Sano

Introduction

Sano is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, known for a handful of distinctive attractions: an outlet mall, the Sano Yakuyoke Daishi Temple, and its local variety of ramen, Sano ramen. More recently, the city has gained international recognition as the home of cricket in Japan.

Before you go

Sano is known for three things above all: the Sano Premium Outlet, its ramen noodles, and Sano Yakuyoke Daishi, a temple where people in unlucky or critical ages come to have misfortune exorcised. Plan your days around these, and expect the outlet and the noodle shops to shape how you move through the city.

Before you arrive, note that the local tourist association runs a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate, so you can lean on machine translation for planning. English-language information is otherwise limited, so sorting out your transport and key stops in advance will make your visit smoother.

Getting there

Sano is served by two rail lines that meet at Sano Station in the centre of town. On the JR Ryōmō Line, the trip takes about 16 minutes from Tochigi and about 14 minutes from Ashikaga, making the town an easy stop if you are travelling through the region. The Tōbu Sano Line connects Sano with Tatebayashi in about 16 minutes, and limited express trains on the Ryōmō service run from Asakusa in Tokyo in roughly 85 minutes.

Long-distance buses stop at the bus terminal at Sano Premium Outlets. The JR Highway Bus services "Marronier Shinjuku" and "Marronier Tokyo" reach Shinjuku and the Tokyo JR stations in under 90 minutes, with tickets available at the bus terminals in each JR station. For air travellers, the "Salvia" highway bus and the Chiba Kotsu Bus run directly to and from Narita Airport in about 130 minutes; buy tickets at the Narita Airport transportation counter (ask for Sano, Tochigi prefecture) or at the Sano Bus Terminal. By car, leave the Tōhoku Expressway at the Sano-Fujioka exit and follow National Route 50 west toward Sano and Ashikaga.

Getting around

Sano is compact, and the central JR/Tobu Sano station makes a convenient base for exploring the immediate area on foot. Two rail lines serve the station: the JR Ryōmō Line connects you with Tochigi and Ashikaga, while the Tōbu Sano Line links to Tatebayashi and, via limited express, to Tokyo's Asakusa area. Because both lines use the same station, transferring between them is straightforward.

• From the fountain side of JR/Tobu Sano Station, a city-loop bus takes you around Sano, and a dedicated bus runs between the station and the Premium Outlet Mall.
• The main bus terminal is at Sano Premium Outlets, where long-distance highway buses also arrive and depart.
• Highway buses reach Shinjuku and Tokyo JR Stations in under about 90 minutes, and a direct service runs to Narita Airport.
• Taxis are relatively expensive, so for short hops the local buses or a rental bike are usually the more economical choice.
• A rental bike service sits in front of the station next to the 7-Eleven; unless you speak Japanese, the owners may not be able to help you, so have a translation app or a few basic phrases ready.
• If you are driving, take the Sano-Fujioka exit from the Tōhoku Expressway and follow National Route 50 west toward Sano and Ashikaga.

Much of the area around the station is reachable on foot, but for anything further out, such as the Premium Outlet Mall, plan on the local bus, a taxi or a rental bike rather than walking alone.

Where to stay

Your most convenient base is the area around JR-Tobu Sano station, where several hotels sit within a five-minute walk of the platforms. Staying here puts you close to transport links and makes it easy to reach the rest of the city on foot or by train.

• Sun Route Hotel (also listed as Hotel Sunroute Sano) — about a five-minute walk from Sano Station in the Asahi-chō district.
• Sano Inn — another option in the same station-area cluster.

Food & drink

Sano is a ramen town, and its local style—Sano Ramen—is served at shops on practically every street, with each resident loyal to a favourite. For a bowl close to the action, Nikko Ken sits just by Sano Station on the JR and Tobu lines and serves traditional ramen alongside a halal version. Other halal-friendly options include Kogure Shokudo in Wakamatsu-chō, the restaurant at Hotel Sunroute Sano, Teppan Dining Sun, and Nawab Zada inside Aeon Mall Sano NewCity; Wakaba in Kuwanishi-nishi also offers halal dishes but requires a reservation.

