UTSUNOMIYA CITY宇都宮市
KANUMA CITY鹿沼市
SAKURA CITYさくら市
NAKAGAWA TOWN那珂川町
TAKANEZAWA TOWN高根沢町
KAMINOKAWA TOWN上三川町
NASUKARASUYAMA CITY那須烏山市
NASUSHIOBARA CITY那須塩原市
NASU TOWN那須町
SHIOAYA TOWN塩谷町
YAITA CITY矢板市
OTAWARA CITY大田原市
NIKKO CITY日光市
ASHIKAGA CITY足利市
SANO CITY佐野市
TOCHIGI CITY栃木市
MIBU TOWN壬生町
OYAMA CITY小山市
NOGI TOWN野木町
SHIMOTSUKE CITY下野市
HAGA TOWN芳賀町
ICHIKAI TOWN市貝町
MOOKA CITY真岡市
MASHIKO TOWN益子町
MOTEGI TOWN茂木町
Located in the south-central part of Tochigi Prefecture, Shimonoya City covers an area of approximately 74.59 square kilometers. It is bordered by Utsunomiya City to the north, Moka City and Kaminokawa Town to the east, Oyama City to the south, and Tochigi City and Mibu Town to the west. The population is about 59,000, with around 25,000 households (as of November 2023). The city lies in the northern part of the Kanto Plain, with the Kinugawa and Tagawa rivers to the east, and the Omigawa and Sugatagawa rivers to the west, forming a broad, flat landscape. The region is known for its stable ground with few natural disasters and has been an area of thriving agriculture since ancient times. The climate is mild, with an average temperature of about 14°C and an annual average rainfall of approximately 1,300 mm. Summers are hot and rainy, winters are cold and dry, and snow is rare, though lightning is relatively common in the area.
Shimonoya City’s history dates back to the Edo period, when the post towns of Kogane-juku and Ishibashi-juku flourished along the Nikkō Highway, one of the Five Routes. In the Meiji period, the railway line was established, stimulating the movement of people and goods and spurring modernization. Prosperity continued, and the city developed as a logistics hub, with the expansion of the national railway system after the Meiji era. In 2006, the three towns of Minamikawachi, Ishibashi, and Kokubunji merged to form Shimonoya City.
Today, Shimonoya City operates under the slogan “A New Cultural City Created with Compassion and Interaction,” and features a balanced combination of industries, including suburban agriculture and manufacturing, as well as vast rural areas. The city center is located around Jichi Medical University Station on the JR Utsunomiya Line, where there are many commercial and administrative facilities. Additionally, the city is characterized by its strong healthcare infrastructure, with several hospitals, including a university hospital, located in the area.
There are also numerous sightseeing spots in Shimonoya City. The Sannouyama Fureai Park is an urban park that makes use of the surrounding flatland forests and ancient burial mounds. It is a relatively new facility, having opened in 2018. The park is popular not only among locals but also tourists, offering an auto-camping site, dog park, and playground equipment on its vast grounds. The Shimotsuke Yakushiji History Museum is built on the site of Shimotsuke Yakushiji, a temple founded during the Nara period. It is one of Japan’s three major Yakushiji temples. The museum features excavated artifacts, models, and historical documents, making it a spot where visitors can experience the rich history of the area.
Shimonoya City has three stations on the JR Utsunomiya Line, including the Tohoku Main Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line, and Ueno-Tokyo Line: Koganei Station, Jichi Medical University Station, and Ishibashi Station. It takes less than 20 minutes to reach Utsunomiya Station.
The main roads passing through Shimonoya City include National Route 4 and New Route 4, which connect Oyama City in the south to Utsunomiya City in the north, and National Route 352, which runs from Kaminokawa Town in the east through Mibu Town to Kanuma City in the west. There is no highway access within Shimonoya City. Public buses within Shimonoya City are operated by Kanto Bus. Additionally, the community bus, O-Bus, is available to circulate around major facilities in the city. Furthermore, the Demand Bus Odekake-go provides a new transportation option in the city, allowing users to share rides with others, operating like a taxi service to and from homes and public facilities.
You can also access the city center by train. There is almost no traffic congestion and the roads are well maintained.
The trains and buses are infrequent, which can be inconvenient. You cannot access the highway from the city.
