Local Travel Guide for meeting locals in Tochigi city
by Nick Harrison
About this Travel Guide of Tochigi City
This is a travel guide for meeting locals in Tochigi City. I put together this travel guide to help you find the local hang out spots for adults in Tochigi city. It is a guide aimed at someone looking to meet with the locals or experience how the locals like to enjoy themselves.
Who is this travel guide for?
This travel guide is aimed towards adults looking to hang out like the locals.
Total budget?
¥5,000 – ¥7,000 per person
01
Enjoy when
where everyone knows your name!
Entenka
This bar/restaurant is the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night. The staff are extremely friendly and the layout of the bar makes it easy to interact with the locals. I recommend arriving around 8 pm as by about 9 pm its usually packed. This is by far your best bet at meeting the locals in Tochigi city.
02
Enjoy when
Sing the night away
Karaoke-Kan
Right next to Entenka is the best karaoke place in Tochigi city. It’s common to drink with people at Entenka and move the party onto karaoke. At karaoke, you usually pay by the hour or for a set amount of time. Also, the machines have English so you won’t have trouble finding your favourite songs. Karaoke is a huge part of the culture here, so it would be a sin not to sing!
02
Enjoy when
03
Enjoy when
Games galore
Round 1
Another fun place to hang out is Round 1. It’s an amusement entertainment facility with bowling, darts, pool tables, arcade games and even table tennis and karaoke! It’s not so busy during the day, but at night you can see lots of groups of people coming to unwind after a long days work looking to have some fun. You can spend hours here and easily interact with the locals.
04
Enjoy when
Let the good times flow...with beer!
Genki Cafe
The other hotspot for drinking in Tochigi is Genki cafe! It’s a sports bar with a larger than life owner! The owner is always present and is known as Mak! He speaks perfect English and is by far your best chance of learning about local things to do that are fitted to your needs. Every foreigner in Tochigi has become great friends with Mak and his staff, and once you meet him, you will feel the same. He has a giant projection screen and is the hub for watching the Olympics or World Cups.
04
Enjoy when
My favourite places to eat in Tochigi
Marco Polo
This is a fantastic steak restaurant in Tochigi City. It’s only a short walk from the station. If you have something to celebrate, then this is the restaurant many locals do it at. Your food is prepared in front of you and cooked to your tastes. It is fairly large, so don’t worry too much about getting a table. During the afternoon, the prices are more reasonable and quieter. It’s a perfect spot for a romantic dinner. Location: Google Maps
Pancake Factory
Although Pancake Factory is not local (It’s about an hour’s drive away), I can not express how much I love this place! Coming from England, I have never really had American-style pancakes, but they always looked so good in the movies. Here I fulfilled that fantasy! Perfect pancakes with an array of savoury meals. It has a chilled out vibe and is family-friendly. My wife and I love this place so much we even held our wedding after-party here.
Location: Google Maps
Itinerary (My other ideas for a day trip in Tochigi city)
Morning
- Take a boat ride along Uzuma River
- Visit Yokoyama Folk Museum
- Okada Memorial Museum
Afternoon
- Hike or cycle up Ohira mountain
- Daishi Kaikan floats museum
- Ohira adventure
Evening
- Karaoke Kan
- Ohira mountain
- Round 1 amusements
Lunch
- Kuran no machi dining
- cafe bazaar
- Daido ramen
Dinner
- HIGH TIMES
- Howdy`s Cafe
- Marco Pollo
Stay
- La Porte
- Kanahan Ryokan
- Tochigi Grand Hotel
Find out more about Tochigi Ciy here!
Local writer: Nick Harrison
Originally from London in the UK, Nick moved to Japan in 2008. He lives in Tochigi city with his Japanese wife and 4year old son. Nick enjoys watching movies from all genres, checking out new attractions and places with his family and meeting new people. When he is not working he enjoys travelling around Japan and looking for the next fun thing to share about Japan with the world.
See all of Nick’s guides: Nick Harrison Travel Guides