Luxury hotel remodelling historic former Nara prison opens

TOKYO – A luxury hotel converted from a historic former prison in the western Japan city of Nara opened on June 25, with its operator aiming to use part of the revenue from the property to help preserve the nationally designated cultural asset.

Guests will be able to enjoy the facility’s rich history while staying in one of 48 spacious suites created by combining several former solitary and shared cells. Exposed brick walls and high-set windows retain traces of the building’s original use.

Hoshino Resorts, which runs Hoshinoya Nara Prison, held a media preview on June 23 at the red-brick complex, which was completed in 1908.

Four of the prison’s five cell wings, arranged radially around a central guard station, have been converted into guest accommodation.

Hoshino Resorts operates the property as part of efforts to turn the historic complex into a tourist attraction. The site is near Nara Park, known for its free-roaming deer and landmarks including the Todai-ji temple complex.

A one-night stay starts at 147,000 yen (S$1,180) per suite room, and guests can also visit the Nara Prison Museum on the site during their stay.

“We want to pass on the history and value of this building to future generations,” said Masaya Kakegawa, the hotel’s general manager. He added that he hopes the hotel becomes one of Nara’s leading destinations for overnight visitors.

The hotel is targeting an occupancy rate of 80 per cent within three years.

The prison was one of five major penitentiaries built by the government during the Meiji Era (1868-1912) as part of efforts to showcase the modernisation of confinement facilities in Japan. It later served as a juvenile prison before closing in 2017 due to ageing facilities. KYODO NEWS