On April 27, Hoshino Resort will open the “Nara Prison Museum by Hoshino Resort” (18 Hannakuji-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture), a cultural facility utilizing an important cultural asset, the former Nara Prison. Prior to the opening, a preview was held for the press.
The first thing that catches the eye at the site is the red brick building itself. The former Nara Prison was one of the “Five Great Meiji Prisons” completed in 1908, and is said to be the only facility that remains in its entirety. It was used as Nara Boys Prison from 1946 to 2017, and was designated as an Important Cultural Property in 2017.
At the preview, Ms. Kae Yagata, Director of the Nara Jail Museum by Hoshino Resort, gave an overview of the facility. She spoke about the former Nara Prison, saying that it was one of the five major Meiji prisons and that it is a valuable building that remains almost in its entirety, and that the project has been carried out not only to preserve the history and feelings engraved in the prison, but also to connect it to the future. The project is divided into the museum and the “Hoshinoya Nara Jail” (*not open to the public at the time of the preview), which is scheduled to open on June 25.
The concept of the museum is “Questions from a Beautiful Prison. The museum is not limited to historical exhibits, but is also designed to encourage visitors to think about their daily lives and freedom by exploring the place of prison through architecture, design, and art.
The museum is largely divided into a preservation area and an exhibition area. The center of the conservation area is the “Third Dormitory. The 96-room dormitory has vaulted ceilings, high windows, wooden doors with observation windows, and heavy locks. The building’s origin and design can be seen here, and at the same time, it conveys the fact that this was a place that was actually used.
The theme of Building A is “History and Architecture. It traces the history of Nara Prison along with the history of the Japanese administrative system and the history of prison administration, and introduces the designer, Keijiro Yamashita, the structure of the prison as seen from the central guardhouse, and a model of the five major Meiji Prisons. The Nara Boys’ Prison period is also covered, including the introduction of a correspondence course for high school students and the contacts the prison had with the local community.
In the B wing, the daily life in the prison is shown under the theme of “Discipline and Life. Seven sections are provided, including discipline, food, hygiene, work, rehabilitation, money, and freedom, showing daily life from waking up to going to bed, as well as the daily activities carried out in a prescribed manner. While the exhibit explains the rules of the prison, it is also designed to allow visitors to think about their own lives and how they spend their time.
The story of Building B by Taku Satoh of TSDO, who was involved in the art direction of the project, also left a strong impression. Mr. Sato recalled that when he first visited the former Nara Prison, he was surprised to find such a structure still standing in this condition. At the same time, he was impressed by the contrast between the beautiful architecture and the isolation of the prison.
In creating the exhibition, he says that the concept of “dissection of design,” which he has been practicing for a long time, was put to good use. This method involves reexamining the things around us that we take for granted and reconstructing them through words, photographs, and the way they are presented. Mr. Sato also mentioned the difficulty of constructing the exhibition, given the building’s status as an important cultural property and the restrictions placed on even hammering a single nail into the wall. Because of the strength of the building itself, the content of the exhibition had to be as strong as the building itself, he said.
Building C is an art exhibition space in a former prison infirmary. Under the themes of “Crime and Punishment” and “Time and Life,” works by five artists and prison art by inmates will be exhibited. Works with different textures, such as “Stitching Voices” by Yoshinari Nishio and “Melting Prayer in the Sea” by Kyunchome, show this place from a different angle from the tranquility of its architecture. At the end of the exhibition, a “Musubi Room” will be set up, where visitors can write their feelings or words they want to deliver to someone else on a card and post them in the “Prison Postcard Project.
A museum café and store will be available for visitors to stop by after their tour. The café will offer “brick curry bread” and “Cheesecake 1908” with red brick motifs. The store will feature postcards, sundries, and apparel with architectural motifs, as well as a gallery showcasing prison work products from around Japan. Both are available only to museum visitors.
The museum is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with last admission at 4:00 pm. Prices start at 2,500 yen for adults. Advance reservations are recommended on the official website. To access the museum, take the direct bus to “Nara Jail Museum Mae” and walk 1 minute. It is 18 minutes from Kintetsu Nara Station and 25 minutes from JR Nara Station.
In addition to preserving and exhibiting the red brick architecture, the museum offers visitors a sequential tour of the prison’s history, daily life, and art exhibits. The museum is designed to allow visitors to not only see the building itself, but also to trace the role that this place has played in the past.
In Nara, the “Hoshinoya Nara Jail” is scheduled to open on June 25, utilizing the same former Nara Jail, and in Asuka Village, the “Hoshinoya Asuka” is scheduled to open in 2027.
© Source travel watch