Hotel Chourakukan

We didn’t stay at Hotel Chourakukan (Chorakukan), but walked past while visiting the area and Maruyama Park. It sits within the park, a short walk from the eastern gate of Yasaka Shrine. This historic luxury boutique hotel and café is often called the “Tobacco King’s Palace” and is one of Kyoto’s notable examples of Meiji-era Western-style architecture. Its interiors are an elaborate mix of Rococo, Neoclassical, and Art Nouveau styles. Today it operates as an exclusive hotel with only a handful of rooms, a high-end French restaurant, and elegant tea rooms for afternoon tea in an early 20th-century setting. Murai Kichibei, the wealthy entrepreneur known as Japan’s “Tobacco King,” built the villa in 1909. He imported materials and artistic influences from across Europe, sparing no expense on a residence for hosting international dignitaries. Hirobumi Ito, Japan’s first Prime Minister and a frequent guest and admirer of the estate, gave it the name Chorakukan, meaning “The House of Eternal Pleasure.” Over the years, royalty, foreign diplomats, and other historical figures visited, including John D. Rockefeller during his trips to Kyoto. The building was an important site for international diplomacy and high-society gatherings. In 1986, the City of Kyoto designated it a Tangible Cultural Property, a status that protects original features such as intricate wood carvings, marble fireplaces, and stained glass. Though it has changed from a private villa into a commercial hotel and café, it keeps an old-world, exclusive atmosphere. The historic interior is carefully preserved, and guests may be asked to remove their shoes or follow specific etiquette to protect the floors and furnishings.