The 150-Year-Old Nikko Kanaya Hotel Completed Renovations of its "Annex Royal House" on July 15, 2023

NIKKO, Japan - Oct. 6, 2023 - PRLog -- The Nikko Kanaya Hotel, which began as Japan's first Western-style resort hotel, opened its doors in 1873. Now,150 years later, the hotel's Annex Royal House has undergone a shiny new renovation, just in time for the hotel's sesquicentennial and for the advent of the magnificent autumn foliage season.

Nikko, Japan, only two hours north of Tokyo along Tobu Railways' Tobu Nikko Line, is a place for indulging in gorgeous natural scenery and rich traditional Japanese culture. However, in autumn specifically, the dramatic orange, crimson, and golden foliage is stunning, and the newly renovated Nikko Kanaya Annex is the perfect place to stay thanks to its history and central location!

The Nikko Kanaya Hotel was beloved by countless dignitaries and celebrities of the day, including Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, and President Eisenhower. The hotel is even registered as one of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties. Japanese culture and western culture are well blended into the hotel, giving international guests both Japanese flavor and familiarity of home. The fully renovated Annex ROYAL HOUSE has reopened with 2 Suite Rooms, 1 Corner Twin Room, and 19 Deluxe Rooms (Total 22 rooms).

Watch the video here! It is located within walking distance of the World Heritage Sites.



See here to Book!

The NIKKO AREA
During the Nara period (710 – 794), the people's strong faith inspired them to clear the mountains in Nikko, where they built temples, shrines and Buddhist statues. Many craftsmen settled here, building other temples and shrines and to continue caring and maintaining them. Two shrines and one temple - Futarasan Shrine, Toshogu Shrine, Rinnoji Temple - and the monumental ruins surrounding them, were registered as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 1999 as the "Shrines and Temples in Nikko." Everyone who visits Toshogu is fascinated by its intricate decorative beauty from the highly refined skills of the area craftsmen. Nikko attracted Westerners with its climate, proximity to Tokyo, and natural beauty. Diplomats from the United Kingdom, France and Italy built villas here to escape the summer heat in Tokyo. Some of these buildings and sites are now open to the public.

OKU-NIKKO AREA
From Nikko Station to the west and up the mountain, the Oku-Nikko (https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/destinations/okunikko/) area extends beyond Irohazaka (https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/irohazaka-slope/). The spectacular natural scenery is scattered between altitudes of 3,000 to 8,200ft. The Oku-Nikko area was created by an eruption of Mt. Nantai (https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/mt-nantai/) roughly 20,000 years ago when lava dammed the valley giving birth to Lake Chuzenji (https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3806.html), smaller lakes, large and small waterfalls, rivers, and marshlands. One of the most popular tourist's sites is Kegon Falls (https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/kegon-falls/), one of Japan's three most magnificent waterfalls, which offers a 32ft fall from Lake Chuzenji. The 642-acre Senjogahara (https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/senjogahara-plateau/) marshlands, transformed into a wetland from what was once a lake, are one of Nikko's treasures serving as a natural habit for wildlife. Oku-Nikko also offers various activities such as sawanobori or "stream climbing," rafting, fly fishing, skiing and other seasonal sports.

The NIKKO PASS
Tobu Railways' Nikko All Area Pass (https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/ticket/nikko/all.html), good for 1-4 days, includes round-trip transportation between Tokyo's Tobu Asakusa Station and Nikko as well as transportation within Nikko and numerous Nikko area attractions and experiences that you can visit while staying in the Nikko Kanaya Hotel.