According to information from a real estate information website, the average rent in the city for a newly built apartment within a 10-minute walk from the station is about 64,000 yen for a 1DK and 75,000 yen for a 2K. The average land price per tsubo is about 170,000 yen per tsubo. Shimotsuke City is home to not only urban apartment complexes and apartments, but also many detached houses and residential areas. Spacious residential areas are particularly prevalent in the suburbs, where it is relatively easy to find a home for a family.
Shimotsuke City is rich in nature and has a comfortable living environment, making it a popular residential area with a relatively calm atmosphere.
Although the area is rich in nature, it is adjacent to a river and is therefore at risk of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. Appropriate measures and information gathering are required.
Shimonoya City has 10 daycare centers, 7 kindergartens, 8 elementary schools, 4 junior high schools, 1 high school, and 2 universities. The Child Medical Expense Subsidy Program covers all medical costs for children up to the age of 18 (until March 31 after their 18th birthday), including both outpatient and inpatient care. As a child allowance, 15,000 yen is provided for children under the age of 3, 10,000 yen for the first and second children aged 3 until elementary school entry, 15,000 yen for the third child onward, and 10,000 yen for junior high school students.
Shimonoya City also offers its own support programs. Through the Childbirth and Childcare Support Payment, an economic support grant of 50,000 yen is provided per pregnant woman after a consultation following the pregnancy registration, and an additional 50,000 yen is given per child after the birth registration or during a home visit. The Parent Refreshment Voucher offers 36 hours of vouchers for parents of infants (3 months to under 3 years) to use childcare facilities for temporary care when they need time to refresh, attend events, or go to medical appointments. To support outings for families with preschool children, the Demand Transportation Voucher issues 10 vouchers per year per household for use with the “Demand Bus Odekake-go.” The Shimozuke Kids Support Project provides diaper vouchers worth 20,000 yen (2,000 yen x 10 vouchers).
There are many obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics clinics, and the medical care is excellent. The city is proactive in providing support to families with children.
Depending on the region, educational institutions can be far away and time-consuming and expensive to get to.
While there are few large shopping malls in Shimonoya City, small to medium-sized supermarkets, multi-purpose facilities, and roadside stations are concentrated along national highways and near JR stations. Additionally, the city offers convenient access to large shopping malls in neighboring Utsunomiya City and Oyama City, making shopping even more accessible if you have a vehicle or other means of transportation. Michi-no-Eki Shimotsuke, located along National Route 7, is a popular roadside station marked by a large Daruma doll. It is a relatively new facility, having opened in 2011, and offers a spacious area where visitors can buy fresh local vegetables and specialty products. In addition to a stylish café and bakery, it also features an observation deck and a slide, making it a great spot to enjoy a variety of activities. There are also around six supermarkets in the city, mainly concentrated near key locations.
There are supermarkets and drug stores around the station, so you won’t have any trouble buying daily necessities. You can also get local specialties at roadside stations.
If you want to go to a large shopping mall, you have to go to a nearby city, which can be inconvenient if you don’t have a car.
The average annual income in Shimonoya City is 3.83 million yen. The primary industry in Shimonoya City is agriculture. Taking advantage of the relatively mild climate throughout the year, the city thrives in growing grains, vegetables, and fruits through both open-field and greenhouse cultivation. The city provides various support systems, including information and assistance, for new farming households, encouraging people to start careers in agriculture. Additionally, agricultural job openings are available through Hello Work and job search websites. In recent years, the logistics industry has been growing in the city. Thanks to the city’s convenient transportation network, which includes National Route 4, New Route 4, and the Kita-Kanto Expressway that crosses the northern part of the city, logistics hubs for many companies have been established, taking advantage of its proximity to the Tokyo metropolitan area (about 85 km away). Job opportunities in logistics management, office work, and large truck driving are expected. In addition, the city has several industrial parks, such as the Ishibashi Second Industrial Park, with businesses engaged in processing construction wood, manufacturing electrical machinery, and food processing, offering a steady number of job openings. The city is also known for its strong healthcare sector, with various medical institutions, including the Jichi Medical University Hospital and other university hospitals. It is an area rich in medical resources, with many job opportunities in healthcare, including positions for doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.
Shimotsuke City is a thriving commercial and industrial region with many local small and medium-sized enterprises. There are companies in a variety of industries, including retail, manufacturing, and services, and as a result, there are many job openings.
Commuting to the city centre can take longer and costs can increase.
