PRISON BY NIGHT at Nara Prison Museum from December 4; Light and Video on an Important Cultural Property

Nara Prison Museum by Hoshino Resorts in Nara City will hold its first night museum, “PRISON BY NIGHT: Light & Echoes,” from Friday, December 4, 2026 to Sunday, January 31, 2027 (except January 12 to 14). Hours are 18:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:00). The red-brick architecture of the former Nara Prison, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property, is brought out with night-only lighting, and a light, video and sound installation unfolds in the preserved building lined with 48 solitary cells.

Why now? Opening a prison that is an Important Cultural Property at night to help preserve it

The former Nara Prison was built in 1908 to a design by Keijiro Yamashita. It was renamed Nara Juvenile Prison in 1946 and designated a national Important Cultural Property in 2017. It is said to be the only one of the Meiji government’s planned Five Great Meiji Prisons that survives in its entirety. It adopts the “Haviland system,” in which the cell blocks radiate from a central guard station.

Nara Prison Museum opens the building to the public under the concept “Questions from a Beautiful Prison.” A gallery in the renovated former medical building shows works by five artists and groups and works from an art project linking the inside and outside of prisons. The hotel Hoshinoya Nara Prison also opened on June 25, 2026.

The event uses the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ fiscal 2026 subsidy for projects utilizing cultural resources (program to promote the use of attractive cultural properties across Japan). Hoshino Resorts says that by also using the Important Cultural Property at night, it will create new opportunities to visit and put the proceeds toward maintenance, leading to sustainable preservation and use. It also says the experience of staying and strolling at night will encourage overnight stays and contribute to Nara’s night-time economy. The background to the spread of night events illuminating cultural properties is covered in our feature “Why are light-ups and projection mapping on cultural properties on the rise?”

What can visitors see? Seeing, imagining and staying

The presentation consists of three experiences.

• Seeing: Night-only lighting highlights the outlines, shadows and red-brick textures of the Meiji-era modern architecture.

• Imagining: In the preserved building, where 48 solitary cells line a corridor about 60 m long, an installation combines light, video and sound. Video of countless white birds flying into a deep blue sky spreads across the entire ceiling, while yellow circular lights and red geometric patterns are projection-mapped onto the doors and walls of each cell.

• Staying: An outdoor “Square of Ties” appears. Some of the visitors’ words from more than 5,000 postcards submitted to the Prison Postcard Project, which has run in the museum’s “Room of Ties” since its opening, are projected as letters of light on the red-brick walls.

The art director of Nara Prison Museum is graphic designer Taku Satoh, head of TSDO. The night-only spatial design and video are by Seiichi Hishikawa, a video craft artist, photographer and art director. Hishikawa began his career in the music industry and has worked across genres, including corporate brand videos, stage direction for fashion brands and spatial design for museums.

Tickets and prices: early-bird discount until October 31

Night prices are 3,000 yen for adults, 2,000 yen for university and high school students, 1,000 yen for elementary and junior high school students and 1,000 yen for holders of a disability certificate; preschool children are free. Reservations made by October 31 get an early-bird discount of 500 yen for adults (limited number). Reservations are accepted through asoview from the official website, and advance reservations are recommended. Guests of Hoshinoya Nara Prison do not need reservations.

Regular daytime hours are 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:00), with no regular closing days. Daytime admission is by advance reservation, at 2,500 yen for adults residing in Japan, 2,000 yen for Nara Prefecture residents and 3,500 yen for overseas residents, among other prices. During the event, the museum café sells a “Zenzai Hot Chocolate” (850 yen), inspired by zenzai sweet red-bean soup, a popular winter dish at the former Nara Prison, from 10:00 to 21:00 (last order 20:45). The café and shop are for museum visitors only.

Access and notes

The address is 18 Hannyajicho, Nara City. Take a direct bus from JR Nara Station (West Exit, stop 11) or Kintetsu Nara Station (stop 2) and get off at Nara Kangoku Museum-mae; it is a one-minute walk. The ride takes 18 minutes from Kintetsu Nara Station and 25 minutes from JR Nara Station, and the fare is 250 yen for adults and 130 yen for children. The release says direct buses from the city center will run in line with the event.

Children of elementary school age or younger cannot enter on their own. Some parts of the museum are not fully barrier-free, and strollers cannot be brought in (two strollers that can be used in the exhibition areas are available for loan). Photography is for personal use only, and flash, tripods and selfie sticks cannot be used.

Editor’s perspective

The premise of this event is a framework in which a prison building that is an Important Cultural Property is opened at night and the proceeds are used for its maintenance. The materials for the presentation are not only lighting and video but also the words on postcards visitors have posted since the museum opened, weaving what the facility has accumulated in its operation into a night exhibition. The run is about two months, including the New Year holidays, and the event is not held from January 12 to 14.

Overview

Name: PRISON BY NIGHT: Light & Echoes
Dates: Friday, December 4, 2026 – Sunday, January 31, 2027 (except January 12–14)
Hours: 18:00–21:00 (last entry 20:00)
Venue: Nara Prison Museum by Hoshino Resorts
Address: 18 Hannyajicho, Nara City, Nara
Admission: Adults 3,000 yen, university and high school students 2,000 yen, elementary and junior high school students 1,000 yen, holders of a disability certificate 1,000 yen, preschool children free. Reservations made by October 31: 500 yen off for adults (limited number)
Reservations: Through the official website (asoview); advance reservations recommended
Organizer: Hoshino Resorts
Art director: Taku Satoh
Night spatial design and video: Seiichi Hishikawa
Official website: https://hoshinoresorts.com/nara-prison-museum/ja/
*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Installation in the preserved building (image) (from a press release by Hoshino Resorts)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from Hoshino Resorts (October 7, 2026) and information on the official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team