This place was an unexpected find. It is a well preserved example of a late Edo era samurai residence that later served as a hotel for foreign visitors. It opened in 1873 as Kanaya Cottage Inn, with guests such as writer and explorer Isabella Bird, US President Ulysses S. Grant, Frank Lloyd Wright, Albert Einstein, Hellen Keller, Charlie Chaplin, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 2014, it was registered as a nationally designated cultural property.
Adult tickets are 550 yen and need to be purchased at the restaurant next to the History House Museum. There are no staff members in the museum itself, but I did notice cameras.
At the entrance is a display area, and a video presentation.
After the display/video area is the house itself. Visitors can walk around and view the house on their own. There is English, as well as Japanese signage.
This is a view of the garden from the front windows.
This is a model of the hotel.
The Japanese garden is gorgeous.
Looking back at the hotel.
After visiting the hotel, this was my lunch (tofu and vegetables) at a nearby Chinese restaurant.
