Luxury hotel remodels historic former Nara prison, preserving its past

A historic former prison in the western Japanese city of Nara has been reborn as a luxury hotel, opening to guests on June 25. The operator, Hoshino Resorts, intends to channel a portion of the hotel's revenue towards the preservation of the building, which is designated as a nationally important cultural asset.

Guests staying at the Hoshinoya Nara Prison can immerse themselves in the site's rich past. The hotel features 48 spacious suites, created by combining former solitary and shared cells. Original architectural elements, such as exposed brick walls and high-set windows, have been preserved, offering a tangible connection to the building's former life.

The red-brick complex, originally completed in 1908, has seen four of its five radial cell wings converted into guest accommodations. Hoshino Resorts is managing the property as part of a broader effort to transform the historic site into a tourist destination. Its proximity to Nara Park, famous for its free-roaming deer and landmarks like the Todai-ji temple, is expected to draw visitors.

Nightly rates for a suite room start at 147,000 yen (approximately S$1,180). During their stay, guests also have access to the Nara Prison Museum located on the premises. Masaya Kakegawa, the hotel's general manager, expressed a desire to "pass on the history and value of this building to future generations" and hopes the hotel becomes a premier destination in Nara.

The prison was one of five major penitentiaries constructed during Japan's Meiji Era (1868-1912) to showcase modernized confinement facilities. It later served as a juvenile prison before its closure in 2017 due to aging infrastructure. Hoshino Resorts is targeting an 80 percent occupancy rate within three years.

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We want to pass on the history and value of this building to future generations.