The Battle of Utsunomiya Castle took place between May 10�14, 1868, during the Boshin War (a park now exists on the castle grounds). The city itself was founded on April 1, 1896. In 1954�55, Utsunomiya city incorporated with Suzumenomiya town and Hiraishi, Yokokawa, Mizuhono, Kunimoto, Shiroyama, Tomiya, Toyosato, and Sugatagawa villages and the part of Shinoi village from Kawachi District and Kiyohara village from Haga District. The city added the towns of Kamikawachi and Kawachi, both from Kawachi District, on March 31, 2007, pushing the population of Utsunomiya city over 500,000
