On Tuesday, Hoshino Resorts started taking reservations for its latest luxury hotel set to open in Nara on June 25, 2026. As with all the company’s properties, it oozes elegance. This one, though, is a little different as it is Japan’s first luxury hotel created within a former prison. Hoshinoya Nara Prison promises to honor the building’s radical past while providing guests with a deluxe stay.
‘Unforgettable Spaces’ at Hoshinoya Nara Prison
The hotel will house 48 rooms that, according to the website, are “defined by high ceilings and red brick walls.” They were created by combining multiple solitary-confinement cells, providing “unforgettable spaces that fuse historical enormity and contemporary design.” Guests will also have much better dining options than former inmates. Course menus include Western and Japanese meals, Wagyu shabu-shabu and vegetarian kaiseki.
The building, opened in 1908, boasts a striking layout with cell blocks radiating from a central watchtower that is based on a revolutionary radial prison design by English-born American architect John Haviland. It is the only surviving structure of Japan’s “Five Great Prisons” built during the Meiji period. All were designed by Keijiro Yamashita, with most of the brick-making and construction work carried out by the prisoners.
In 1946, it was renamed Nara Juvenile Prison as all the inmates were aged between 16 and 26. Due to its aging infrastructure and earthquake safety concerns, it closed down as a prison in 2017. That same year, it was designated a National Important Cultural Property. The conversion of the prison into a luxury hotel was originally planned for a much earlier date, around 2020 or 2021, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the project.
The Museum
As well as the hotel, the grounds will also feature a museum dedicated to the site’s history and architectural heritage. It will include two sections: the exhibition area and the preservation area with the third cellblock and the guard station. The museum is set to open on April 27, with tickets priced from ¥2,500 for adults. It will be open to hotel-staying guests and the general public.
More information about Hoshinoya Nara Prison can be found here.