No visit is complete without imofurai, Sano's fried potatoes: small potatoes threaded onto a skewer, dipped in batter and bread crumbs, then deep fried and served with a tangy, sweet sauce that decides the taste. You can pick them up at many grocery stores, and imo-fry shops are scattered all over the city. For drinks, head out of JR-Tobu Sano Station towards the fountain and turn right to reach Trinity Cafe, a popular spot with an Italian fusion theme that also serves hand-made local ramen; the chef speaks English and locals and foreigners mix in the cosy surroundings. Continue straight past the first traffic light to find Ken's Bar, a cosy lounge with local bands and artists playing weekly. More Japanese bars and izakaya lie within walking distance of the station in this main area.

What to see and do

Start with the mountains east and north of the centre. Mt. Mikamo, praised in the poems of the Manyoshu, is where the katakuri—a pink-flowered trout lily—carpets Katakuri-no-Sato from the middle of March into early April. Mt. Karasawa is a natural park of Japanese red pine, with hiking courses that move from azaleas to autumn red leaves, and the remains of a castle from the Warring States Period still visible on the summit. Mt. Hourai, long treated as a holy place, has a pedestrian promenade and is especially fine when the leaves turn.

Closer in, Shiroyama Park sits on a large hill directly north of the JR-Tobu station, reachable by a direct exit; it once held a castle, and near the station entrance you'll find a small information building with restrooms and a room of relics and photographs from the castle's excavation. It is the city's symbol to locals and fills up for sakura and azalea in spring. The Ume Garden shows white- and red-blossomed plum trees alongside sakura and azalea, while Izuruhara Benten Ike Lake, formed by water welling up through limestone, is clear enough to watch carp swimming. Among the temples, Sano Yakuyoke Daishi draws worshippers praying for protection from misfortune, especially at New Year.

• Kuzu Fossil Museum — specimens of fossils, rocks and minerals, mostly from the Kuzu area.
• Yoshizawa Memorial Art Gallery — Japanese painting and pottery from the Edo era.
• Sano City Museum — regional relics including a clay pot warrior figure.
• Strawberry picking at Agritown — Tochiotome strawberries straight from the farms, December to May; reservations are preferable.
• Hikoma Japanese Paper Hall — try making traditional Hikoma paper; reservation required.
• Indigo dyeing — dye your own handkerchief using a method passed down for centuries.
• Yomogiyama Log Village — cottages, a bathhouse, tennis courts and logwood playground equipment for an outdoor day or an overnight stay.
• Sano City Kodomo no Kuni — a children's park built around adventure, creation and discovery.

Three days in Sano

Day one: Arrive in Sano, a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, and orient yourself around Sano Station on the JR Ryōmō Line, which links Tochigi and Ashikaga; the Tōbu Sano Line connects Tatebayashi and Asakusa in Tokyo. Before you travel, plan to use Google Translate, as English is limited. Start with Sano Yakuyoke Daishi Temple, known as Sano Yakuyoke Daishi, to get a feel for the city's character.

Day two: Spend the day at Sano Premium Outlet, a major shopping destination in the city. The JR Highway Bus connects from Marronier Shinjuku and Marronier Tokyo in Shinjuku via Tokyo JR, and the Salvia and Chiba Kotsu Bus serve Narita Airport to Sano Bus Terminal. By car, the Tōhoku Expressway at Fujioka and National Route serve the area, and the Tobu Sano line is another option.

Day three: Use your final day to revisit Sano Yakuyoke Daishi Temple at a relaxed pace and explore more of the city around Sano Station. Long-distance connections via the JR Ryōmō Line make it easy to continue to Tochigi or Ashikaga, or to return to Tokyo via the Tōbu Sano Line to Asakusa.