Brand story
Serving as Japan’s Private Guest House
Created by Eiichi Shibusawa (later the first chairman of the Imperial Hotel) and Kihachiro Okura at the order of Foreign Minister Kaoru Inoue, the Imperial Hotel was established in Tokyo’s Hibiya area in 1890 to serve as Japan’s guest house for visitors from abroad.
From then on, it came to serve as a gathering place offering a heartfelt welcome to guests of every era.
And moving into the future, the Imperial Hotel continues pursuing the “omotenashi” spirit of Japanese hospitality passed down over the years and working to ensure guest satisfaction.
Frank Lloyd Wright and the Imperial Hotel
The Imperial Hotel’s second main building (known as the Wright Building) was completed in 1923. This was the first hotel designed and built in Japan by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most famous architects of the 20th century.
Despite opening on the day that the Great Kanto Earthquake occurred, this hotel went on to serve not only as an accommodation facility but also as a center for cultural exchange between east and west, connecting countries and people during Japan’s Taisho and Showa periods (from 1923 to 1967). It even began the glamorous culture of hotels hosting social events.
Combining the unique beauty of the Wright Building’s architecture with all the radiance and charm contained within the hotel itself, this hotel astonished and impressed countless people as “the Jewel of the Orient” until closing in 1967.
The Wright legacy still remains a valuable aspect of the hotel today.
The Origin Story of “Hotel Wedding” Style
Wedding style options have grown increasingly diverse—such as overseas weddings or house weddings—but even now, many people choose the "hotel wedding" style in which both the ceremony and reception are held at a single hotel.
Shrine, were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Consequently, the Imperial Hotel established a shrine on its premises and offered weddings there combining both the ceremony and reception. Additionally, the prototype for the all-inclusive "hotel wedding" style—offering wedding attire rental, makeup, hairstyling and photography, etc.—was devised based on ideas from the hotel managers at the time, eventually becoming the widespread practice that is common today.
Famous Guests at the Imperial Hotel
Famous guests from around the world have stayed at the Imperial Hotel.
In February 1954, Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe and Major League baseball player Joe DiMaggio stayed at the Imperial Hotel during their honeymoon. People still talk about Monroe answering “Chanel No. 5” after being asked, “What do you wear to bed?” at a press conference during her stay.
Opera star of the 1920s to the post-war period, Yoshie Fujiwara, also famously spent time at the hotel during his later years. An opera titled The Imperial Opera was debuted by the Fujiwara Opera at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo in 2006. Additionally, a long list of historical figures such as American comedy king Charlie Chaplin and Helen Keller have stayed at the hotel.
The Creation of “Viking Cuisine” at the Imperial Hotel
Today, “Viking” buffet-style cuisine is well-known throughout Japan. Actually, this kind of meal has its roots at the Imperial Hotel.
In 1957, then company president Tetsuzo Inumaru focused on the unique style of traditional Northern European smorgasbord cuisine, involving eating as much of the foods you like as you want. Also, Nobuo Murakami (later the 11th head chef of the hotel), who was then training at the Hotel Ritz in Paris, was directed to study this kind of cuisine in Copenhagen. The Imperial Hotel then opened Japan’s first buffet restaurant, the Imperial Viking, on August 1 of the following year.
The name "viking" was inspired by the popular pirate movie "The Vikings" that was showing during that same year.The Imperial Hotel has designated August 1 as Viking Day ever since the 50th anniversary of the Imperial Viking in 2008.
Our Customers’ Favorite Traditional Meals
Chaliapin Steak
This steak was created in 1934 when Russian opera singer Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin stayed at the Imperial Hotel. This distinctive dish offers a deep and rich flavor with rump roast pickled in onions and softened before being thoroughly covered in sautéed onions instead of sauce.
Gratin of Prawn and Sole "Queen Elizabeth II"
When the UK’s Queen Elizabeth visited Japan in 1975 and attended a luncheon held at the Imperial Hotel, then head chef Nobuo Murakami proposed this dish for the seafood loving queen. Liking it very much, the Queen gave her permission to name the dish after her, and ever since it has been a beloved favorite under the name “Reine Elizabeth.”
