The Hoshinoya Asuka resort will open near Nara on 22 July 2027 with 35 single-storey suites

On 22 July 2027, Hoshino Resorts will open Hoshinoya Asuka, 35 single-storey suites set around a terraced garden in the village that was Japan’s first capital. The tenth address of its Hoshinoya luxury brand, it has been open for bookings since 25 September 2026, from 193,000 yen a night.

☰Contents

1. Asuka, Japan’s very first capital
2. A terraced garden of almost 5 hectares
3. 35 suites of 70 to 260 m², under 4 m ceilings
4. Why set a bath inside a stone wall?
5. A dinner guided by yin and yang
6. Tea, ink and starry skies on the programme

Asuka, Japan’s very first capital

Before Kyoto and Tokyo, the imperial court sat at Asuka-kyo, in this village in Nara Prefecture. It is home to Asuka-dera, Japan’s oldest Buddhist temple, and to megalithic tombs such as the Ishibutai burial mound. The site was inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List in July 2026 as the “Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara”.

Asuka is the only municipality in Japan protected across its entire territory by a historic landscape law that strictly controls building. Hoshino Resorts has spent ten years preparing its hotel here, with agreements signed with the village in 2016, 2019 and 2026.

A terraced garden of almost 5 hectares

The estate covers almost 50,000 m² in a valley on the western side of the village. At its centre, the garden follows the pattern of terraced rice fields: paddies, lawns, vegetable plots, meadows and paths that change with every season. Gazebos are dotted around it, and every suite looks onto it through large picture windows. The landscaping is by Onsite Planning and Design Office.

35 suites of 70 to 260 m², under 4 m ceilings

The hotel’s layout has been entrusted to Azuma Environment and Architecture Institute, which also worked on the Hoshinoya Nara Prison hotel, the prefecture’s other Hoshinoya. The 35 suites are individual single-storey pavilions topped with large tiled roofs like the village’s houses and temples, with ceilings rising to around 4 metres.

The Mochizuki suites (70 to 79 m²) have a sofa shaped around a rock, facing the garden. The Tobutori Villa, the largest, measures 260 m² for four guests: two bedrooms, a living room opening onto the courtyard and garden, and a stone bath pavilion facing a bamboo grove.

Why set a bath inside a stone wall?

The design draws on the village’s stone monuments, the most famous being the Ishibutai burial mound, built from enormous blocks. The Akane suites (105 to 107 m²) therefore have a bath set within a stone chamber, one entire wall of which is made of blocks. The hotel will also have a spa for treatments and massages, and a shared bath.

A dinner guided by yin and yang

The evening menu draws on the Asuka period (538 to 710), when Chinese thinking on yin and yang and the five elements shaped the culture: the ingredients, shapes and colours of the dishes echo one another. It costs 20,000 yen per person, excluding taxes and the 10% service charge; breakfast is 4,364 yen. The hotel’s logo features the Yamato tachibana, presented as Japan’s oldest citrus fruit, which is also used to scent the shabu-shabu noodles.

Tea, ink and starry skies on the programme

The official concept, “a sanctuary of calm at the origins of Japan”, is built around a mindful stay. On the programme: a night walk through the village to see the stars, preparing ink at daybreak, a breathing session inspired by the poetry of the Manyoshu, an ancient anthology of Japanese poems, and tea served in a pavilion open to the breeze. To find out more about the group, read our profile of Hoshino Resorts and our review of the KAI Kaga ryokan.