Nakagawa Town

Index

Highlights of Nakagawa Town

Nakagawa Town, is a beautiful riverside town in Tochigi Prefecture north of Tokyo, offering enchanting countryside experiences to visitors.

Visitors can uncover Nakagawa’s cultural treasures by exploring a local pottery craft called Koisago-yaki. They can also visit museums such as Bato Hiroshige for Ukiyo-e, MOB Museum of Alternative-Art, and Ehon no Oka. Nakagawa town is also home to Nakagawa Aquatic Park, enjoyed by families with children, which includes an Amazon Aquarium tunnel.

Foodies can enjoy Ayu fish, Soba noodles, and Kakigori in the summer and sample local sake from the Shiraso Sake Brewery. Accommodation includes Iizuka-tei, a luxurious 200-year-old Japanese house, and Bato Onsen Kyo, which offers a traditional Onsen village experience.

Just a short 2.5-hour journey from Tokyo, the easiest way to visit is by taking a bus from JR Ujiie station (Take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya station and take Utsunomiya line to get to JR Ujiie Station).

A nearby villages like Nasu-Karasuyama and Mashiko are also worth exploring by car.

Come visit to enjoy culture, art, nature, and gastronomy in the Japanese countryside!

Inside shop of MOB museum of alternative-art (Mou Hitotsu no Bijutsukan) in Nakagawa town

Koisago Pottery (Koisago Yaki) coffee cup made in Nakagawa Town

Hiroshige Bato Museum in Nakagawa Town (architecture by Kengo Kuma)

Fishing in Nakagawa river (Nakagawa Town)

Outside of Nakagawa Suiyuen (Nakagawa Aquatic Park)

Ayu fish cooking on a stick in Nakagawa Town

Access

From Tokyo

From Airports

Haneda Intl. Airport

Narita Intl. Airport

Ibaraki Airport

Main Stations

Videos of Nakagawa Town

Food tour of Nakagawa Town

The story of Iizukatei Hotel

Things to DO in Nakagawa Town

Outside of Shiraso Shuzo (Shiraso Sake Brewery) in Nakagawa Town

Countryside Activities

Nakagawa is a countryside full with small activities meaning there is good chance you will meet a lot of friendly local people. You can visit farms (ask at tourist office), a sake brewery (Shiraso Sake Brewery / 白相酒造), pottery studios, hot springs, as well as experience Soba making, and admiring ukiyo-e art.

Pottery (Koisago-yaki)

Koisago Pottery (小砂焼/ Koisago-yaki) in Nakagawa Town has a long history. In the Edo period, the shogun in Mito developed pottery industry in this area. There are still studios such as Fujita Ceramics Center (藤田製陶所) that use local clay and are happy to show visitors around.

Visit Museums

Nakagawa town is know for 3 museums. The first is Bato Hiroshige Museum (馬頭広重美術館) which has a vast collection of Ukiyo-e paintings by Utagawa Hiroshige. Second is MOB museum of alternative-art　(もうひとつの美術館) which is a renovated old school and holds artwork by handicap artists. The third is Ehon no Oka Museum (いわむらかずお絵本の丘美術館) dedicated to Kazuo Iwamura, a picture book artists.

Aquarium

Explore rare freshwater fish, experience hands-on experiences, and captivating events at Nakagawa Aquatic Park (なかがわ水遊園). Dive into the Amazon Aquarium's tunnel and learn about the fish from the nearby Nakagawa River.

EATING in Nakagawa Town

Japanese Food

The main dish in Nakagawa is Ayu fish (sweetfish/鮎) and Soba noodles as well as Kakigori (Shaved Ice with toppings/かき氷) to enjoy in the summer. Also make sure to try the local sake from Shiraso Sake Brewery.

Western Food

There are a few western restaurants in Nakatgawa Town which specializes in Italian food, Omlet on rice, and hand-made ice cream.

Ayu fish

Ayu fish (鮎), also called sweetfish is Nakagawa Town speciality. The area around Nakagawa Town catches more wild caught Ayu than anywhere else in Japan.

Places to STAY in Nakagawa Town

Hotels (Western style)

There are not many western style hotels in Nakagawa Town except for Iizuka-tei a 200 year old Japanese house which was renovated into a luxurious hotel. It was selected as one of the ‘Sustainable Travel Experiences in JAPAN’ by JNTO and is popular with overseas guests.

Japanese style

In Nakagawa Town there is a cosy Onsen village called Bato Onsen Kyo (馬頭温泉郷) where a few Japanese Ryokans (traditional inns) with onsen (Hot spring) can be found.

Camping

Nakagawa Town has several Camping Sites with cottages, bungalows and tent spaces to hire.

Iizukatei Hotel

Discover Japan at Iizukatei, a 200-year-old cultural heritage property turned hotel. Enjoy the beautiful architecture and spacious rooms. Rooms are well-equipped with ample amenities, a full bathtub, and cooking facilities. Meet locals, savor seasonal dishes, and relax in the Japanese countryside.