Located just north of Tokyo, less than an hour away by the Tohoku Shinkansen, lies one of Japan's most fertile agricultural regions, Tochigi Prefecture. Although Tochigi is one of the rare prefectures on the Japanese archipelago that does not have a coastline, it is blessed with beautiful natural attributes, most notably the magnificent Nikko and Nasu mountains. These mountains are the source of water for the Kinugawa, Nakagawa and Watarasegawa Rivers, which irrigate the abundant rice paddies in the center and southern parts of the prefecture.

This ideal geography has given Tochigi a long history of thriving agriculture, and the prefecture's cuisine and local dishes have been heavily influenced by the agriculture calendar. This is evident in the foods consumed at festivals and at Buddhist temples. Like the most famous local dishes described below, "shimotsukare" and "kanpyo sushi," Tochigi cuisine is not flamboyant but rather reflective of the traditions of the residents' ancestors.

Agriculture still being essential to Tochigi, the prefecture boasts the country's largest production of strawberries, kanpyo (dried gourd) and Chinese chive, plus a thriving industry for rice and Japanese beef. In addition, the same water sources that contribute so much to agriculture are also what enable Tochigi to be home to many fine brewers of Japanese sake.