Utsunomiya

Utsunomiya claims to be THE place for gyoza.  In case you're unfamiliar, gyoza is a pot sticker and is fantastic just about anywhere you have it.  We weren't convinced that it would be that much better in Utsunomiya.  We went to one of the many gyoza sampling shops in town to try it out.

Gyoza grilled in a skillet

Boiled gyoza

Boiled gyoza in sesame sauce

They weren't lying!  This gyoza was fantastic.  Drew loved the grilled gyoza and I loved the fancy boiled gyoza with bean sprouts and a sesame sauce.  The side sauce to dip the gyoza contains soy sauce, vinegar, and rayu (chili oil).  It was sooooo good.

There is also a reconstruction of the Utsunomiya castle in town that we walked to.  We were pounced on right away by the castle museum employees who were probably bored out of their minds because it was a rainy day and they didn't have many visitors.   Our guide was very friendly and, lucky for me, spoke a good amount of English.

This Romanesque cathedral was a strange sight to see in Japan. It was built in 1932 with Ohya stone, a special product from the Utsunomiya quarries. 

Our trip to Utsunomiya was originally planned to see a horseback archery contest taking place in front of Futarasan Shrine.  It was cancelled due to the rain but we made a stop by the shrine anyways.  No rain will ruin our day.