Japan In Focus

Hatoya Hotel: A Bridge from the Glamorous Showa Era to the Present

The Yomiuri Shimbun
The hotel’s shuttle bus is popular due to its cute design.

By Hirotaka Matsumoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

13:33 JST, October 6, 2025

The Yomiuri Shimbun
The staircase is covered with red carpet and offers views of central Ito and the ocean through the window.

ITO, Shizuoka — “Ito ni ikunara Hatoya, Hatoya ni kimeta.” (If you go to Ito, Hatoya’s the place for you. I’ve decided [to stay at] Hatoya).

As I stepped onto the fluffy red carpet inside the Hatoya Hotel, the catchy music and lyrics from its old TV advertisements played in my head again. With its sparkling chandeliers, large baths and grand banquet rooms, this hotel in Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, still retains traces of the splendor it had during the Showa era (1926-1989).

Hatoya’s founder, who had also been a magician, established the hotel prior to World War II. In 1947, it was purchased by the grandfather of Shigeru Haraguchi, 60, the current president of Fuji Shoji, the company that now operates the Hatoya Group.

“We’ve continued using the name and logo from the founder’s time,” Haraguchi said.

The familiar advertising jingle was created by renowned writer and lyricist Akiyuki Nosaka and composer Taku Izumi. Their joint creation instantly made Hatoya a household name nationwide, drawing large groups of guests who would arrive by tour bus.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
The hallway that connects a Hatoya Hotel’s guest room building to its restaurant is famous for its spaceship-like appearance.

In recent years, the passageway connecting the guest room building to the hotel’s restaurant has become popular among young people for its spaceship-like appearance. The interest was sparked by the use of the passageway in a photoshoot for a CD jacket for singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu in 2014.

A sister location, Hotel Sun Hatoya, opened in 1975 and offers panoramic views of Sagami Bay. It has a swimming pool, which makes it popular with guests with children.

When I arrived at the hotel on a Friday evening, guests in yukata robes were already lining up to enter the restaurant, which can seat 1,000 people.

During dinner time, upbeat music began to play in the restaurant, accompanied by flashing laser beams, making the children’s eyes sparkle. It was now time for the popular magic dinner show to begin. Diners applauded the entertainment as they enjoyed steaming hot food.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Hotel Sun Hatoya’s dinner venue, where laser beams enhance the entertaining atmosphere

The hotel’s management philosophy is to preserve good things even if they are old. When replacing carpets, for example, similar new ones are chosen as much as possible. Rather than replacing sofas completely, the hotel has their cushions remade and placed on the existing frames, even though this costs more.

Although the number of group reservations has drastically decreased, the hotel receives many repeat guests of various ages. It is also gaining popularity among young people who find its Showa-era atmosphere fresh and appealing.

Haraguchi said: “Guests may forget about the rooms where they stayed, but they remember the shows and facilities. My job is to make connections with the next generation.”