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HOSHINOYA Nara Prison
Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan · Hoshinoya · High Luxury
HOSHINOYA Nara Prison opened 25 June 2026 inside Keijiro Yamashita's 1908 Former Nara Prison, the last intact Meiji Five Great Prisons and a National Important Cultural Property. Forty-eight rooms join nine to eleven old solitary cells into suites on the radial Haviland plan, red brick and a central guard station still running the geometry of the house.
- 48 rooms
- Opened 2026
- Neighborhood: Hannyaji
- Architect: Keijiro Yamashita; Azuma Architect & Associates
About HOSHINOYA Nara Prison
- The prison became Nara Juvenile Prison in 1946 and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 2017.
- Suites run about 60 square meters once the 2.5-tatami cells are combined; the 11-Cell Deluxe is the largest type.
- A Nara Prison Museum by Hoshino Resorts is open for day visits on the same 25-acre site.
History
The Former Nara Prison was completed in 1908 to designs by Keijiro Yamashita, using the Haviland System of cell wings radiating from a central guard station. It is the only one of the Meiji government's Five Great Prisons to survive almost fully intact, and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 2017 after serving as Nara Juvenile Prison from 1946.
Hoshino Resorts opened HOSHINOYA Nara Prison on 25 June 2026 with 48 rooms made by joining nine to eleven former solitary cells. The radial brick plan remains; Azuma Architect & Associates handled the conversion.
Restaurants and bars
- Gastronomy Chronicle (dining venue) — Restaurant · French cuisine lineage in Japan, tasting menu
Experiences
- Gastronomy Chronicle dinner — Four-course tasting menu tracing the lineage of French cuisine in Japan, served in semi-private dining spaces for up to six.
- Meiji-style Breakfast — Signature breakfast of small Western-style Meiji-period dishes, such as Scotch egg with Worcestershire sauce, crab cream croquettes and fried shrimp.
- Nara Prison Museum by Hoshino Resorts — On-site museum on the historical and architectural significance of the former prison, linked to the hotel by a guest pathway, with extra guest hours.
- Akane Tea Salon — Complimentary afternoon tea salon (15:00–16:30) in the Main Lounge serving Wakōcha black tea from Tsukigase, Nara, with sweets.
- The Gramophone Soirée — Adult social evening (21:00–22:30) in the Dining Lounge with a vintage gramophone, fine spirits, cocktails and champagne.
- Evening Fragrance Blending — Reservation-required fragrance-blending experience (21:30–22:30) in the Main Lounge, creating a bespoke fragrance with a terracotta diffuser gift box.
Amenities
- Japanese-French fine dining in a detached hall
- On-site Nara Prison Museum (National Important Cultural Property)
- Luxury spa and massage services
- Historic main lounge and library spaces
- Guided architectural and history tours of the complex
- Free Wi-Fi and complimentary outdoor parking
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