A view of Lake Chuzenji, Nikko, c. 1910.

See also:
Lake Chuzenji, Nikko, c. 1910
Nikko, Japan, c. 1910
Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1920
Nikko Hotel, Nikko, c. 1910

Map: Nikko & Environs (Japan: The Pocket Guide, 1946)

“Nikko is included in the itinerary of almost every traveler to Japan, but whosoever sees it in spring and fails to return in the summer and penetrate to beautiful and restful Chuzenji … can not be said to know it.

“… The surroundings are among the most beautiful and perfect in Japan. Forest-clad hills encircle the lake and rise to an imposing height. In May and early June, when a wealth of pink, white, and purple azaleas decorate the environs; when the giant trees are festooned with lovely wistaria clusters and trailing Lycopodium sieboldii [club moss]; or in Oct., when the subtle alchemy of Nature paints the maples and other deciduous trees with the gorgeous tints of the sunset’s richest afterglow, the scene is entrancing.

“The most beautiful time, however, is midsummer, when the tranquil pool drowses like a lapis-lazuli mirror in a faultless green frame and reflects every soft outline of the billowy clouds that ride lazily above it. Then it recalls nothing so much as a gigantic porcelain plaque with a myriad shy beauties visible beneath its translucent glaze. At that time the days run softly; the hours are long and sweet and satisfying; the increasing complexities of life are removed to the remote limbo reserved for all forms of strenuosity; and a renewal of youth becomes a reality.”

– Terry’s Japanese Empire, T. Phillip Terry, 1914

Lake-Side Hotel & Chuzenji Lake, Nikko, c. 1910.

Lake Chuzenji, Nikko, c. 1910.