A Hillside Hotel of Curves and Art Deco
The Former Maya Tourist Hotel (旧摩耶観光ホテル) is a mountain resort hotel of 1930 in Hatahara, Nada Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on June 24, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a reinforced concrete building of two storeys above and two below ground with a flat roof, covering 901 square metres, altered in 1961; registration number 28-0747.
A Hotel on the Slopes of Mount Maya
The Former Maya Tourist Hotel is a reinforced concrete hotel halfway up the southern slopes of Mount Maya (Agency for Cultural Affairs). On an L-shaped plan, each of its four levels is wrapped in horizontal canopies that stress the curved walls, with large openings.
Inside, the great hall and the main dining room are divided by heavy beams and pilasters, and the stage and other features show Art Deco design (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design, showing what a mountain resort of the past was like.
What to Look For
The curved exterior traced by the horizontal canopies on every level is the thing to see (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Kobe Shimbun reported in February 2022 that the former hotel cannot be entered. Check official sources for any current visiting arrangements.
Q&A
- When was the Former Maya Tourist Hotel built?
- In 1930 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Former Maya Tourist Hotel?
- Halfway up the southern slopes of Mount Maya in Kobe.
- What should I look for?
- The curved walls wrapped in canopies and the Art Deco interior.
- Can I go inside?
- A 2022 news report said it cannot be entered.
- When was the Former Maya Tourist Hotel registered?
- On June 24, 2021 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Maya Tourist Hotel (旧摩耶観光ホテル) |
|---|---|
| Location | 344 Hatahara (Notayama), Nada Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/06/24 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Reinforced concrete, 2 storeys and 2 basements, flat roof, 901 m² |
| Owner | Nippon Service Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to entry (2022 report) |
References
- Former Maya Tourist Hotel (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013844
- CG videos of the former Maya Tourist Hotel released (Kobe Shimbun, February 1, 2022, Japanese)
- https://www.kobe-np.co.jp/news/kobe/202202/sp/0015095160.shtml?pg=amp
Last verified: 2026.10.16