Hotel Chourakukan in Kyoto's Higashiyama district will introduce a new photo wedding plan, "Night Photo at CHOURAKUKAN," starting September 3 (Thursday), 2026.
The plan takes place inside the hotel's main building, "Chourakukan," which was built in 1909 (Meiji 42) and is now designated a National Important Cultural Property. It makes use of the building's nighttime lighting and shadow, offering a very different atmosphere from wedding photography shot during the day.
Unlike bright, vivid wedding photos taken in natural daylight, nighttime sessions at Chourakukan are set against chandeliers and lamplight, the shadows cast by the building's historic architectural details, and the night view of Higashiyama, resulting in calm, classical photographs.
The plan is aimed not only at couples still planning a photo wedding, but also at those who have already held a daytime ceremony or photo wedding and want to capture a different side of the venue after dark.
Architecture and Attire Stand Out After Dark
Nighttime photography uses the contrast of light and shadow from indoor lighting to bring out the dimensionality of the subjects. The silhouette of a wedding dress, along with its veil and delicate embroidery details, is also rendered more strikingly by the nighttime shadow. Lit by chandeliers and lamps, and set against the building's substantial architectural details and the night view of Higashiyama, the space — passed down since its construction in 1909 — reveals a different expression after dark, evoking a scene from a film.
Plan Details
Plan name: Wedding photo plan "Night Photo at CHOURAKUKAN"
Available from: September 3 (Thursday), 2026
Venue: Hotel Chourakukan
Price: From ¥284,900
Includes:
- One Western-style outfit each for the bride and groom
- Venue rental fee, dressing room fee, and hair and makeup
- Photography fee and digital photo data
Prices include a 10% service charge and consumption tax. Photo shoot content may be subject to change depending on weather and venue availability.
Housed within the main building, Hotel Chourakukan is a boutique hotel with a restaurant, cafe, sweets boutique, and bar, along with six guest rooms in an adjoining annex. The hotel is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), a global hotel brand, and welcomes guests from Japan and overseas.