With Flowers, Greenery and Water for Delightful Views Across the Seasons
The Imperial Hotel, Osaka is located in Sakuranomiya, one of Japan’s most famous cherry blossom viewing spots that includes the banks of the wide Okawa River reaching to the Mint Bureau. Despite the hotel’s location at the city center, guests can enjoy time surrounded by rich nature thanks to the flowers, water and greenery here.
During spring, guests can also enjoy approximately 4,000 cherry blossom trees in the neighboring Kema Sakuranomiya Park as well as cherry blossom viewing around the Osaka Mint Bureau located within walking distance. During Osaka’s annual summer tradition, the Tenjin Festival, spectators can enjoy seeing spectacular nighttime fireworks and the almost magical Funatogyo boats crossing the Okawa River.
Enjoy a Rich Variety of Flavors
The Imperial Hotel is where French cuisine first developed in Japan.
Choose a restaurant to suit your tastes, with options including Les Saisons, where the chef carries on traditional flavors while creating brilliant French cuisine, Kamon, where you can experience thrilling teppanyaki dishes created with carefully selected, fresh ingredients and prepared right before your eyes, and Jasmine Garden, the Imperial Hotel’s first directly managed Chinese restaurant.
The highly trained and talented chefs are waiting to display their culinary skills for you.
Offering a Wide Range of Events
The Imperial Hotel is where French cuisine first developed in Japan.
Not merely a building but also a gathering place, this hotel hosts numerous events over the year. Concerts featuring primarily Kansai-based artists are held regularly in the fourth-floor chapel with beautiful stained glass.
And along with events sharing musical culture such as jazz or hula, the hotel also hosts numerous other projects and events for local people and communities.
The Welcoming “Omotenashi” Japanese Hospitality of Two Lobbies and a Signature Fragrance
The aromatic hospitality created by an original fragrance wafting through the hotel’s interiors is one of the services introduced at the Imperial Hotel, Osaka when it first opened in 1996.
At the entrances to the lobbies on the first and second floors, guests are greeted by Imperial Fragrance “Sakura” which is perfectly suited for one of Japan’s best cherry blossom viewing spots.
Inspired by weddings with a sense of modernly refined quality and sophistication, Imperial Fragrance “Elegance” is a gentle fragrance that helps to calm the bride with relaxing lavender and chamomile added to splendid and sweet floral aromas. You can enjoy it in the chapels on the fourth and fifth floors.
Beautiful Views from the Hotel
Surrounded by water and greenery, the Imperial Hotel, Osaka is superbly located with remarkable views of both Osaka City and beautiful nature.
The Sky Banquet on the 22nd floor of the hotel, the guest rooms, the restaurants, and the lounge all feature large windows with views overlooking the Okawa River, Osaka City and Mt. Ikoma.
And after sunset, please enjoy the dazzling nighttime views spread out below you.
Featuring Red Rooftops from when the Hotel First Opened
A hotel with red, triangular roofs quietly nestled amidst the trees. Since opening as Japan’s first authentic mountain resort hotel, this hotel has welcomed guests with red triangular roofs evoking the Swiss Alps and a log cabin-like appearance.
Please enjoy sophisticated moments here in this space that suits the magnificent nature of the Kamikochi area and emphasizes the warmth of wood, with the mantelpiece—which could even be called the symbol of the hotel—centrally positioned.
Some Say this Authentic Mountain Resort is Even a Place Where the Gods Descend to Earth
At an altitude of 1,500 meters, the Kamikochi area is surrounded by the magnificent Hotaka mountain range.
The charms of the changing seasons—spring with beautiful new greenery, summer cooled by the clear waters of the Azusa River, early autumn rich with vibrantly colorful tree leaves, and late autumn when the snow first begins to fall—captivate visitors.
You can enjoy relaxing in this tranquility not found in the city, the beautiful nature only seen here, and the magnificent scenery of the Japanese Alps.
A Variety of Dishes Highlighting Ingredients from the Shinshu Region
From authentic, western-style multi-course dining featuring fresh vegetables grown in the Azumino region of the Northern Alps to delicious sweets to enjoy during a relaxing stroll, the chefs and pastry chefs carrying on the traditions of the Imperial Hotel prepare menus that you are sure to enjoy.
Please enjoy the cuisine of the Kamikochi Imperial Hotel along with the fresh, clean air and rich nature.
