Ice Skating on “Lake Placid” at Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1920. The Dragon Pavilion is at right.
See also:
Ice Skating, Yatsushiro-ike, Japan, c. 1930
Ice skating at Lake Suwa, Nagano, c. 1930.
Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1920
“As the Japanese proverb says ‘You cannot say ‘splendid’ until you have seen Nikko’, so you may not express a final opinion on Japan’s hotels until you have stayed at Nikko’s Kanaya Hotel. Of course no self-respecting visitor to Japan does Nikko in a day, and especially after he has tasted of the Kanaya Hotel’s hospitality, and the delicious trout from nearby Chuzenji Lake which the Kanaya regularly serves.
“Any season is good at the Kanaya, but if you want the thrill of skating in the romantic with a Broadway-style hotel at your elbow for refreshments, just go there in winter. You have but walk out of the lounge onto the Kanaya’s private natural skating rink; and if that is not an attraction to anyone with blood in their veins I do not know what is.”
– “Japan’s Hotels and Hospitality”, Travel in Japan, Vol. 4 No. 4, 1938
Skating rink, Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1930.
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- “Ice skating on the Lake Placid”, Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1940.
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- “Lake Placid private skaing rink in the compound of Nikko-Kanaya Hotel”, Nikko, c. 1940.
“Skating in Japan has a long history. In ancient times, a rough form of skate, made of a piece, of curved bamboo fastened tothe foot by straw thongs, was used in north Japan. But, skating with steel skates was unknown until about 50 years ago [ca. 1910] when foreigners in Japan introduced it on Lake Suwa in Nagano Prefecture.”
– Japan: The Official Guide, 1962
“Ice skating pond”, Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1930. “The rink is in the compound of Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, from December to March.”
Reverse: “Ice Skating Pond”, Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1930.
[translated from the above:]
On the occasion of skating season
1. The rink is in the corridor of the main building with a view of 3,500 square meters, which is equipped for everyone to enjoy the fun.
2. At night, the rink is lit with 3,000 candles, so you can enjoy the
long winter nights to your heart’s content.
3. If you’re a first timer, we’ll be happy to give you some
guidance and lend you (skates).
4. The hotel is also equipped with radios, piano, and a full range of other
entertainment for your relaxation.
“Lake Placid” and Dragon Pavilion, Kanaya Hotel, Nikko, c. 1930, in the warmer months.
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