Kanaya Hotel Bakery

The Kanaya Hotel Bakery brings the heritage of Japan's oldest Western resort hotel down to street level, where anyone can taste a piece of Nikko history without booking a table. An offshoot of the celebrated Nikko Kanaya Hotel — which has been hosting travelers since 1873 — the bakery carries recipes and know-how developed over generations of feeding international guests, and its shop near the station is an easy, rewarding stop at the start or end of a Nikko day.

The star of the counter is the hotel's famous Royal Bread, a rich, tender loaf with a fine crumb that has become something of a Nikko institution; toasted, it is a small revelation, and many visitors buy a loaf specifically to take home. Around it you will find an old-fashioned lineup of baked goods — breads, rolls, buns, and the hotel's well-known cheesecake and other Western-style sweets — all made in the same classic, unhurried style that defines the Kanaya name. It is comforting, high-quality baking rather than trendy patisserie, and that is exactly its charm.

Because everything is baked in limited quantities and the most popular items sell out, mornings are the best time to visit if you have your heart set on the Royal Bread or a particular sweet. The shop is compact and geared toward takeaway, making it perfect for assembling a picnic to eat by the Daiya River, a snack for the walk up to the shrines, or an edible souvenir to carry back on the train — bread and cakes travel far better than most Nikko specialties.

For travelers on a budget or short on time, the bakery is a wonderful way to sample the Kanaya legacy without the expense of the Main Dining Room. It is also a genuine favorite among Japanese visitors, who often make a point of stocking up before heading home, a good sign that this is more than a tourist gimmick.

The bakery sits near the lower, station end of Nikko's main street, only about a five minute walk from both Tobu Nikko and JR Nikko Stations. That location makes it almost effortless to include: pick up breakfast or an early-morning loaf on your way in, or grab souvenirs and a train snack on your way out. Combined with a visit to the historic hotel itself further up the hill, it rounds out the Kanaya story — from grand nineteenth-century dining room to the humble, delicious loaf you can hold in your hand.