Utsunomiya

“City of Gyoza,” “City of Cocktail,” “City of Jazz”…Utsunomiya has many facets, and has been known as a producer of “Oya-ishi,” or Oya stone, all over Japan since the Edo Period. St. John Church in the city, for example, is a building made by Oya-ishi. At Oya History Museum you can visit the huge underground stope site. The 30-meter depth and 20,000-square-meter huge underground space is used for a variety of events including concerts, plays, and fashion shows. There are many historic shrines and temples in the city, too. Oya-ji temple, among them, provides a unique appearance where the buildings are built as if they were enveloped by a cave, and the ten Buddha figures carved on a rock face are designated as National Important Cultural Properties.