Kuroiso was a city

Cities of Japan

||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in Tochigi

Tochigi Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The city was founded on November 1, 1970.

On January 1, 2005 Kurioso was merged with the towns of Nishinasuno

Nishinasuno, Tochigi

Nishinasuno was a town located in Nasu District, Tochigi, Japan.On January 1, 2005 Nishinasuno was merged with the town of Shiobara, also from Nasu District, and the old city of Kuroiso, to form the new city of Nasushiobara......

 and Shiobara

Shiobara, Tochigi

Shiobara was a town located in Nasu District, Tochigi, Japan.On January 1, 2005 Shiobara was merged with the town of Nishinasuno, also from Nasu District, and the old city of Kuroiso, to form the new city of Nasushiobara....

, both from Nasu District

Nasu District, Tochigi

Nasu is a district located in Tochigi, Japan. The district consists of the two discontiguous towns of Nasu and Nakagawa, separated by the separate city of Ōtawara in the middle....

, to form the new city of Nasushiobara

Nasushiobara, Tochigi

is a city located in northern Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Nasushiobara is the northernmost city in the Kantō region of Japan, bordering Fukushima Prefecture to the north, as well as nationally famous Nikkō City and the town of Nasu within Tochigi....

. In 2003, the city had an estimated population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 60,145 and the density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 175.29 persons per km². The total area was 343.12 km².

Kuroiso is located at the northernmost tip of Tochigi, bordering Fukushima Prefecture

Fukushima Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....

. The city's train station, Kuroiso Station

Kuroiso Station

Kuroiso Station is a JR East railway station located in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. This station serves as the terminal station for two subsections of the JR East Tōhoku Main Line, connecting the Utsunomiya Line to the south and the Southern Tōhoku Main Line to the north.This...

, serves as the terminal station for two subsections of the JR East

East Japan Railway Company

is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

 Tōhoku Main Line railway, making it a junction between the Kantō

Kanto region

The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....

 and Tōhoku

Tohoku region

The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....

 regions of Japan. The station's bus terminal also makes Kuroiso a gateway to the neighboring town of Nasu

Nasu, Tochigi

is a town located in Nasu District, Tochigi, Japan.As of April 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 26,629 and a density of 71.5 persons per km². The total area is 372.31 km².Nasu Imperial Villa is located there.-External links:*...

, known in Japan for its mountain hot springs

Onsen

An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...

 and as the location of the Nasu Imperial Villa

Nasu Imperial Villa

Nasu Imperial Villa, located in the town of Nasu, Nasu District in Tochigi Prefecture, is a retreat used by the Japanese Imperial Family. The structure dates to 1926, a further addition came in 1935.- External links :*...

.

In the area, Kuroiso is popular for its local cafes and restaurants, as well as for having northern Tochigi's only multiplex movie theater

Multiplex (movie theater)

A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens, typically three or more. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an...

.

A Bridgestone

Bridgestone

The is a multinational rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese....

steel cord plant is also located in the city.