Top 10 Events in Tochigi Prefecture, Kanto

This event is held at Yunishigawa hot spring in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture every year for a period of about one month starting in late January. Venues are set up in 6 or 7 locations, mainly around Heike no Sato, and in the afternoon, visitors can experience outdoor pastimes unique to snow country, including snow rafting, sleigh rides, and snow slides. Those who prefer to stay indoors can enjoy a barbecue inside houses made of snow called kamakura. When night falls, candles in miniature kamakura along the river are lit up. This magical scene is certified as a "historical and cultural night view heritage" by Nihon Yakei Isan.

Launched in 1903 and held every first Saturday in August, Ashikaga Fireworks is Kitakanto's oldest fireworks festival. It is also the Kantou's largest, packed with 20,000 fireworks and over 400,000 spectators. The fireworks are launched from the flood plains of the Watarase River, and the show features numerous high points, such as wide starmines, simultaneous launches of large-shell fireworks, and joint productions of special trick fireworks. The finale, a special "Niagara Falls" display, is a masterpiece.

The Yamaage Matsuri in Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi features open-air kabuki plays on a stage in the heart of the city. While dozens of kabuki performances are held throughout the town during the festival, the highlights take place on a giant 100 x 20-meter open-air stage constructed especially for each year's festival. The "yama," or "mountain," in the festival's name refers to the mountain-and-water backdrops for the stage, created from Nasukarasuyama's special Japanese-style paper, built (the "age" part of the festival's name) by human hands. The magnificent stagecraft on display makes the Yamaage Matsuri one of Japan's premier festivals.

Held every spring during Golden Week since 1966, this ceramics market takes place in Mashiko, renowned as the home of Japanese earthenware pottery. During the fair, about 50 pottery shops and 500 tents sell traditional Mashiko ware, everyday necessities such as cups and plates, and pure works of art. Shoppers can chat with potters and ceramics artists as they browse. The market attracts pottery collectors from across Japan-and even bus tours from Tokyo.

This fireworks show is held every summer downstream from the Kanko Bridge on the Omoi River-in Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture, a place with deep ties to the Tokugawa Shogunate. About 2,000 fireworks are launched to bloom beautifully in the night sky, including extra-large starmines and flurries of "shakudama"-style fireworks, and a "Niagara Falls"-style cascade display. The launch site is very close to the viewing area, making the combination of sound, light, and water even more impressive and delighting spectators. The day before the festival features an opening carnival with a variety of events.

The Kanuma Buttsuke Autumn Festival is a regular event held by Imamiya Shrine at various locations in the historic district. 23 Extravagant festival cars called chokoku-yatai (engraved floats) are paraded around the streets of Kanuma. On the first day, the chokoku-yatai are marched in and out of Imamiya Shrine, and after the citizen parade on the second day, the festival cars are split into four groups and depart from four different intersections, coming together at one intersection for the yatai soroihiki (gathering and presentation of floats). A highlight of the festival is the recital contest of the buttsuke - the traditional orchestra that announces the floats.

At 2.4 hectares, Shibazakura Park in Ichikai-Machi, Tochigi is Honshu's largest. Every year, in April or May, the shibazakura ("moss phlox" or, more descriptively, "cherry blossom grass") bloom to form a carpet of pink. From a viewing platform in the park, visitors can take in a 360-degree view of the spectacular panorama. To celebrate the event, a month-long Shibazakura Festival is held: restaurants, food vendors, and booth selling local vegetables, mushrooms, and flowers are erected, and on the weekends, a variety of events are staged, including dancing, performances of the Nagoya harp, and popular song shows.

This summer festival is held on a three-day weekend (Sat., Sun., & Mon.) Is late July. The two nights of the festival feature a fireworks show on the Gogyo River, set against young men carrying portable shrines across the river in the stirring Mikoshi no Kawatogyo ritual. About 2,000 starmines and other fireworks are launched one after another to music and a laser light show, bringing the festive atmosphere to a fever pitch. The parades of festival floats and hardcarved wooden floats during the day are also a highlight.

The Utsunomiya Fireworks festival is an annual event that takes place on the second Saturday of August, held at Dojojuku Field. With around 20,000 fireworks launched in the display, the festival is one of the largest in all of Tochigi Prefecture. The spectator area is located very close to the launch zone, enabling spectators to enjoy a dynamic show with fireworks bursting one after another - making the festival popular with visitors from other prefectures as well. The idea behind the festival is to put on a show put together by the people: it is sponsored by a non-profit organization, with a fully volunteer staff.

The Utsunomiya Gyoza Festival is a popular culinary event with stalls run by over 20 gyoza (dumpling) establishments from around the city. The festival began in 1999 to celebrate the gyoza of Utsunomiya with a large number of people, and is held annually on the first Saturday and Sunday of November. A wide variety of gyoza are on offer, including pan-fried, deep-fried, and boiled gyoza. At 100 yen per plate (3 dumplings), a chief attraction of the festival is the opportunity to sample the many options available. Over the two days of this popular event, there will be a variety of activities - including a jazz concert and a talk show - and commemorative stamps will be offered as well.