In 1870, Dr. James C. Hepburn, an American medical missionary, visited Nikko and stayed at the house of Zenichiro Kanaya, who was a member of Gagaku (an ancient imperial court music) orchestra of the Toshogu Shrine. Foreseeing an increase in the number of foreign tourists to Nikko, Dr. Hepburn suggested that Kanaya open a hotel for foreigners. Following Hepburn’s advice, Zenichiro remodeled his house and opened “Kanaya Cottage Inn” in 1873.   Kanaya’s house was originally a residence of samurai warriors during the Edo period. For its unique architectural characteristics, Kanaya Cottage Inn was called “Samurai House” by its foreign guests.   In 1893, Zenichiro relocated his business and opened “Kanaya Hotel” on the top of the hill that overlooks the River Daiya. It was Japan’s first full-fledged western-style resort hotel and has been in operation at the same place to date.   The Kanaya Samurai House and warehouse were registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property in 2014 and opened to the public as the Kanaya Hotel History House in 2015.

The little gorge formed by an eruption of nearby Mt. Nantai is a uniquely scenic spot. A row of approximately 70 Jizos are lined up along the south bank of the river. The group of Jizos is called “Baké-Jizo” because it is said that they are uncountable; if you try to count them， each time you will end up with a different number. Legend has it that the Sanskrit character “Kanman” on an upstream cliff was inscribed by Kobo Daishi， the founder of Shingon Buddhism， by throwing his brush. The Nikko Botanical Garden is on the opposite shore of the Jizos， and visitors can enjoy the scenic beauty in the seasons of spring verdant greens， autumn colours and snowy Jizos.

Cottage Inn Restaurant & Bakery is a restaurant run by Kanaya Hotel Bakery, which is adjacent to the Kanaya Hotel History House. At the restaurant, you can enjoy a wide variety of combinations of bread from Kanaya Hotel Bakery and dishes prepared with fresh and high-quality ingredients hand-picked by the chef. The popular Lunch Plate offers choices of Hamburger Stew Stuffed Bread, a hearty dish of oven-baked campagne bread stuffed with a hamburger steak cooked in a demiglace sauce topped with cheese, Sautéed Yume Pork with Ginger Sauce using the Yume Pork brand produced in Tochigi Prefecture, and Beef Stew, a year-round popular dish made with the chef’s original recipe. The restaurant also has the Kanaya Hotel Bakery Shop with a rich lineup of bread and sweets such as cookies.

Nikko Takaiya, the Japanese restaurant, opened in 1805. At the request of shrines and temples in Nikko (Nikko Toshogu, Nikko Futarasan-jinja, and Nikkozan Rinno-ji), we have been preparing dishes for their festivals for over 200 years. Today, the Nikko specialty ‘yuba’ dishes are quite popular among tourists. Our guests include the Imperial Family, cultural figures, and generations of local customers. Lately, international guests also enjoy the traditional Japanese cuisine and atmosphere at our restaurant, and we are very thankful for their patronage.

Nikko Botanical Garden is an institute for research and education of Graduate School of Science， University of Tokyo. The main activities of the Botanical Garden have centered on enriching the collections of temperate and alpine plants of Japan and adjacent regions for the purpose of botanical research and education. A total of 2，200 species (130 species of pteridophytes， 70 species of gymnosperms， and 2，000 species of angiosperms) are planted in the garden. Visitors can enjoy the garden's cherry blossoms in spring and the fall foliage in the fall."