The Era Ushered in by the Wright Imperial

1_Discovery and use of Oya-ishi

The Oya stone was used in many of the interior and exterior decorations of the Wright Imperial. Wright found it as a material with both decorative possibilities and Japanese characteristics. The selection of this material reflected Wright’s concept of “organic architecture. Since then, Oya-ishi has been used in various types of architecture.

2_Japan’s first shopping arcade

Roofed shopping streets and arcades (passages) spread in Paris in the 19th century. The name was first used in Japan in 1922 at the Wright Imperial, which was about to be completed. The arcade was set up on the north side of the basement floor, and about 20 stores, including clothing stores, jewelry stores, and beauty salons, lined the street.

3_A center for music, theater, and culture

Before the Wright Imperial, the Imperial Hotel had been a social gathering place for various cultural and artistic events since the time of Manager, Aisaku Hayashi. The Wright Imperial had a large banquet hall and an entertainment hall, and the Hatano Orchestra played dance music and other performances as its resident orchestra (see photo). Theatrical troupes also held performances, and the Shingekikyokai, known for plays by Kunishi Kishida and Hakucho Masamune, was based there.

4_The Beginning of Hotel Weddings

The “hotel wedding,” which includes both the ceremony and reception as we know it today, was conceived by the Imperial Hotel in the Taisho era (1912-1926). The wedding ceremony was held at the Wright Imperial , which was relatively unaffected by the Great Kanto Earthquake, and the hotel’s role as a venue for such weddings increased.

5_Pancakes at tea time

Originally a breakfast item or a dinner dessert, pancakes first appeared on the Imperial Hotel’s teatime menu in 1953, when they were served at the “Garden Bar” that opened in the Wright Imperial. Today, the pancakes are served at the Parkside Diner, where they are still popular and served with the same flavor.

The Wright IMPERIAL; A Century and Beyond,” a project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Wright Imperial, is currently being held.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Imperial Hotel’s second generation main building, known as the Wright Imperial, in 2023, an exhibition introducing the building, “The Wright IMPERIAL; A Century and Beyond,” is currently being held in a special space in the front lobby on the first floor of the main building. The exhibit includes a reproduction of a “basket pillar” made of Oya stone and scratch bricks (photo on the right), furniture and pamphlets from the period (photo on the left), and other exhibits that offer a taste of the world of the “Wright Imperial”.

For inquiries, please contact

Imperial Hotel Tokyo
03-3504-1111