Symmetrical exterior view of the Imperial Hotel Kyoto entrance featuring a golden geometric canopy, beige brickwork, and traditional Japanese roof tiles. — The grand entrance of the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto, blending traditional Japanese style with modern elegance.

A Japanese-style guest room interior at Imperial Hotel Kyoto with tatami matting, plush twin beds, and a wooden seating nook with two armchairs. — Find comfort in North Wing guest rooms at the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto. (Photo: Masatomo Moriyama)

Light-filled Grand Premier with Balcony room at Imperial Hotel, Kyoto, featuring twin beds with crisp white linens, contemporary neutral-toned seating, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Kyoto's historic cityscape. — Unwind in serene modern luxury in the Grand Premier with Balcony room in the main building of the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto. (Photo: Masatomo Moriyama)

Wide perspective of the modern luxury guest lounge at Imperial Hotel Kyoto with cream armchairs, warm wooden pillars, and large glass windows alongside an outdoor Japanese garden. — Light-filled guest lounge, designed with warm timber accents and long floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a traditional Japanese garden. (Photo: Masatomo Moriyama)

The Imperial Hotel, Kyoto has made its long-awaited debut within Gion’s iconic 1936 Yasaka Kaikan theater. Meticulously restored using salvaged original tiles, the property seamlessly merges historic Art Deco elements with 55 refined rooms—from tatami-floored sanctuaries to suites with Higashiyama Mountain views. Guests can unwind in a stone-clad pool or savor seasonal French-Japanese cuisine, experiencing a masterclass in modern luxury anchored in centuries of culture.

Phone: +81-75-531-0111
Website: https://www.imperialhotel.co.jp/en/kyoto
Address: 570-289 Gionmachi-Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0074, Japan

There are few cities in the world where a hotel can arrive with so much history already beneath its feet. In Gion, where centuries-old traditions still shape everyday life, the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto incorporates a landmark that has stood here since 1936. More than a century after its Tokyo debut, the storied Japanese hospitality brand brings its legacy to Kyoto with its first new property in three decades. Here, its newest chapter begins with a historic building worth preserving.

The Imperial Hotel, Kyoto is integrated with the former Yasaka Kaikan theater, once a hub for local residents and a cultural landmark. Its stage hosted performances, concerts, and puppet theater, and its history is closely tied to the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo, where geiko and maiko continue to train and perform. The hotel’s arrival has been conceived with the venue’s cultural significance firmly in mind.

What to Expect at the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto

Great care was taken to preserve the streetscape and cultural importance of the theater. Restoration was led by Obayashi Corporation, the same construction firm that built Yasaka Kaikan nearly 90 years ago, granting the team intimate knowledge of the building’s composition and structural history.

The decision to preserve the building presented an unusual architectural challenge: new buildings in Gion are subject to a strict 12-meter height limit, while Yasaka Kaikan rises 31.5 meters above the street. Thanks to the property’s architectural and cultural significance, rare approval was granted. The project ultimately retained the south and west exterior walls and elements of the original structure, including reconstruction of the building’s iconic copper-tiled roof.

Look closely, and you’ll appreciate 16,387 original exterior tiles that were salvaged and returned to the façade using ikedori (live capture) methods, a traditional Japanese conservation technique. Fragile terra-cotta reliefs from 1936 were also preserved or scanned and faithfully replicated, originally crafted by the same Tokoname artisans who worked on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel in 1923. Today, Yasaka Kaikan serves as the hotel’s main building and has retained its status as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property under the new name “Former Yasaka Kaikan.”

Inside, architect Tomoyuki Sakakida of New Material Research Laboratory has taken an “Old is New” philosophy. Tamina-ishi stone, Japanese marble, Oya stone, and domestic zelkova hardwood lend a sense of warmth and tactility, while subtle Art Deco references recall the building’s theatrical past.

Rooms and Suites at the Hotel

That sensibility extends to its 55 rooms and suites, across three distinct guestroom concepts: Extension, Preservation, and Renovation. The newly constructed North Wing introduces the first tatami-floored guestrooms in Imperial Hotel history, pairing handcrafted textures and earth-toned interiors with the quiet, wabi-sabi sensibility rooted in Kyoto craft traditions.

Housed within the historic structure, rooms in Preservation feature original beams, pillars, and window frames full of patina. Select rooms have private balconies overlooking the Kaburenjo theater grounds, allowing ambient soundscapes of Gion to drift in.

Finally, guestrooms in Renovation offer contemporary comfort in the generous proportions of the original Yasaka Kaikan structure. Wide windows in every room showcase sweeping views of the historic Higashiyama quarter, while its design incorporates Japanese cedar and locally fired ceramics to express a harmonious balance of past and present. The crown jewel of this wing is the signature Imperial Suite, with panoramic views of Kyoto, and the Higashiyama Mountains. Suite guests also have exclusive access to the rooftop gazebo, a sculptural remnant of the original theater building, from which to immerse themselves in Kyoto’s sights and sounds.

Beneath the hotel, the wellness spaces offer a counterpoint to that energy. The indoor pool is lined with Kitagi stone, the same material used on Yasaka Kaikan’s original exterior, giving the space a softly cave-like atmosphere that feels elemental and secluded. Alongside it, a serene spa and 24-hour fitness center provide a discreet retreat.

Executive Chef Koji Imajo cooking at a central teppan counter with surrounding kitchen staff, framed by smooth wooden finishes and ambient backlit golden art panels at Imperial Hotel, Kyoto. — Live culinary theater at REN, where fresh, seasonal ingredients meet haute gastronomy.

An artfully plated Japanese hairy crab dish featuring a cylindrical tartar topped with black caviar and edible flower petals, served in an herb-infused pool alongside an ornamental hairy crab shell. — Hairy crab presented to highlight its delicate, natural flavors.

An intimate L-shaped wooden dining counter lined with modern cream chairs and wine glasses under soft, warm lighting at Restaurant Ren in Imperial Hotel Kyoto. — Experience exquisite chef’s-counter dining at REN in the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto.

A high-angle, close-up shot of an intricately plated seafood dish over sliced avocado, garnished with edible flowers, caviar, and gold leaf, as green herb oil is drizzled onto a textured white plate at Restaurant Ren. — Artfully presented Japanese French cuisine at REN.

Freshly whisked green matcha being poured from a spout bowl into a creamy white cocktail garnish with a red cherry, alongside a traditional bamboo tea whisk in a ceramic bowl. — Taste Kyoto’s rich tea heritage infused with mixology in the signature ‘Mount Hiei’ cocktail at Old Imperial Bar.

Dining Options That You Can Choose

Dining at the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto similarly pays tribute to the building’s origins through atmosphere and cuisine. Led by Executive Chef Koji Imajo, the dining program employs French technique and Japanese seasonality. Ren is an intimate 18-seat French restaurant guided by the 24 Solar Terms. Meanwhile, Yasaka, the hotel’s all-day dining venue showcases open-fire and charcoal gastronomy. Find Kyoto-inspired cocktails at the Old Imperial Bar, or retreat to The Rooftop, a guest exclusive bar on the hotel’s top floor overlooking Gion’s historic rooftops, with views of Higashiyama Mountain, Heian Jingu, and Mount Hiei on the horizon.

Here, the past is not something simply left behind. It is present in the stone beneath your feet, the sounds beyond the windows, the craft embedded in the façade, and the seasonal rhythm of the table.

This article was brought to you by DestinAsian and the Imperial Hotel, Kyoto.

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