British Embassy Villa Memorial Park

You can enjoy the rich nature of Lake Chuzenji, an international summer resort in Oku-Nikko, and the history of British culture in this park.

Many foreign villas were built along the shores of Lake Chuzenji from the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912) to the beginning of the Showa period (1926-1989), and the area was crowded as an international summer resort.

The building in the park was built as the private villa of Ernest Satow, a British diplomat who greatly influenced the Meiji Restoration, and later used as the British Embassy villa. It is now restored to its original appearance.

Inside, there are exhibits on the history of the international summer resort and British culture.
From the second-floor porch, visitors can enjoy a beautiful view of the shore of Lake Chuzenji, which Satow loved so much.

Ernest Satow loved Oku-Nikko so much that he first visited the area in 1872, and three years later published a guidebook titled “Guide to Nikko” to introduce Nikko widely.

Satow especially loved the beautiful scenery of Lake Chuzenji, and in 1896 he built his own mountain villa on the shore of Lake Chuzenji, where he enjoyed climbing and gathering plants. This villa later became the British Embassy’s villa and was used until 2008. In 2010, it was donated to Tochigi Prefecture and opened to the public.

Visitors can also enjoy tea and sweets inside the museum (for an additional fee). Visitors to the park are invited to fully enjoy the atmosphere of Satow’s beloved Lake Chuzenji lakeside and the days of the embassy villa.

Facilities

1st Floor

Here you can learn about the British diplomat Ernest Satow and his beloved Oku-Nikko.

Exhibition themes include the life of Ernest Satow, a British diplomat at the end of the Edo period and during the Meiji Restoration, the history of the international summer resort, the rich nature of Oku-Nikko, Satow’s reasons for choosing this location, and the features of the buildings.

2nd floor

The second floor introduces visitors to the view from the broad porch and the British culture of the period in which Satow was active.

Exhibition themes include the golden age of British culture during the period in which Satow was active, and the Arts and Crafts Movement and other improvements in handicrafts and industrial design.

On the second floor, there is also a British cultural exchange room, “South 4th Classic,” where visitors can enjoy a British cultural experience coffee shop, including scones and tea sets. Please enjoy it with the view from the second floor of the villa.

The Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park is also located next to the villa.