Bring these home! A selection of 10 local souvenirs from Tochigi Prefecture

Tochigi Prefecture is home to the Kinugawa Onsen hot springs town and the World Heritage-listed Shrines and Temples of Nikko. Renowned for its production of strawberries, Tochigi also boasts many exclusive souvenir items. The DiGJAPAN! editorial department has carefully selected a range of local souvenirs from Tochigi, which we are proud to present here. Many of these products keep for a long time, so grab some souvenirs of your Japanese trip and perhaps even something to reward yourself!

Don't miss them! Highest production volume in Japan! Strawberries from Tochigi

Many sweets and souvenirs make full use of the characteristics and flavor of the strawberry varieties in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan's largest producer of strawberries. Enjoy the taste of strawberries unique to Tochigi.

■ Homemade on a strawberry farm – try Sky Berry Dorayaki!

Whole sky berries—a deluxe variety of strawberry—folded inside a fluffy soft pink dorayaki pancake. These sell as fast as they’re put out!
Large, sweet sky berries are sandwiched together with plenty of sweet bean paste and cream, so you can enjoy both the sweetness and texture of strawberries. This is an unbaked sweet, so enjoy it on the day of purchase.

Price: 320 yen per piece
Manufacturer: Itigo no Sato
Place of sale: Ichigo no Sato Yumoto Farm main store, Ichigo no Sato JR Utsunomiya store

■ Koisuru Ichigo(strawberries)

Freeze-dried Tochigi strawberries covered with white chocolate. Uses the popular Tochiotome variety of Japanese strawberry, first created in Tochigi. Each strawberry retains its original shape for an inviting cross-section, while the delicious white chocolate and moderate acidity of fresh strawberries combine for a flavor sensation.

Price: 1,200 yen (10 pieces), 600 yen (5 pieces)
Manufacturer: Seifu Co., Ltd.
Place of sale: Roadside stations in Tochigi Prefecture, Moka City Tourist Information Center, etc. Also sold in some areas outside Tochigi Prefecture.

■KitKat Mini Tochiotome（strawberries)）

From Kit-Kat's Local Souvenir Series, this limited-release Kit-Kat for Tochigi Prefecture uses an abundance of Tochiotome strawberries. Open the wrapper and breathe in the sweet fragrance of strawberries. The pink color is also very appealing, making this a great little souvenir to pass around.

Price: 864 yen (12 pieces)
Manufacturer: Nestle Japan Co., Ltd.
Place of sale: Souvenir stores in Tochigi Prefecture, stores inside railway stations, etc. Also sold in some areas outside Tochigi Prefecture.

Unique to Tochigi Prefecture! Try these Tochigi souvenirs at least once

■ Kanto Tochigi Lemon Milk

You can see this cute package everywhere in Tochigi Prefecture. The traditional milk drink known as Lemon Milk has been a Tochigi favorite for a long time. The lemon fragrance is light, sweet, and delicious! It’s affordable too, at about 100 yen. It makes a great little souvenir, naturally, but you’ll probably be drinking it while you’re in Tochigi Prefecture too, in places such as Nikko.

Price: Varies by store
Manufacturer: Tochigi Milk Corporation
Place of sale: Souvenir stores in Tochigi Prefecture, stores inside railway stations, convenience stores, etc. Also sold in some areas outside Tochigi Prefecture.

■ Three Monkeys Ningyo-yaki

A snack inspired by the famous "See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil" three monkeys sculptures at Toshogu Shrine in Nikko. These cute little monkeys are plump and full of sweet bean paste inside delicious baked dough. Although you'll need to eat them within 3 days or so, this taste can only be enjoyed at Nikko, so get some to remember your trip! There are also other shapes associated with Nikko, such as sleeping cats.

Nikko Toshogu shrine Three Monkeys Ningyo-yaki

Price: 130 yen per piece
Manufacturer / Sales location: Nikko Ningyo Yaki Mishima-ya

■ Goyotei Cheesecake

Tochigi's No. 1 classic souvenir, the Goyotei Cheese Cake is available at the popular Nasu Kogen restaurant Cheese Garden. This tasty gem is made with several varieties of blended cream cheese. Baked toasty brown with a fluffy, moist texture—a single bite will captivate. Keeps well at room temperature too, so it’s handy to take home.

Price: 1,280 yen
Manufacturer: Kuraya Cheese Garden
Place of sale: Nasu Kogen Cheese Garden main store, some souvenir stores in Tochigi Prefecture. Also sold in some areas outside Tochigi Prefecture.

Japanese sake, beer, and wine from Tochigi

Tochigi Prefecture is blessed with natural areas such as the Nasu Kogen Highlands, and is also known for its pure water. There are also many delicious varieties of Japanese sake made with this pure water. Tochigi is home to breweries and wineries, and there is an endless stream of popular brands earning strong support from locals as well as overseas fans. Small bottles are light and easily transported, so why not take a couple of varieties home to compare?

