Doro Hotel
(看板)
This traditional Japanese-style inn was constructed in 1917. It was named Azumaya and catered to log drivers, men who would transport timber harvested in the forests of nearby mountains to be processed into lumber downriver. At the time, the area was virtually inaccessible. But soon after the inn’s opening, news of the surrounding scenic landscape began to spread, and passenger boats began plying the waters of Doro-kyo Gorge in 1920 to accommodate increasing numbers of tourists. At some point during the Showa era (1926–1989), the name of the inn was changed to the Doro Hotel, drawing on the name of the popular gorge. The opening of a road in 1965 further fanned the tourism boom, and a small hamlet grew up around the hotel to support the tourism industry. In 2004, the hotel closed after three generations of management by the same family.
A Historical Showcase
In 2013, the Doro Hotel was reopened by its fourth-generation owner as a café and rental space, offering simple meals, bird’s-eye views of the gorge, and a nostalgic atmosphere recalling its century-old origins. The interior houses a number of displays and artifacts from the days when the river was the sole means of transportation in the area. The hotel is a designated Nara Prefectural Cultural Property.