Written by Lily Crossley-Baxter
Researched by Aarohi Narain
The city of Utsunomiya in Tochigi prefecture is renowned for its gyoza, the dumpling of Chinese origin that is a fixture of Japanese ramen restaurants.
What happens?
You can find gyoza all over Japan, but Utsunomiya is actually famous for them. At this festival, around 30 local shops set up stalls, each selling plates of their signature dumplings, whether boiled, steamed, fried or deep fried, for a mere ¥200 a plate.
There are also typically live performances and stage events.
How to get there
The venue for the festival is the Utsunomiya Castle Ruins Park.
The easiest way to get there from Tokyo is to take either the bullet train to Utsunomiya Station or the local train on the Utsunomiya Line. The former takes around 50 minutes, while the latter takes around an hour and a half. From Utsunomiya Station, it’s a 25-minute walk to the venue, or a quick bus ride (under 5 minutes).
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