Price & Manufacturer: Varies by product
Place of sale: Souvenir stores, stores inside railway stations, and liquor stores in Tochigi Prefecture. Also sold in some areas outside Tochigi Prefecture.
*Varies by product

Local Tochigi gourmet items you can take home

■ Sano raw ramen

Sano ramen, with its clear soup stock, is a classic local ramen style representing Tochigi Prefecture, characterized by flat noodles made using bamboo poles. So why not reproduce this unforgettable fresh ramen taste as a souvenir? Easy and quick to cook, but makes delicious curly noodles that are chewy with exceptional bite! Accompanied perfectly by a light soy sauce-based soup—so please try it.

Price: 700 yen (4 meals)
Manufacturer: Shiroyama Seimen Limited
Sales location: Roadside stations in Tochigi prefecture, Sano City Tourist Information Center, etc. Also sold in some areas outside Tochigi Prefecture.

■ Utsunomiya gyoza-flavored potato chips

These potato chips are found in Utsunomiya, the region that consumes the most gyoza dumplings in Japan. At 4 bags per large box, these are just the right size to pass around as little souvenirs. With sweet extracts of vegetable such as cabbage and Chinese cabbage, these perfectly reproduce the savory taste of gyoza dumplings. Moderately seasoned, these thinly sliced chips are crisp and light! Highly recommended!

Price: 540 yen (4 bags)
Manufacturer: Calbee Corporation
Place of sale: Kirasse Utsunomiya gyoza main store, Paseo store (JR Utsunomiya station, 2nd floor), souvenir stores in Tochigi Prefecture, shops inside railway stations etc.

■ Cute Utsunomiya gyoza dumpling goods

Utsunomiya gyoza dumplings are not only delicious—they’re also cute! There are many unique goods here bearing gyoza dumpling designs such as masking tape, paper clips, and so on. The gyoza dumpling pouch (500 yen) pictured is currently setting Instagram and other social media on fire! Give them to your gyoza-loving friends—they’ll surely be delighted. Aside from these, we also recommend gyoza sauce and chili oil to make even more delicious gyoza dumplings at home!

Price & distributor: Varies by product.
Place of sale: Kirasse Utsunomiya gyoza store, Paseo store (JR Utsunomiya station, 2nd floor), etc.

Products from Tochigi Prefecture also available at Tokyo Skytree

Don’t worry if you forget to buy souvenirs in Tochigi Prefecture! Just head to the Tochimaru shop in the shopping area inside Tokyo Skytree. It stocks about a thousand items from all over Tochigi Prefecture—it’s exciting just to see it! Of course, the Tochimaru shop stocks all the aforementioned items from Tochigi Prefecture, including Tochiotome Kit-Kats, Koisuru Ichigo strawberry candy, Lemon Milk, Sano raw ramen, Japanese sake and beer etc.

Products from Tochigi Prefecture also available at Tokyo Skytree

strawberris made sweets

There’s also an Eat-in Corner set up for shoppers in the store. Enjoy a lunch menu and cafe menu focusing mainly on light meals using ingredients produced in Tochigi, as well as local sake tasting sets, etc. Our top recommendation is the Tochigi Wagyu roast beef rice bowl, shimotsukare & soup set, although it's limited to 7 seats at lunchtime! Of course, the food at Tochimaru is also served on beautiful plates and dishes produced in Tochigi Prefecture, so be sure to try eating there!

Tochigi Wagyu roast beef rice bowl, shimotsukare & soup set with dessert: 2,000 yen

This very popular strawberry milk gelato is also excellent! It contains plenty of strawberry pulp carefully mixed with milky gelato for a rich and delicious taste!

Tochiotome milk gelato: 420 yen (waffle cone 30 yen extra)

Information

Tochigi Prefecture regional antenna store: The Tochimaru Shop
Address: Solamachi East Yard 4F, Tokyo Skytree Town, 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Opening hours: 10:00am – 9:00pm *Eat-in corner 10:30 am – 7:00pm (last orders), lunch time 11:00am – 3:00pm
Days closed: Open every day
Website: http://www.tochimaru-shop.com/

How did you like the Tochigi Prefecture souvenir information presented here? Strawberries, ramen, Nikko Toshogu Shrine Three Monkey Ningyo Yaki, and more—it’s a great collection of souvenirs for your Japanese trip! We also recommend you reward yourself with a souvenir or two, of course.
And since you can get to Tochigi from Tokyo as a day trip, it's easy to travel there for a great-tasting souvenir shopping trip!

*Products are current at time of survey. Availability may change seasonally.
*All prices are displayed including tax.
*The articles above are based on survey information current at January 24, 2018.

Click here for more information on the gourmets items you must try in Tochigi!
⇒ A Vast Selection of Must-Try Tochigi Gourmet Food! - Visit Tochigi site (external link)