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A Unesco World Heritage Site, Nara is one of the Kansai region’s most popular destinations, beloved for its bowing deer and majestic temples. Visitors primarily flock to the city for its storied history as a political and cultural capital of ancient Japan. The stately Todaiji Temple, home to the Great Buddha Daibutsu, as well as the adjacent Kofukuji Temple, are just some of its key attractions. Come April 27, however, visitors will be able to explore a different aspect of Nara’s past at the new Nara Prison Museum.
Visiting a prison on your holiday might sound like a grim prospect, but the Nara Prison Museum is anything but. In fact, the experience has been envisioned as a contemplative one, encouraging you to reflect on fundamental human values.
Of course, Nara Prison’s architectural beauty remains the main highlight. Designed by the late architect Keijiro Yamashita and completed in 1908, the historical red-brick structure incorporates elegant Western decorative features including domes and archways. More importantly, it is the only surviving example of the Five Major Prisons of the Meiji Era, built at a time when Japan was experiencing rapid Western-influenced modernisation.
In 2017, Nara Prison was shut down and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Hoshino Resorts – operator of some of Japan’s most reputable hotels including the luxurious Hoshinoya brand – has taken on the task of not only preserving the prison’s architectural and historical significance but also transforming it into a museum and luxury hotel.
The Nara Prison Museum will consist of two sections. The preservation area, which includes the third cellblock and the guard station, will be restored to its original condition. The exhibition area, on the other hand, comprises three exhibition buildings, along with a café and shop.
For this ambitious project, Hoshino Resorts has engaged Taku Sato, former museum director of Tokyo’s 21_21 Design Sight, and museography expert Adrien Gardère to create the exhibition. Spanning three sections, it will highlight the prison’s unique architecture, introduce Japan’s penal system and prison life from the inmates’ perspective, and explore the concept of ‘prison’ through works by local and overseas artists. By diving into the issues of crime and punishment, the exhibition naturally also invites reflection on the deeper meaning of freedom.
The Nara Prison Museum is set to open on April 27, with tickets priced from ¥2,500 for adults. The luxury on-site hotel, Hoshinoya Nara Prison, will also open this year – exact dates to be announced.
For more information, visit the Nara Prison Museum website.
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