Local delicacies with a French twist

I taste a delicious trout with steamed vegetables, which evoke French cuisine, but with a local touch. The Kanaya Hotel is renowned for its unique Western cuisine and even non-guests come all the way here to enjoy a luxurious dinner.

The next morning, after a refreshing bath and a delicious omelet in the dining hall, I keep exploring the hotel before heading out to town. Despite the fact that most visitors come to Nikko during summer to escape the heat, I find that Nikko is especially charming during winter. I head to the roof where I find an old ice-skating rink and an outdoor pool. There is also a viewing platform with the epic name: “The palace of the Dragon King”, which offers breathtaking views of Nikko and its snow-covered mountains.

A city trapped in another time

Having visited Nikko and its magnificent Toshogu Shrine in the past, this time I decided to focus on the city itself, simply strolling through its streets and exploring other historical buildings. Perhaps, still under the spell of the Kanaya Hotel, I start to find Nikko-bori everywhere I go and I keep returning to the beginning of the Showa era with the countless curio shops and art galleries.

NIKKO BUSSAN SHOUKAI deserves special mention. It’s a historical building filled with a wealth of Nikko-bori treasures that doubles as a souvenir shop and a restaurant serving local specialties.

After encountering so many Nikko-bori throughout my trip, I decide to try my hand at carving my own at Murakami Toyohachi Shoten carrying countless masterpieces. The results I’m afraid, are quite disappointing.

I declare my try a failed attempt and instead settle on simply admiring the amazing creations of Nikko artisans displayed in the shop, painstakingly carved mostly from cedar, into beautiful plates, drawers, jewelry boxes, mirrors and more.

After spending the night at the Kanaya Hotel and strolling the streets of Nikko, I realized the histories of the hotel and the city are inseparably intertwined. Both the city and the hotel seem to desperately try to bring you back to a bygone era of a unique kind of refinement that was born from a clash of cultures.