NEWS
Former Nara Prison to reopen as HOSHINOYA hotel and museum in 2026
HOSHINOYA will open HOSHINOYA Nara Prison on June 25, 2026, transforming the former Nara Prison into a new luxury hotel with deep heritage roots. A separate public-facing Nara Prison Museum is scheduled to open on April 27, 2026, expanding access to the site beyond overnight guests. The project repurposes the only surviving structure of the Meiji government’s Five Great Prisons, combining preservation with a contemporary hospitality program. It will become the ninth property in the HOSHINOYA portfolio.
The landmark redevelopment is anchored in the architectural significance of the original prison complex. Construction began in 1901 and the facility was commissioned in 1908 as part of a national project led by the Meiji government. Designed by Keijiro Yamashita, the building is defined by red-brick masonry built using the Haviland System, with multiple wings radiating from a central guardhouse. In 2017, the site was designated a National Important Cultural Property, formalizing its status as one of Japan’s most historically significant institutional buildings.
Within this preserved framework, HOSHINOYA Nara Prison will feature 48 suites, each planned with distinct zones for sleeping, living, and dining. One of the most distinctive accommodations, the 10-Cell suite, merges ten original solitary cells into a single, reimagined space. The design approach intentionally retains 100-year-old hand-laid brick walls and iron pillars, while layering in modern architecture and wood paneling to create a balance between authenticity and comfort.
Food and hospitality programming are being developed to match the site’s elevated positioning. A detached dining hall will serve Japanese-French cuisine, while the hotel plans to introduce a variety of experiences and activities, with details still in development. Behind the scenes, the complex has undergone seismic retrofitting, completed under a 2017 agreement involving the Ministry of Justice and Former Nara Prison Preservation and Utilization Co., Ltd., ensuring the red-brick structures can safely support their new role.
The redevelopment also broadens public engagement through the planned Nara Prison Museum, which will welcome day visitors from April 27, 2026. Positioned as a public facility, the museum will focus on the site’s history and architectural heritage, reflecting the former prison’s more than century-long role and its recognized cultural value. The museum component also reinforces the project’s intent to preserve and interpret the setting, not only monetize it.
Historically, the former Nara Prison was built amid Japan’s judicial modernization efforts during the Meiji period and the push to abolish unequal treaties. The five prisons completed during that era include Nara, Nagasaki, Kanazawa, Chiba, and Kagoshima, with the Nara structure standing today as the only surviving example. With the launch of HOSHINOYA Nara Prison and its companion museum, the site is being repositioned from a closed institution to a destination where architecture, history, and hospitality converge.
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