One-Day "Citizen Passport" Brings Historic, Edo-Era Tochigi City to Life

TOCHIGI CITY, Japan & NEW YORK - March 22, 2018 - PRLog -- Tochigi Caity, just a 70-minute Tobu Railway ride north of Tokyo's Tobu Asakusa Station (in the historic Shitamachi neighborhood), offers a One-Day Citizen Passport that provides discounts and other benefits at Tochigi City area activities, attractions, shops, restaurants, and transportation services.

Tochigi City was one of the most prominent commercial centers during the Edo period, prospering in maritime trade with Edo via the Uzuma River. Today, it is often called "Little Edo," meaning "Little Old Tokyo," because of its well preserved kura (storehouse) and machiya (merchant) -style wooden buildings, old Japanese townscape, and "back-in-time" maritime transport.  It's worth a visit as a place to immerse and unwind amid the ambience of simpler, bye-gone days.

Online, a Sightseeing Guide showcases the major attractions, restaurants, souvenir shops, and rest stops. On the spot, there is a free One-Day Citizen Passport (ODCP) that can be obtained at the Tochigi Station Tourist Information Center, to the right at Tochigi Station, just passed the train ticket barrier. To use ODCP, show it to any of the 40 supporting facilities, and take advantage of these 3 Special Favors:

1. Kuranomachi Pleasure Boat: *A free "souvenir" photo at the Lounge – Dress in traditional Japanese attire and take a commemorative photograph taken (delivered on the spot, one photo per group). *Ride the boat along the Uzuma River at a ¥100 discount *In April and May, during the annual Uzuma Carp Streamer Festival -- when over 1,150 carp streamers caress the city skyline and waft in the springtime breeze, the ODCP discount is still valid!
2. Yokoyama Local Culture Hall: Free admission – See a replica Edo period wholesale store and bank; stroll the Japanese garden; play with period children's toys.
3. Koedo Ichiba: Free coffee (one cup per person) at this shop selling attractive souvenirs and specialty foods.

Get Your Passport Stamped! Participating facilities will stamp your passport. Collect at least four stamps in your ODCP, and receive a special gift of a memorial card and Japanese hand towel or postcard from the Tochigi City Tourist Association office.

Museum Combination Ticket: Four participating museums – Okada Memorial Hall, Tsukada Memorial Hall, Adachi Antiquarian Museum, and Tochigi Doll Float Museum -- offer a combination ticket with the ODCP that can be purchased at anyone of them, reducing the total entrance cost from ¥2,400 to ¥1,500.

Getting Around: The ODCP also includes a walking tour map with suggested tour courses, according to the amount of time you have for your visit. The map highlights how long it takes to walk from one site location to the next and the suggested spend time at each site.  To speed things up, there are also walking alternatives discounted with the ODCP:

1. Cycle Park rents bicycles for ¥400 per day -- reduced from ¥500 without ODCP.
2. Fureai sightseeing bus runs a city loop for ¥100 – reduced from ¥200 without ODCP.
3. Tochigi Godo Taxi service, offers a 120-minute sightseeing tour for ¥6,000 yen (pick-up next to Tochigi Station). For those who are traveling with luggage, Tochigi Godo Taxi also offers baggage check for ¥300 per day.

Those planning a trip to Tochigi City in advance, with at least two or more people, can also book a volunteer guide from 9 am to 5 pm. Fill out the application form and email it to t-kankou@cc9.ne.jp no less than one week prior to date of visit. Each traveler's guided program can be customized to include a particular site visit or experience, such as: sweet-making at a historic confectionary, a fun town walk in an authentic Japanese kimono, origami paper folding, or even a dip at a traditional Japanese public bath (experience fees vary).  See the application for further details.

The local people of Tochigi City are honored to have you visit their hometown and will welcome you as their personal guests. Explore Tochigi City with the One-Day Citizen Passport as if you truly are a one-day citizen!

For more information on Tochigi City check out this video.

Tochigi City is just one of numerous sightseeing locales accessible via Tobu Railways. To explore more destinations via Tobu Railways, visit at TOBU JAPAN TRIP: http://www.tobujapantrip.com/en/.  For media materials and images contact us or visit: https://www.mynewsdesk.com/tobu-railway

About Tobu Railway Co. LTD
The TOBU Railway Group is a major Japanese corporate conglomerate consisting of approximately 90 companies. Tobu Railways cover the longest operating distance in the Kanto region, leading to numerous tourist attractions, including: Asakusa and TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN in Tokyo; Nikko and Kinugawa Onsen, famous for world heritage sites and natural hot springs; the Tatebayashi and Ashikaga areas, known for their beautiful blooming flower fields; and Tochigi City and Kawagoe, where the atmosphere of the Edo era lives on.