Mooka (真岡市, Mooka-shi) is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2020, the city had an estimated population of 78,720 in 30,203 households, and a population density of 476 persons per km². The total area of the city is 167.34 square kilometres (64.61 sq mi).
Moka is known for the Mooka Railway, which operates steam locomotives. The train line stretches from Shimodate, Ibaraki Prefecture to Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture. The town produces 7,000 tons of strawberries annually.
The name of the city is given as "Moka City" per the city's official website; however, the local train station is "Mōka Station", and the direct transliteration of the city name into Hepburn romanization is "Mooka".
The unique construction of Mooka Station gives it the shape and appearance of a giant steam locomotive; and, in fact, the railway operates steam service using C11 and C12 class steam locomotives (abbreviated "SL") back and forth on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The Mooka SL Train Museum is also located here, at the station's west exit.
Tochigi Prefecture is famous for its gyoza (餃子, Chinese dumplings), and one of the most popular places to sample this specialty is at Utsunomiya Min Min (宇都宮みんみん). The Mooka branch is located at 1-11-13 Namikicho, right next to the Besia shopping center and very near Mooka Station.
Mooka is famous for its hand-dyed woven cotton products, called Mooka-momen (真岡木綿). The city flower is the cotton flower. Along the main road downtown, many traditional Japanese gift shops can be found carrying products made from Moka-momen.
Rail access is from Mooka Station (真岡駅 Moka-Eki) on the private Mooka Line. From Ueno Station in Tokyo, take the JR Utsunomiya Line to Oyama. There, change to the JR Mito Line for Shimodate. You can catch the Mooka Line train from Shimodate Station.
There are buses that run several times a day from JR Ishibashi Station (Tochigi) and JR Utsunomiya Station to various stops in Mooka, including Mooka Station.
