THE KIMI KATO SHOW — Japan Music Journey: Tochigi 

An hour north of Tokyo by Shinkansen, Tochigi shifts Japan’s tempo—from the hush of ancient cedar forests to the bright, everyday energy of Utsunomiya’s gyoza streets. In this episode, we travel through sacred architecture and volcanic landscapes—then translate it all into sound. We step into the gold-leaf world of Nikko Toshogu, part of the UNESCO-listed Shrines and Temples of Nikko (inscribed 1999), trace the high-altitude calm of Lake Chuzenji (1,269m), feel the impact of Kegon Falls (97m), and ride the 48 curves of Irohazaka as the mountains flare into autumn. As always, our journey is built on music. Tochigi’s frequency lives in the artists who carry its spirit—anchored by the honest, narrative drive of Kazuyoshi Saito, and expanding into modern J-pop and rock that captures both spiritual stillness and restless motion. Each track in this episode is chosen as a map: songs that breathe like Nikko’s cedar silence surges that hit like Kegon at full volume city pop energy for Utsunomiya nights dusk-colored ballads drifting over Chuzenji Because every prefecture has a landscape— but the unforgettable ones also have a sound. This is Tochigi: a gateway north of Tokyo, tuned to reverence and rawness— and unraveled, one song at a time. 

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