Shimotsuke, Tochigi

Shimotsuke 下野市
City
Shimotsuke City Hall Shimotsuke City Hall
Flag of Shimotsuke Flag Official seal of Shimotsuke Seal
Location of Shimotsuke in Tochigi Prefecture Location of Shimotsuke in Tochigi Prefecture
Shimotsuke
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tochigi Prefecture
Area
• Total	74.59 km2 (28.80 sq mi)
Population (May 2015)
• Total	59,635
• Density	800/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree	Zelkova serrata
- Flower	Calabash
- Bird	Japanese bush warbler
Phone number	0285-40-5551
Address	1127 Koganei, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi-ken 329-0492
Website	Official website

Shimotsuke (下野市, Shimotsuke-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. As of May 2015, the city had an estimated population of 59635 and a population density of 800 persons per km². Its total area was 74.59  km².

Geography

Shomotsuke is located in southeastern Tochigi Prefecture.

Surrounding municipalities

• Tochigi Prefecture
  • Utsunomiya
  • Oyama
  • Tochigi
  • Mooka
  • Mibu
  • Kaminokawa

History

The modern city of Shimotsuke was established on January 10, 2006, from the merger of the towns of Minamikawachi (from Kawachi District), and the towns of Kokubunji and Ishibashi (both from Shimotsuga District).

Economy

Agriculture and light manufacturing are mainstays of the local economy, with production of Kanpyō, turmeric and spinach being prominent local crops. The city is increasingly a bedroom community for neighboring Utsunomiya.

Education

• Jichi Medical University
• Shimotsuke also has twelve primary schools, four middle schools and one high school.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Tōhoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line)
  • Koganei - Jichiidai - Ishibashi

Highway

• Japan National Route 4
• Japan National Route 352

Local attractions

• site of Shimotsuke kokubun-ji
• Shimotsuke Yakushi-ji temple and grave of Dōkyō

International relations

• – Dietzhölztal, Hesse, Germany – Friendship city

Noted people from Shimotsuke

• Eiji Ochiai – professional baseball player

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (Japanese)