Zen Hostel

  Customer Review 

Scout is a friendly and passionate host, eager to share the wider picture of Nikko (beyond the tourist sites) with his guests. With a perfect location beside a amazing river and a home-cooked breakfast to die for, SPACE Riverhouse is a welcome retreat off the beaten path in Japan.

  Chad D... 

This hostel was one of the much better places I stayed in Japan. The host Scout was really accommodating and helpful during the duration of my stay. Swimming in the river and biking the mountain roads was certainly exciting. Be advised that the local dining areas may be closed during your stay in case you are coming in June. Scout makes an fantastic breakfast and I&'m sure he could accomdate a fantastic dinner if requested earlier. Nikko is a fantastic break from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. I would suggest anyone to stay here if they want a relaxing time.

  Customer Review 

Very cool location to stay right on the river, shuttle service is prompt and can be tailored to your needs. Good beds and common area. Also, superb included breakfast! Quiry location to stay and get that little bit closer to the Nikko wild.

  Customer Review 

Very warm and friendly atmosphere. Nice lounge/dining area which was excellent for relaxing and meeting other guests. Room was clean and comfortable. Breakfast great. The owner, Scout, was extremely warm and friendly and the pick up from the station was good. Pizza was lovely.

  Bradley H... 

The location is simply beautiful. The river is stunning. I wish I could swim but alas it&'s too cold for me and my girlfriend. The hostel itself is really homely, the communal lounge with it&'s kotatsu is a great spot to hang out and meet others over a drink right after a day exploring the points of interest of Nikko. And also the final comments are saved for Scout who single-handedly runs this hostel. He does completely everything on the site itself, including cooking brilliantly delicious breakfasts for all guests. When you arrive at the nearby train station Scout picks you up. Then happily drops you at the World heritage location (if thats where you pick to go) for a day exploring. If there is certainly some thing you need from the nearest store Scout will help you out. He is a really genuine guy who deserves a lot of praise for the attentive service he offers for his guests. An expertise I will not soon forget.

  Coral S... 

It was so much fun staying here we stayed 7 nights. It wasn&'t enough! It&'s situated by a stunning river within the woods above a valley of small farms, paddies, orchards, and tiny tea plantations. Little shrines, statues and buddhas everywhere. The hostel its self is very nice inside, cosy, clean, comfortable rooms with a very obliging host called Scout who makes fantastic breakfasts that keep you going all day, and &"The finest pizzas within the world&" [quote by 15 year old son! ]. There&'s a great little Japanese restaurant nearby too. It&'s a really great location to go back to at the end of a day of sight seeing as it&'s calm, silent and peaceful away from touristy pressure which there is a lot of in Nikko, but great company from other guests. We met some great people. Being out of town is no problem as there is a free shuttle service. It&'s great to try and coordinate with other visitors as it saves on trips for the host. Nikko is close but not too close. It&'s shrines are magnificent, as properly as the national park has fantastic walks of numerous lengths, so you can bus up to RAMSAR wetlands, lakes or woodlands for the day, and be back in time for a great pizza for dinner. This location is an adventure and is guaranteed to give you a character filled stay. The showers are an encounter all by themselves, but you&'ll just have to uncover out for yourself! Suffice it to say that there&'s no shortage of hot water. We missed this location from the day we left, and my son is planning his gap year to include it already!

  Customer Review 

The river is beautiful, as is the location. The property owner is extremely helpful. Breakfasts were good.

  Chris N... 

Amazing location and nicely looked following by Scout! Just a shame i only stayed 2 days.

  Abhimanyu S... 

Zen Hostel is situated in a lovely location in Nikko, just beside the Black River and amongst the mountains. Scout, the owner, was an amazing host and took really good care of us. He was extremely friendly and we had a bunch of amazing conversations. He also fixed us the most amazing breakfasts that we had in Japan. Plus we highly recommend his pizza dinners too. It rained the whole time we were at Zen Hostel and while we had initally planned to hike in Nikko National Park, we were far more than happy to just sit back and relax at the Zen hostel, enjoying the peace, the quiet and also the tranquility. All in all, we had an awesome time at the Zen Hostel.