The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike, in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, is marking its 40th anniversary this autumn with a special one-night stay plan called "A Kyoto Journey Touching Showa Modernist Architecture and Its Legacy," available for a single date, September 20, 2026. The plan invites guests to learn about the work of architect Murano Togo through a lecture by Professor Ishida Jun'ichiro of Mukogawa Women's University's Faculty of Architecture, followed by a concierge-led tour of the hotel. The following day, guests can also join a tour of the neighboring Kyoto International Conference Center.
The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike opened in October 1986 under the catchphrase "Beautiful Moments of Relaxation." Designed by Murano Togo, one of the leading Japanese architects of the Showa era, with guests' comfort in mind, the hotel is filled with creative detail down to the smallest design elements. This stay plan gives guests the chance to learn about and experience the beautiful design and the architect's intentions that have been carefully preserved since the hotel opened.
The 40th-Anniversary Stay Plan
Period: One night from Sunday, September 20, 2026
Price: From ¥66,500 per person (based on two people sharing a room)
- Price includes one night's accommodation, the lecture fee, the hotel and Kyoto International Conference Center tour fee, dinner, breakfast, service charge, and consumption tax
- Accommodation tax is charged separately
Capacity: 30 guests
Schedule
Sunday, September 20
- 3:00 PM — Lecture, "The True Value of a Landmark Showa-Era Building — The Feel of Murano Togo's Architecture," by Ishida Jun'ichiro (Professor, Faculty of Architecture, Mukogawa Women's University; Professor Emeritus, Kyoto Institute of Technology), with tea and confectionery served
- 4:00 PM — Hotel tour, guided by hotel concierge Sawamura Takuya and Professor Ishida
- 5:30 PM — Dinner, in the Banquet Room
- Overnight stay at the hotel
Monday, September 21 (holiday)
- Breakfast; the "Saryo" tea lounge is open free of charge, exclusively for overnight guests
- 10:30 AM — Kyoto International Conference Center tour, guided by center staff
- 11:30 AM — Tour ends
Photos are for illustration only. The schedule is subject to change.
Highlights of the Hotel Tour
Guided by the hotel's concierge, the tour takes in several notable spots within the property.
Kyoto International Conference Center Tour
Adjacent to the hotel, the Kyoto International Conference Center was designed by Otani Sachio and is considered a masterpiece of modernist architecture. Where the hotel is known for its curves, the center is defined by striking straight lines. Center staff will guide guests through its interior, which features furniture and design work by Kenmochi Isamu.
Reservations
General reservations and inquiries for the stay plan open on Thursday, July 23, 2026, through a dedicated page on the hotel's official website: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/kyoto/plan/showa-modernism/
Reservations and inquiries by phone can be made through The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike Accommodation Reservations, TEL (075) 712-3456, reception hours 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
About Murano Togo (1891–1984)
A graduate of the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Science and Engineering, at Waseda University, Murano Togo received the Order of Culture in 1967 and was a member of the Japan Art Academy.
Representative works include the Watanabe Memorial Hall in Ube, Yamaguchi (an Important Cultural Property), the World Peace Memorial Cathedral in Hiroshima (also an Important Cultural Property), and the Nissay Theatre (Nippon Life Insurance Hibiya Building) in Tokyo.
Active at the forefront of Japanese architecture both before and after the war, Murano is one of Japan's most celebrated architects, and his richly creative designs remain widely loved today. He was especially known for his hotel architecture, and when he was entrusted with the redesign of the Akasaka Palace into the State Guest House, he closely toured lodging facilities across Europe and the United States to deepen his expertise.
Murano also designed other properties in the same hotel group, including The Prince Hakone Ashinoko and Izu Nagaoka Onsen Sanyoso.
Reference: as part of "Action! Traditional Culture," a joint project between Seibu Group and The Yomiuri Shimbun, a special website titled "The True Value of a Landmark Showa-Era Building — The Feel of Murano Togo's Architecture" can be viewed at: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/contents/showa100th/architecture/
Murano Togo and 40 Years of The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike
At the end of 1983, Murano Togo visited Takaragaike for the first time. He returned to the site on several occasions, sketching repeatedly, in what is said to have been an intense final push in the last years of his life.
Murano died the following year, before the hotel's completion, but his disciples carried on his vision, and in October 1986 the donut-shaped hotel, in harmony with the surrounding nature, was completed. Its soft, curve-heavy design continues to invite guests into moments of relaxation today.
Murano also envisioned the hotel as a world-class international hotel. Located in the Takaragaike convention district, it has hosted a wide range of conferences, academic conventions, and parties since opening, welcoming numerous guests, including dignitaries from Japan and abroad. This accumulated history continues to be passed down to staff as a legacy that lives on in the hotel's hospitality.
Major MICE achievements:
- December 1997: Kyoto Conference on Climate Change (COP3)
- March 2003: 3rd World Water Forum
- May 2005: 7th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting
- September 2019: 25th ICOM Kyoto General Conference (International Council of Museums)
- March 2021: 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
- and others
In 2024, the hotel was named Best Meetings Hotel (Japan) at the "M&C Asia Stella Awards 2024," hosted by MICE industry media outlet "M&C Asia."
40th-Anniversary Panel Exhibition
A panel exhibition looking back at the hotel's 40 years since opening is currently underway.
Period: Through Wednesday, March 31, 2027
Location: Hotel 1st floor lobby
The exhibition features precious drawings bearing Murano Togo's handwritten notes, along with images from the construction process, tracing the 40-year history of The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike. Guests are welcome to view it freely during the exhibition period.
