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 northeastern part of Tochigi Prefecture, Yaita City covers an area of approximately 170.46 square kilometers. It borders Nasushiobara City to the north, Otawara City to the east, Sakuracity to the south, and Shioya Town to the west. As of November 2023, the population is about 30,000, with around 13,000 households. The central area features a series of small hills running north to south, while the southern part is flat, at the northern edge of the Kanto Plain. The terrain is surrounded by mountains and forests, with rivers like the Hoiki River and the Miya River flowing from north to south. The average temperature in summer is in the 24°C range, while in winter it drops to around 4°C. Winters are characterized by strong, cold winds, but snowfall is rare. The climate is generally comfortable, with minimal typhoons and flooding.
The origin of the city name is unclear, with theories suggesting it comes from “Yaeta,” meaning “rich rice field,” or “Yakita,” meaning “burnt rice field.” Yaita City’s history dates back to the establishment of “Yaita Village” in 1889, which became “Yaita Town” in 1895. In 1954, it annexed parts of the former Nozaki Village, and in 1955, Yaita Town merged with Izumi Village and Kataoka Village, ultimately becoming “Yaita City” in 1958.
The symbol of Yaita City is “Kōgen-yama.” This mountain spans Yaita City, Nikko City, and Shiobara City and is selected as one of Japan’s 300 famous mountains. It offers seasonal natural experiences such as hiking, snow play, and stargazing. Located around 1,000 meters in elevation in the eastern Nakahara of Kōgen-yama is ‘Happōgahara,’ a popular hiking area with well-maintained trails. Approximately 200,000 rhododendrons bloom in June, painting the landscape a stunning red. One of Yaita City’s specialties is “apples.” In autumn, visitors can enjoy apple picking, and at local roadside stations, they can buy fresh apples or taste apple-based juices and sweets.
Yaita City has one railway line and two stations. The stations are “Kataoka Station” and “Yaita Station,” which are part of the JR Utsunomiya Line (Tohoku Main Line).
The main roads running through Yaita City include National Route 4, which connects Sakuracity to the south and Otawara City to the north, traversing the city. Additionally, National Route 461 connects the city center to the west, leading to Shioya Town and Nikko City. The expressway accessible from Yaita City is the Tohoku Expressway via the Yaita IC. Local buses operating in Yaita City include the Yaita City Municipal Bus and the Nasushiobara City Municipal Bus.
Expressways and national roads are well developed, making it convenient for long-distance travel. The JR Utsunomiya Line can also be used to travel by train, as it can reach downtown Tokyo.
There are relatively few trains and buses, and it takes more than an hour and a half to get to downtown Tokyo, so commuting to work or school is difficult.
According to information on 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 47,000 yen for a 1K and 70,000 yen for a 2K. The average price per tsubo for land is about 70,000 yen per tsubo. There are various types of housing, including detached houses, condominiums, and apartments. Detached houses are the norm in the suburbs, while condominiums and apartments can also be found in the center and areas with good transport links.
The area is rich in nature, with parks and other natural environments surrounding the homes. In addition, the area is well equipped with the facilities and services necessary for daily life, including supermarkets and convenience stores, all conveniently located.
Access to city centers can be inconvenient. Commuting to work or going out can take time, especially if you rely on public transportation.
Yaita City has 8 nursery schools, 4 kindergartens, 8 elementary schools, 4 junior high schools, 3 high schools, and 1 vocational school. The Child Medical Expense Subsidy Program provides full assistance for children under 18 years old (until March 31 of the year they turn 18), applicable for both outpatient and inpatient care. Child allowances are provided as follows: 15,000 yen for children under 3 years, 10,000 yen for the first and second child aged 3 and older until they enter elementary school, 15,000 yen for the third child and beyond, and 10,000 yen for middle school students.
Yaita City also offers various unique support programs. The Yaita Future Child Birth Celebration Grant provides a 30,000 yen celebration grant for the second child and beyond. The Book Start Program (Ehonn Look) gifts a favorite picture book during the 10-month health check for babies. Additionally, during the 2-year-old health check, another picture book is also given through the “Second Book Project.” The Family Support Center is a system where both those needing support in child-rearing and those willing to help become members, assisting each other. This is a convenient system for situations where parents cannot pick up their children from nursery school due to work or illness and allows relatively low-cost support. The Sick Child Care program is a support system for parents who struggle to find care for their sick or recovering children due to work, which can be utilized at local hospitals or nurseries. Yaita City offers a Migration Support Grant program. For households migrating, 1 million yen is provided, and for individuals migrating, 600,000 yen is provided. Additionally, there is a further 1 million yen for each child, making this a great program for families considering moving.
There are plenty of support and facilities for children. There is also ample support for those with children moving here, making it an attractive area for the younger generation.
There are no universities within Yaita City, so commuting to school tends to be expensive.
Although Yaita City does not have large shopping facilities, there are several small and medium-sized stores primarily around Yaita Station and along National Route 461. The Yaita Roadside Station is located a 13-minute walk from JR Tohoku Main Line’s Yaita Station, where you can purchase fresh vegetables and bread, as well as enjoy juice and sweets made from Yaita City’s specialty, apples. Additionally, there are about 4 supermarkets in the city.
There are several shopping facilities along the national highway, so if you have a car you won’t have any trouble shopping.
There are few large stores where you can get everything you need in one place, so if you want to enjoy shopping you will need to visit nearby areas.
Yaita City’s main industry is agriculture, with apple and other fruit cultivation being particularly popular. From the Showa to Heisei eras, large sawmills and electrical appliance manufacturers’ factories were located here, but most of them have now withdrawn. Even now, there are small and medium-sized companies and factories, as well as a distribution center for a major distributor near the Yaita Interchange, so a certain number of job openings can be expected. Yaita City offers various types of support for those who want to start farming, under the title “Support for New Farmers.” It is the perfect city for those who want to start farming, as it introduces consultation services tailored to the content of the request, such as how to find farmland and various subsidies.
The main industries are agriculture, manufacturing, retail, etc. In addition, with good access to neighboring cities, there are also job opportunities in the service industry and construction.
Because it is a relatively small city, the number of job openings is fewer than in neighboring Utsunomiya, Nikko, and Nasu Town.
