specialty from the Nakagawa River.