Tokyo - Japan

From a place associated for more than a century with iron doors, cells and surveillance, to one of the strangest addresses of luxury hospitality in Japan; The Hoshino Resorts group has brought back life to the historic Nara Prison, turning it into the HOSHINOYA Nara Prison Hotel, which gives its guests the opportunity to spend a luxurious night inside a building that was once a closed correctional institution.

A prison that is more than a century old

Nara Prison was completed in 1908 during the Meiji era, and was one of the "Five Great Prisons" established by the Japanese government as part of the modernization of the judicial system at that time. The building is distinguished by its red brick walls and five wings extending radially from a central observation tower, before it was classified in 2017 as an important cultural property in Japan.

The cell turns into a luxury suite

It has only 48 suites. To create the hotel spaces, between 9 and 11 former cells were combined to form one spacious wing, while preserving the original walls, high windows, some bars, and historical architectural details, and adding contemporary lighting, furniture, and services. Advertised prices start at about 147 thousand yen per night for a room, without meals.
“We give old buildings new value.”

Yoshiharu Hoshino, CEO of Hoshino Resorts, summarizes the project’s philosophy by saying that one of the best ways to preserve old buildings is “to use them and give them new value,” indicating a trend that goes beyond simply protecting heritage towards making it part of the modern tourism economy.

Not just a hotel

The project extends over a site of approximately 100,000 square metres, and also includes the “Nara Prison Museum”, which presents the history of the building and the development of the prison system in Japan, while hotel guests get access to parts of the museum at special times.

A different experience for the Arab tourist

For the Arab traveler looking for a Japan away from the traditional paths of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the hotel adds a new reason to stop in Nara. A visit here is not based on luxury alone, but rather on an experience that combines residence, heritage and architecture in a place that carries a true story. It is a model that may also be of interest to investors in the Arab region looking for innovative ways to repurpose historical buildings and transform them into tourism assets of economic and cultural value.