In Utsunomiya, the city of bicycles where Japan Cup Cycle Road Race is held, I went cycling around gyoza (Chinese dumplings) with a friend who was riding a road bike for the first time.

Miya Cycle Station

Mia Cycle Station was established at the west exit of JR Utsunomiya Station to promote bicycle use as part of Utsunomiya’s efforts to become a “City of Bicycles.” It is available from 7:00 a.m.to 8:00 p.m.

Cross and road bike rentals, bicycle repair space, changing rooms, showers, and restrooms are available.

The price is 510yen for use within 4 hours or 1,030yen for a full day. The prices are friendly to first-time riders.
After learning how to ride, you can start cycling right away.

Crossing Miyanobashi Bridge over the main street in front of the station, we will ride along Tagawa River.

Utsunomiya Joshi (Castle Ruins) Park

1.7km from Miya Cycle Station, Utsunomiya Joshi (Castle Ruins) Park is located near Utsunomiya City Hall.

The history of Utsunomiya Castle is said to date back to the late Heian period.
Most of the buildings were destroyed by fire during Boshin War (1868-1869), and in March 2007, a part of Utsunomiya Castle was restored.
There is also a moat, which adds to the atmosphere.

In the lush green grounds, children were playing and some people were taking a walk.

Aozora Coffee Factory

We stopped by a store where you can taste home-roasted coffee.
We heard that take-out is available, but I decided to have it in the shop.


Coffee beans were lined up as soon as we entered the shop. We could see that they are particular about their coffee.

“Yuzora (evening sky) Blend” is made from five different types of beans.
It is mild, easy to drink, and tasty with a touch of bitterness. There were also “Aozora (blue sky) Blend” and “Hoshizora (starry sky) Blend.”

“Homemade Ice Cream” was delicious with a strong taste of Tochiotome strawberries. It was a taste that made us want to eat it again and again.

Gyoza Specialty Restaurant Masashi

Less than 6km away from Aozora Coffee Factory is the Komanyu branch of Gyoza Specialty Restaurant Masashi.
Masashi was established in 1983. As expected of such a popular restaurant, there were already several groups of customers in front of me. Currently, only fried gyoza and frozen gyoza are available for take-out.

We decided to eat on a bench in a nearby park.


The sweetness of the vegetables was so good that we could eat as many as we wanted. The taste is refreshing with a touch of ginger.

It felt good to eat freshly fried gyoza outside. We finished them in no time.
We headed to the next gyoza restaurant.

Utsunomiya Gyoza Satsuki

Utsunomiya Gyoza Satsuki is located in Tokujira Town, Utsunomiya City, about 10km to the north.
It is located in a peaceful area with a view of mountains nearby. The restaurant looks like an old private house.



The restaurant had a relaxing atmosphere, with both table and tatami mat room seating.

It is a space where you can relax as if you were at home.

We ordered “All-Star Gyoza”, which offers seven kinds of gyoza at once.
Among them, there are also Kimchi Gyoza, Yuzu Gyoza, Tea Beauty Gyoza, and other unique types. We enjoyed each and every one of them, enjoying the change in flavor.
Personally, I enjoyed the yuzu gyoza made with yuzu produced in Utsunomiya, which has a refreshing aroma of yuzu.

There was a “Gachapon” machine of Utsunomiya Gyoza acrylic key chain in the restaurant. We were surprised at the modern system of paying with a QR code.

The one I won was Satsuki’s gyoza.
If you get a key chain of Satsuki’s gyoza, you will get a soft drink service. I recommend this place because it will be a memorial of your visit to Utsunomiya.

Tsuru Gyoza no Taiwan Eight Shoten

The next dumpling shop is “Tsuru Gyoza no Taiwan Eight Shoten”, which just opened in December 2021.



The stylish signage and interior design create the atmosphere of a Taiwanese food stall.
We ordered the original “Tsuru Gyoza”, which is “best before 10 minutes.”

The 3mm thick, soft and fluffy skin was very satisfying, and the meat was very tasty.

The spicy sauce gives the dumplings a nice aftertaste. It would go well with beer. We enjoyed it very much.

On the way to the next sweet shop, we stopped by Tochigi Prefectural Government Office.



This year, National Sports Festival will be held in Tochigi Prefecture, so a monument was set up there.
The latticework of wood seems to represent Nikko mountain range.

Fruit Dining 8010

This long-established shop began as a fruit specialty store in 1898 and has been making original sandwiches using only Tochigi strawberries since it started.
We decided to take a break in the calm atmosphere of the shop.



We enjoyed the sweets in a glass-walled room with a sense of openness.

Tochiotome Strawberry Sandwich is filled with cream, and the moderate sweetness of the cream enhances the taste of the strawberries.

My friend ordered “Tochiotome Strawberry Parfait.” It was a luxurious parfait using plenty of strawberries.
After filling our stomachs and hearts, we went to return our rental bicycles while touring around the city.


There is a promenade along Kamagawa River that runs through the city center, including Orion Street.

There are select shops and other shops in the area, and many people come here to take a walk.
There are pergolas and benches, and it seems to be a spot for relaxation.

Course Introduction

Summary

The 40km cycling around the gyoza restaurants went by very quickly, and the bike lanes in the city made it a safe and comfortable ride.
My friend who rode a road bike for the first time said, “I didn’t think I could ride like this, it was fun, I want to ride again!” She seemed to be satisfied.
There are many more gyoza restaurants in Utsunomiya City, so we will continue to visit them.
I’m sure you can also enjoy cycling around gyoza again and again.