You would get locked up here and still pay! Nara Prison in Japan

Who would want to go to jail voluntarily and still pay a not inconsiderable amount of money for it! It may seem shocking, but there are bound to be crowds of takers. The 115-year-old Nara Prison in Japan will be transformed into a luxury hotel. Recognized as a cultural heritage site of the Land of the Cherry Blossom, the monument has long been out of its original role. Thanks to the vision of domestic resort company Hoshino Resorts, Nara may get a second life.

The Japanese are a very practical nation – instead of letting monuments deteriorate into oblivion or pumping large sums of money into their upkeep without any chance of a return on investment, they allow them to be used commercially. An example of such pragmatic action has become Nara Prison in Japan. As reported by Business Insider – this 115-year-old building will be restored By Japanese hotel tycoon Hoshino Resorts.

Nara Prison was built in 1908, during the Meiji period, which fell during the reign of Emperor Mutsuhito (1868-1912). Probably no one would have thought at the time that anyone would ever pay to be able to get there. For decades to come, criminals were “guests” at Nara. However, the historic red-brick facility was eventually decommissioned and inmates were transferred to more modern facilities.

Japanese will renovate 115-year-old prison! A luxury hotel will be built there

After more than 100 years of existence, Nara has been recognized. It was recognized that it was not just an old, deteriorating penitentiary, but also an example of beautiful, historic architecture Land of the Cherry Blossom. In 2017, the site was officially recognized as cultural asset of Japan.

It recently became clear that it will not stop there. The prison will be given a whole new life and will again be overrun with people there – this time not prisoners, but tourists. Nara will be completely restored and renovated. The owner of the hotel chains Hoshino Resorts. It is a company with more than a century of tradition – not much younger than Nara Prison. It opened its first resort back in 1914!

A prestigious project for the government, its elegant red brick construction 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, in which a central guard tower oversees multiple radial wings of cells. To this day, it is the quintessential model of a “modern prison” in Japan

– writes Hoshino Resorts on its website.

According to the project developer’s announcement, a hotel in the prison Nara is expected to receive its first guests as early as 2026.