Nara Prison Hotel
I first posted about this prison to hotel project here in 2022. At that time, it was anticipated that the hotel would open in 2024, but due to an earthquake-resistance assessment, it was delayed. The end of June 2026, it opened for business.
The prison was one of five built by the government during the Meiji Era (1868-1912), showcasing modern prison facilities in Japan. It later became a juvenile prison, closing in 2017 because the aging facilities.
Hoshino Resorts, Inc. now runs the property as a luxury hotel, with 48 suites, which were created by combining former cells. The property is turning the prison into a tourist attraction. The site is near Nara Park, known for landmarks such as the Todai-ji temple complex and its free-roaming deer.
A one night stay starts at 147,000 yen per suite room, which includes visiting the Nara Prison Museum. The hotel aims for an 80 per cent occupancy rate within three years.
I would like to stay at this hotel, but it is a little out of my price range. Maybe I could just visit the museum.
3 comments:
Wow that it out of my price range too! Good idea to restore and reuse the prison though.
Good to know it is being put to good use. You could come to Cornwall and stay in the Bodmin Jail Hotel for a third of the price!
The prisons used in Japan before the Meiji Era were kind of cages of wooden bars (pillar size) with bare wooden floors. The Nara jail must have been a revolutionary reform of Western architectural beauty. I wonder if it was not seen upon as a castle, far too fine for criminals
Post a Comment