Utsunomiya(宇都宮) is the biggest city in Northern Kanto where a half million people live. Historically, it was developed the important city to access Tohoku region (Northern Japan) since Heian Period. Utsunomiya is accessed by the Tohoku Expressway or Utsunomiya Station of the Tohoku Shinkansen line. Utsunomiya is approximately 100 km north of Tokyo. The historic town of Nikko is approximately 35 km west of Utsunomiya. Utsunomiya is accessible from Tokyo by Shinkansen in approximately 60 minutes.

The battle of Utsunomiya Castle took place between May 10-14, 1868, during the Boshin war. The city itself was founded on April 1, 1896. The city added the the towns of Kamikawachi and Kawachi, both from Kawachi District, on March 31, 2007.It is also home to a Canon optical manufacturing plant, a Japan Tobacco plant, Honda design centers, and various other industrial concerns in the Kiyohara Industrial Park.