栃木県
Japanese Prefectures: Kantō - Tochigi
都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan
Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!
Kanji・漢字
関東 かんとう Kanto, region consisting of Tokyo and surrounding prefectures
Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Utsunomiya (宇都宮市)
One of only eight land-locked prefectures in Japan, Tochigi prefecture is famous for gyoza and strawberries. It is also home to Japan's oldest school of higher education, the Ashikaga Gakkō, and is home to the Tōshō-gū shrine, dedicated to the shogun who unified Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu, in the city of Nikkō.
Tochigi lies just north of Tokyo, and is accessible in less than an hour by bullet train. Nasu is the location of one of the imperial family's villas, and hot springs near Nasu and Shiobara mountains are popular resort spots. In the southeast of Tochigi, the town of Mashiko is renowned for its simple but highly prized ceramics.
Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット
World Heritage Site Nikkō Tōshōgū - 世界遺産・日光東照宮
Nikkō is closely associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu, who unified the country after a century of warfare and founded the Tokugawa shogunate. Ieyasu retired and then passed away in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture, and was laid to rest at Kunōzan. In 1617, his remains were moved to Nikkō and he was deified as the protector of the eight Kantō provinces.
Ieyasu’s remains were reinterred at the temple Rinnōji in Nikkō, and his successor Hidetada erected the Tōshōsha in his honor. The third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu had great respect for Ieyasu and ordered the original shrine renovated, having the country’s most skilled artisans create the richly decorated buildings that stand today. The work was completed in 1636, and nine years later the imperial court bestowed the name Tōshōgū on the shrine.
Nikkō Tōshōgū boasts eight buildings designated as national treasures and thirty-four structures selected as important cultural properties. Some of these impressive cultural properties include the 9.2-meter-tall stone torii marking the entrance and the five-storied pagoda nearby, as well as the Yōmeimon, a richly decorated gate with over 500 carvings depicting fables and saints. This magnificent gate holds an ancient superstition, which said that completing it might lead to the collapse of the Tokugawa regime. To avoid this, the builders installed one of the twelve supporting pillars upside down, thus insuring that it remained incomplete.
For more photos and information check out: nippon.com
Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理
Gyoza Dumpling - 餃子
A statue of the goddess Venus wrapped in gyoza skin outside Utsunomiya Station (source)
“Utsunomiya Gyoza” is an important part of the culinary culture of Utsunomiya City. The city has over 300 gyoza restaurants, and queuing in front of your favorite restaurant or visiting multiple restaurants is quite common. The restaurants compete to create unique recipes in order to be recognized as the best gyoza in the city. You can even join gyoza-making classes led by top chefs. There is also a gyoza association called the Utsunomiya Gyozakai that holds an annual festival in the beginning of November.
Tochigi Dialect・Tochigi-ben・栃木弁
「とうと登ってたっけ、こわいから座ってもいいけ？」
touto nobottetakke, kowai kara suwatte mo iike?
Standard Japanese: 「ずっと登ってたし、疲れたから座ってもいい？」
(zutto nobottetashi, tsukareta kara suwatte mo ii?)
English: "I've been climbing for a while now, and I'm tired, so can I sit down?"
A: 「こんなもんで、いがっぺ？」
(konna mon de, igappe?)
B: 「いかんべ。」
(ikanbe)
Standard Japanese:
A: 「こんなもんで、いいでしょう？」
(konna mon de, ii deshou?)
B: 「いいですよ。」
(ii desu yo)
English:
A: "Is it okay if I do it like this?"
B: "Yes, that's fine."
いじやける ijiyakeru irritated
「あの店員の態度、すげ～いじやける！」
(ano tenin no taido, suge～ijiyakeru!)
Standard Japanese: 「あの店員の態度、凄くイライラする！」
(ano tenin no taido, sugoku iraira suru!)
English: "That store clerk's attitude, is so irritating!"
A: 「だいじ？」 (daiji?)
B: 「だいじだいじ！」 (daiji daiji!)
Standard Japanese:
A: 「大丈夫？」 (daijyoubu?)
B: 「大丈夫、大丈夫！」 (daijyoubu, daijyoubu!)
English:
A: "Is it ok?"
B: "No problem, no problem!"
あかなす akanasu tomato (lit. red eggplant)
Standard Japanese: トマト (tomato)
English: tomato
