Sano

Sano (佐野) [1] is a city in Tochigi prefecture, Japan, adjacent to Ashikaga, Tatebayashi, Tochigi, Kanuma and Midori.

Culture and History

Sano is famous for Sano Premium Outlet, Sano ramen-noodles and Sano Yakuyoke Daishi which exorcises people in unlucky and critical ages.

Travel to Sano - Visa Requirements

By train

Sano station is centrally located and can be reached by both JR Ryōmō Line (両毛線) and the Tōbu Sano Line (東武佐野線).

JR Ryōmō Line

• About 16 mins from Tochigi
• About 14 mins from Ashikaga

Tōbu Sano Line

• About 85 mins from Asakusa (Tokyo) by limited express train Ryōmō.
• About 16 mins from Tatebayashi

Buses to Sano

The bus terminal in Sano is located at the Sano Premium Outlets.

By taking JR Highway Bus "Marronier Shinjuku" or "Marronier Tokyo", you can get to Shinjuku, Ueno, and Tokyo JR Stations within 90 minutes. Tickets cost around ￥1,300 one way and can be purchased at the bus terminals in each JR station.

Direct access to and from Narita Airport is available through Highway Bus "Salvia" or Chiba Kotsu Bus. It takes about 130 minutes. This can be purchased at Narita Airport transportation counter (ask for Sano, Tochigi prefecture) or at the Sano Bus Terminal. Cost is about ￥4,400.

By car

Take the Sano-Fujioka exit from the Tōhoku Expressway and follow National Route 50 west toward Sano,Ashikaga.

Tours and Getting around Sano

It is quite expensive to use taxis at the base price of ￥660. In front of JR/Tobu Sano train station (fountain side) there is a bus service that can take you around the city and one running between the station and the Premium Outlet Mall for ￥200.

There is also a rental bike service in front of the station, next to the 7-Eleven convenience store. Unfortunately, unless you speak Japanese, the owners cannot help you.

Sano tourist attractions and sightseeing

• Mt. Mikamo (三毳山) is in the east of Sano city. It was praised by poets of the Manyoshu－8th century poetry anthology. Katakuri dogtooth pale purple flowers can be seen at Katakuri-no-Sato in Mt. Mikamo from late March to early April.

Sano city tours

Sano souvenirs and shopping

Sano Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Sano is known for its ramen, chinese-style noodles. There are plently of ramen shops on every street, and each person has their favorite.

Sano is also known for its imofurai or fried potatoes. Small potatoes arranged on a skewer, dipped in batter and into bread crumbs before being deep fried. The tangy and sweet sauce that is served with it, however, is the deciding factor on its taste. This is available at many grocery stores and imo-fry shops can be found all over the city.

Sano nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Upon exiting JR-Tobu Sano station, head towards the fountain and make a right. Immediately you will come across Slow Cafe which is quite popular amongst the young crowd. Follow straight past the first traffic light and you will find Ken's Bar, a cozy lounge that features local bands and artists weekly.

Other Japanese bars or izakaya can be found within walking distance from the station in this main area.

Sano cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

There are several hotels within 5 minutes walking distance from JR-Tobu Sano station.

• Sun Route Hotel
• Sano Inn

Get out

Ashikaga, Tochigi and Tatebayashi is about 15 minutes by train from Sano.

This page was last edited by Takeo Takeuchi. Based on work by Jani Patokallio and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license