You could lock yourself in here and pay! Nara Prison in Japan

Who would want to voluntarily go to prison and pay a lot of money for it!? It may seem shocking, but there will certainly be plenty of people willing to do so. The 115-year-old Nara Prison in Japan will be transformed into luxury hotel. The monument, recognized as a cultural heritage site of the Land of the Rising Sun, has not fulfilled its original role for a long time. Thanks to the vision of the local holiday company Hoshino Resorts, Nara may gain a second life.

The Japanese are a very practical nation – instead of letting monuments decay into oblivion or pouring a lot of money into their maintenance with no chance of returning the investment, they allow them to be used commercially. This is an example of such a pragmatic action Nara prison in Japan. As reported by “Business Insider” – this one The 115-year-old facility will be restored by the Japanese hotel tycoon Hoshino Resorts.

Nara Prison was built in 1908, during the Meiji period, which coincided with the reign of Emperor Mutsuhito (1868-1912). Probably no one would have thought then that anyone would ever pay to go there. For the next decades, criminals were the “guests” in Nara. However, the historic red brick facility was finally taken out of use and the inmates were moved to more modern facilities.

The Japanese will restore a 115-year-old prison! A luxury hotel will be built there

After over 100 years of existence, Nara has been appreciated. It was noticed that it was not only an old, decaying penitentiary, but also an example of beautiful, historic architecture. The Land of the Rising Sun. In 2017, the facility was officially recognized Cultural property of Japan.

Recently it turned out that this is not the end. The prison will get a completely new life and it will be swarming with people again – this time not prisoners, but tourists. Nara will be completely restored and renovated. The owner is responsible for the project hotel chains Hoshino Resorts. It is a company with over a hundred years of tradition – not much younger than the Nara prison. It opened its first resort in 1914!

A prestigious project for the government, its elegant red brick structure embodies the ambition and craftsmanship of the Meiji era, when Japan opened its doors to the world. The former detention center houses the Haviland system, where a central guard tower oversees multiple radiating cell wings. To this day, it is the quintessential model of the “modern prison” in Japan

– Hoshino Resorts writes on its website.

According to the project implementer, a hotel in a prison Nara is expected to welcome its first guests in 2026.