The Imperial Hotel opened in 1890 in the Hibiya district of Tokyo, facing Hibiya Park and a short walk from the Imperial Palace. It was created at the request of Japan’s political and business leaders to receive foreign guests during the Meiji era, and it still ranks among the reference luxury hotels in Tokyo.
History
In 1923 the hotel opened a new building designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. On the day of its official opening, the Great Kantō earthquake struck Tokyo, and the Wright building survived largely intact. It was replaced in the late 1960s by the present main building; the central entrance hall of Wright’s hotel was moved and rebuilt at the Meiji Mura open-air museum near Nagoya.
Architecture and design
Wright’s building, in carved Ōya stone and brick, influenced Japanese architecture for decades, and the hotel keeps references to it in its bars and public rooms. The present complex includes the main building and the Imperial Tower.
Location
The hotel sits between Hibiya Park, the Ginza shopping district and the business district of Marunouchi, with the gardens of the Imperial Palace nearby.
Weddings and events
The Imperial Hotel is one of the historic venues for weddings, banquets and international conferences in Tokyo, with many banquet rooms of all sizes.
At a glance
What sets it apart
- 01Opened in 1890 to receive foreign guests of the Meiji era
- 02Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1923 building survived the Great Kantō earthquake
- 03Wright’s entrance hall preserved at the Meiji Mura museum
- 04Facing Hibiya Park, near the Imperial Palace
Chronology
Dates that matter
1890
The Imperial Hotel opens in November to receive foreign guests in the Meiji capital.
1922
The original building is destroyed by fire in April while Wright's hotel is under construction.
1923
Frank Lloyd Wright's building opens on 1 September, the day of the Great Kantō earthquake.
1945
The hotel is requisitioned by the Allied occupation forces after the war.
1967
The Wright building closes and is demolished.
1970
The present main building opens.
1983
The Imperial Tower opens beside the main building.
1985
Wright's entrance hall, rebuilt at the Meiji Mura museum near Nagoya, opens to visitors.
