Take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo (Tokyo or Ueno stations) to Utsunomiya. The one way trip takes around 50 minutes, costs about 4500 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the JR Tokyo Wide Pass among others. Trains depart approximately every 20 minutes.
Trains along the JR Utsunomiya Line and JR Shonan Shinjuku Line require a little under two hours for their trip between Tokyo (Shinagawa, Tokyo, Ueno, Shibuya, Shinjuku or Ikebukuro stations) and Utsunomiya. The one way fare is 1980 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass and the JR Tokyo Wide Pass among others. There are multiple departures per hour.
Take a limited express train from Tokyo's Asakusa Station to Tochigi Station (70 minutes) and transfer to the Tobu Utsunomiya Line for Tobu-Utsunomiya (45 minutes). The entire one way trip takes around two hours and costs about 2100-2400 yen. There are two connections per hour. Alternatively, the journey can be done by local and express trains for only 1220 yen; however, it will require about 30 more minutes and multiple transfers along the way.
Above fees and schedules are subject to change. Be sure to check current yen exchange rates.
Utsunomiya is the capital of Tochigi Prefecture. The city's transportation hub is JR Utsunomiya Station, which sits at the center of a dense network of buses, including buses to the Oya History Museum and Oya Temple, and one tram line (Utsunomiya Light Rail), which is currently not of great importance to tourists, but could become more relevant in the future when it is planned to be extended in the direction of Oya. Utsunomiya Station is also connected to Nikko via the JR Nikko Line, 45 minutes northwest by train.
A secondary transportation hub is Tobu-Utsunomiya Station, about 1.5 km west of the JR station. It is the terminal station of the Tobu Utsunomiya Line. Many bus lines serve both JR Utsunomiya and Tobu Utsunomiya stations, including the buses in the direction of Oya.
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