Utsunomiya City has the prefecture office of Tochigi Prefecture, north of the Kanto Plains.  It was founded by Toyokiirhiko-no-mikoto (豊城入彦命) who desired to "pacify" the Ezochi (蝦夷地; lit. the land of barbarians), or now called the Tohoku District.  The name "Utsunomiya" (宇都宮) is derived from the fact that Soen Fujiwara (藤原宗円, 1043-1112), a powerful politician in the late Heian Period, settled in this land and change his family name to "Utsunomiya" which was the title of Nikko-jinjya or the present Futarasan-jinjya Shrine.  Since then the 22 generations of Utsunomiya clan ruled this area over 500 years.  During the Edo Period Utsunomiya Town prospered as the shrine town of Tosho-gu Shrine, as the major post town of the Oshu-kaido Road (奥州街道) and as the bourg of many clans (finally of the Toda clan).  Utsunomiya Town was called "Little Edo" (小江戸) during the Edo Period.  It became the city in April 1896.  The present city which has been developing as an industrial city called "Utsunomiya Technopolis," covers 312.16 sq km and has the population of 459,210 (September 1, 2006).  Now it is also famous for varieties of "Gyoza" (餃子), originally from the Chinese dish "Chiaotzu."

IMAGE	IMAGE NO.	DATA
Miyanohashi		Miyanohashi (宮の橋) is located west of JR Utsunomiya Station.
	utm2007-001	(Sunday 28 January) JR Utsunomiya Station viewed from Miyanohashi Bridge
	utm2007-002	(Sunday 28 January) Miyanohashi Bridge
	utm2007-003	(Sunday 28 January) The Tagawa River (田川) viewed from Miyanohashi Bridge
Gyoza		Recently Utsunomiya is very famous for "gyoza" (餃子), originally from the Chinese dish "chiaotzu."  Utsnomiya Gyoza was diffused by repatriates from Manchuria (Northern China).  It started from one Gyoza stall (屋台) in 1953.
	utm2007-004	(Sunday 28 January) Statue of Gyoza (餃子像) made of the local Oya Stone in front of the east entrance of JR Utsunomiya Station
	utm2007-006	(Sunday 28 January) Umai-ya (宇味家), a Gyoza restaurant in Ekimae-dori Street
	utm2007-007	(Sunday 28 January) "Stamina Kenta" (スタミナ健太), a Gyoza restaurant off Ekimae-dori Street
	utm2007-008	(Sunday 28 January) Utsunomiya Minmin (宇都宮みんみん), the most popular Gyoza retaurant of Utsunomiya: "Gempo Miyajima-cho Honten" (4-2-3 Baba-dori).  "Minmin" first opened here in July 1958.  The founder learned the Chinese "Chiaotzu" in Beijing.  There are 10 branches in Utsunomiya.
	utm2007-009	(Sunday 28 January) Utsunomiya Minmin, "Gempo Miyajima-cho Honten" (4-2-3 Baba-dori)
	utm2007-010	(Sunday 28 January) Utsunomiya Minmin, "Gempo Miyajima-cho Honten" (4-2-3 Baba-dori)
	utm2007-011	(Sunday 28 January) Utsunomiya Minmin, "Gempo Miyajima-cho Honten" (4-2-3 Baba-dori).  This is my dinner!  It costs 320 yen!  However, I am still waiting "Sui-Gyoza" (水餃子; Gyoza soup).
	utm2007-013	(Sunday 28 January) Utsunomiya Minmin, "Gempo Miyajima-cho Honten" (4-2-3 Baba-dori).  This is the whole of my dinner!  It costs 540 yen in all!

        

Copyright (c) 2007 Eishiro Ito.  All rights reserved.