Located among the Yoshino cedar-covered mountains of the ancient city of Nara, MIROKU Nara, a boutique hotel, captures the generosity of space found in the city's great temples. 

At the hotel entrance, weathered rock has turned to soil, from which Yoshino cedar trees have grown and flourished. These trees represent nature's cycle and Nara's primitive climate, unchanged for more than 1400 years. MIROKU Nara is situated on the banks of the Ara Pond at the southern end of Nara Park, where deer roam freely. 

Surrounded by cultural assets, the hotel, renovated from a four-storey office building, overlooks the World Heritage-listed five-storey pagoda of Kofukuji. Designed by Fumihiko Sano with Keiji Ashizawa as co-designer, Sano's primitive and locally sourced materials-driven approach combines with, Ashizawa’s finely detailed spatial design. 

At the entrance, 250-year-old Yoshino cedar trees dominate a volume of Nara clay slabs and a sculpture made of Asuka stone, native to Nara and used in Ishibutai Kofun, a stone tomb built in the 7th century in Asuka Village, represents the topography of Nara and its important cultural heritage. 

The interior elements of the hotel were curated to allow visitors to experience the charm of Nara in a simple and relaxed environment and help guests feel seamlessly connected to the city. In the basement, you will find an open garden-like space composed of five Asuka stones, a Yoshino cedar tree of over 1m high and clay walls that have cracked through a natural drying process, with a table in the centre where guests can gather. 

Sano created focal points in the basement, as the guest rooms are dimly lit due to low light penetration. Yoshino cedar logs stand in several spots and the dry area visible from the front window was designed to reproduce the rock surfaces seen when walking in the mountains of Yoshino. Nara's nature and craftsmanship are reflected in every detail of the hotel, and local materials and manufacturing processes utilised to demonstrate the region's rich history and contemporary culture. 

The restaurant lobby has a countertop made of a single piece of Yoshino cedar and light fixtures made from custom-designed Uda washi paper. CAFE&BAR menus are supervised by local cafe KURUMINOKI and use ingredients sourced from Nara Prefecture; meals can be enjoyed on the adjoining terrace with views of Ara Pond and Mount Kasuga Primeval Forest, which has been protected as a sacred forest for over 1000 years. 

MIROKU Nara promotes environmental conservation, along with the use of renewable energy, the hotel offers a large drawer of amenities by the front desk rather than in rooms, including 100% organic toiletries to eliminate unnecessary waste. Sharing with the community is at the heart of MIROKU Nara; the hotel is a space open to locals where they can attend unique events with guests. 

The hotel aims to collect and convey Nara's charm and bring it back to the community while contributing to the creation of new culture.