With a history spanning 300 years, the long-established ryokan “Shiraiya” has gained popularity as a prestigious inn—once a designated provider for the Imperial Household Agency and beloved by famous figures such as Mori Ōgai.
After closing its doors in 2008 to much regret, the property underwent six and a half years of renovation and new construction before reopening as a new hotel in December 2020.
In just one year since its opening, this hotel—which has garnered significant global attention—has won numerous international awards from countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Dubai.

The hotel was designed by Sou Fujimoto, a prominent architect who is also serving as the design producer for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai World Expo.“Authentic” contemporary artworks by internationally acclaimed artists such as Lawrence Weiner (U.S.), Liam Gillick (U.K.), Hiroshi Sugimoto (Japan), and Tatsuo Miyajima (Japan) are displayed throughout the hotel, both inside and out, as well as in the guest rooms.You can also see numerous works by artists based in the local Gunma area.

There are still more noteworthy features of this hotel. One of them is the availability of four special rooms designed by four world-renowned creators.You can stay in one of these four special rooms—the only ones of their kind in the world—designed by designer Jasper Morrison (UK), architect Michele De Lucchi (Italy), contemporary artist Leandro Erlich (Argentina), and Sou Fujimoto (Japan).In addition, each of the other rooms is decorated with unique contemporary artworks, so the moment you are shown to your room, you’ll be enveloped in a sense of wonder and relaxation.

The design of Shiraiya Hotel extends to “food” as well, and the dining experience—full of surprises—is another of its attractions.The main dining room, “the RESTAURANT,” is overseen by Hiroyasu Kawate of “Florilège,” a two-Michelin-starred French restaurant in Aoyama. Here, you can enjoy the perfect pairing of artful dishes from the “Jōshū Cuisine” repertoire—created by Chef Hiro Katayama, a native of Gunma—which make full use of local ingredients.The facility features wellness amenities such as a Finnish-style sauna and a tea room, as well as “The Lounge,” an all-day dining venue serving Western cuisine created by the chef with a free-spirited approach using local ingredients from breakfast through dinner,“Blue Bottle Coffee Shiraiya Café,” “The Bakery” supervised by Kenichi Warita, “The Pâtisserie”—a specialty shop for fresh tarts supervised by Miya Enmeiji—and “The Bar Shincha-tei,” which is open only on weekends, ensuring you can enjoy a fulfilling stay.

Major awards won by Shiraiya Hotel in its first year of operation
☆ Winner of the “2021 AD Great Design Hotel Award” (U.S.) *Selected by the U.S. interior design magazine Architectural Digest.
☆ Selected as one of the world’s best hotels by *National Geographic Traveler* (UK).
☆ Shortlisted for the “Restaurant & Bar Design Awards” (UK). *An award that recognizes the world’s most creative and influential restaurants and bars.*
☆ “International Travel Awards/The Best New Hotel in Japan 2021” (Dubai) *An award established to recognize outstanding performance in the global tourism and travel industry.
☆ The Patisserie’s “Tart with Freshly Picked Strawberries from Gunma Prefecture” won the Grand Prize in the “Treats” category at the “Maebashi Souvenir Grand Prix 2021.”