Japan’s first prison-turned-luxury-hotel is officially opening in Nara this June

The hospitality world is no stranger to experimental experiences. Want to stay in a beautiful, luxurious lodge overlooking a monastery in Bhutan? You got it. Want to sleep in a hotel made entirely of ice? Sure! We don’t know how many of us have voluntarily checked into a former prison, though.

While “jailhouse chic” already exists in cities like Boston, Helsinki, and Istanbul, Japan is finally joining the ranks of high-end incarceration. The former Nara Prison, a stunning Meiji-era relic, has been reimagined as the tenth flagship for Hoshino Resorts. Opening on June 25, Hoshinoya Nara Prison will be the country’s first-ever luxury hotel to inhabit a penitentiary.

Don’t expect a utilitarian experience. The hotel features 48 guest rooms cleverly crafted from renovated solitary confinement cells. These cells have been transformed into high-ceilinged, minimalist suites that blend original 100-year-old brickwork with contemporary wood panelling and the brand’s signature omotenashi hospitality.

Beyond the suites, the prison itself is an architectural marvel. Built in 1908, it’s the last of the “Five Great Prisons” of Meiji. Designed by the late architect Keijiro Yamashita, it features red-brick domes and arched gateways that resemble a European manor more than a correctional facility, earning it a spot on the list of National Important Cultural Properties. 

For a deep dive into the former prison’s past, guests and day visitors can visit a museum opening ahead of the hotel on April 27. It’ll highlight the building’s architecture, introduce the country’s penal system and prison life from prisoners’ perspectives, and explore the concept of ‘prison’ through works by both local and overseas artists.

Most travellers head to Nara for UNESCO sites and the famously “bowing” deer, but this opening gives the ancient capital a fresh, edgy draw. Whether you’re an architecture geek, history buff, or looking for a story worth telling at a dinner party, a night in this iconic building might just be what you need.

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