Nikko Kirifuri Ice Arena is a skating rink located in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture.
It is the home of the Nikko Ice Bucks.
It is open to the public for skating except on Ice Bucks game days.
Getting to the Stadium
The Nikko Kirifuri Ice Arena is a venue that is basically accessible by car. The area around the venue is a parking lot that can hold quite a few cars, so it's unlikely that you won't be able to park your car (the parking lot is so huge that it has space for a temporary parking lot for Toshogu Shrine).
If you don't have a car, there are shuttle buses running from two stations on match days.
Tobu Nikko Station
The first one is Tobu Nikko Station, the closest station.
The bus stop is near the Nissan Rent-a-Car Nikko Ekimae Branch, and is expected to depart at 12:15pm and 1:15pm when the game starts at 2pm on weekends.
If the game starts at 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, the bus will depart at 4:40 p.m. and 5:40 p.m.
The return flight will depart approximately 15 minutes after the end of the event. (The second flight will leave as soon as the first flight returns)
Fare for 2019 season:200 yen (one way)
Utsunomiya Station
On game days, a shuttle bus is also available from JR Utsunomiya Station.
Please pay attention to the bus stop.
The shuttle bus to Nikko Kirifuri Ice Arena is at the east exit.
Please check the team's website for details.
The bus will depart from Bus Terminal #5 at the East Exit of Utsunomiya Station.
Fare for 2019 season: 500 yen (round trip)
The bus stop at the east exit looks like this.
This number, No. 5, is the bus stop.
About the Stadium
When it comes to watching the flow of ice hockey, this is an arena that you will find easy to watch no matter which seat you are in.
Even in front, the height makes it easy to see the play.
Location: 2854 Tokorono, Nikko City, Tochigi 321-1421
Capacity: 2,000
Opened: 1992
Explore Tochigi
Before your trip, we have compiled some basic information about Tochigi for your reference.
Basic information on sports teams in Tochigi Prefecture
1. "Getting there & Around" Utsunomiya, Nikko
Utsunomiya is about 40 minutes from the Tokyo metropolitan area by bullet train and less than two hours by conventional train.
You can come to Utsunomiya by train if you only want to go around the station, but if you want to go to the suburban areas such as Otani Museum and Nikko, a car is more convenient.
The following is a guide on how to get to the Utsunomiya and Nikko areas and how to get around the city.
2. "Where to Stay" in Utsunomiya, Nikko
Nikko is a tourist city, so there are many pension-type accommodations in the area. Recently, luxury hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton have been built in the area.
In Utsunomiya, there are many business hotels around the station where you can easily stay.
The following is a selection of hotels in the Utsunomiya and Nikko areas.
3. "What to Do & See" in Utsunomiya, Nikko
If you want to combine watching a game in Utsunomiya with sightseeing, I recommend the Otani Museum.
The museum is a huge underground space, but it is not a museum.
The museum is about 10 kilometers from Utsunomiya Station, so if you have a car, you can get there in about 30 minutes.
Nikko has become a nationally known tourist spot.
In the case of Nikko, the area is not as close as the distance because of the heavy traffic during the high season. Please be careful when you go.
Here is a selection of tourist spots in the Utsunomiya and Nikko areas.
4. "What / Where to Eat" in Utsunomiya, Nikko
One of the best things to eat in Utsunomiya is gyoza.
There are popular restaurants in and near the station, and if you can walk a bit from the station, you can also go to Masatsugu, Karan, etc.
