Imperial Hotel isn’t just celebrating its 135th anniversary—it’s changing the game. The institution that defined Japanese luxury—a space where emperors, cultural icons, and global leaders have left their mark—begins a new chapter with the opening of Imperial Hotel, Kyoto in Spring 2026. Tradition and future, united under one roof.
Since its founding in 1890, under the vision of Eiichi Shibusawa, Kihachiro Okura, and Foreign Minister Kaoru Inoue, the Imperial Hotel was conceived as Japan’s private guesthouse for foreign dignitaries. An architectural and cultural manifesto of modernity, underpinned by the philosophy of omotenashi—hospitality with soul—has sustained its reputation for over a century. Its rooms have witnessed history: Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Helen Keller, and Babe Ruth, among others, have passed through its doors; and in 2012, it hosted the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings.
The Imperial Hotel Tokyo, the brand’s flagship hotel, continues to beat in the heart of the capital. There, Frank Lloyd Wright’s earthquake-resistant vision saved the building from the Great Kanto Earthquake on the day of its opening in 1923, giving rise to the legendary “Jewel of the Orient.” Today, its spirit lives on in a continuous metamorphosis: 909 rooms and suites are being reimagined as part of the ambitious Tokyo Cross Park project, with a new main building designed by Tsuyoshi Tane (ATTA). Sustainability guides this new era: 100% CO₂-free energy, a drastic reduction in plastics, vegan cuisine, and certifications such as VERIFIED™ by Forbes Travel Guide and 5 Sakura, the highest ESG standard for Japanese tourism.
Beyond Tokyo, the group cultivates its legacy in locations that are destinations in themselves: Imperial Hotel, Kamikochi an alpine retreat for poets and nature lovers since 1933, with carbon-neutral and circular economy initiatives; and Imperial Hotel, Osaka, a sophisticated retreat by the Okawa River, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026 and participating in TEAM EXPO 2025 to drive sustainable innovation.
The next jewel in the crown will be Imperial Hotel, Kyoto, a monumental restoration of the historic Yasaka Kaikan (1936) in the heart of Gion. Rescuing 16,387 original tiles and employing techniques such as ikedori—artisanal extraction and reuse—the building is reborn as a 55-room boutique hotel designed by Obayashi Corporation leading exteriors and interiors by architect Tomoyuki Sakakida of New Material Research Laboratory.
Its philosophy: “The old is new.” Its spaces fuse the essence of classic Japan with refined contemporary luxury: a spa, pool, restaurant, and a bar designed to become a benchmark on the international scene. Part of The Leading Hotels of the World, it is more than a hotel: it is a living piece of Japanese history reinvented for the 21st-century traveler.
“The Imperial Hotel, Kyoto embodies who we are: timeless heritage, uncompromising craftsmanship, and the immortal spirit of Japanese hospitality,” says Hideya Sadayasu, Group President, as he looks ahead to 2040, when the group will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a model of hospitality that is sustainable, culturally sound, and deeply humane.
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