The Mount Fuji cocktail, made with dry gin, pineapple and lemon juices, was first served at the hotel in 1924.
The bar's original Art Deco floor lamps create a dimly lit ambiance that recalls a bygone era.
Walk Through The Past
Wright's design replaced the hotel's previous wooden structure, which dated back to 1890. His fascination with Japan made a strong impression on his architectural aesthetic. One such example? The original sloping roof, which meets in a plateau at the top to mimic the look of the country's highest peak.
Though his masterful redesign was razed in 1967 to be replaced with a more modern edifice, aesthetic flourishes remain inside the Old Imperial Bar, which was opened in 1970, where relics from the architect's vision are on display. Geometric patterns of terracotta and igneous Oya stone made from lava and ash come together in a mural on the back wall; the bar's distinctive Art Deco floor lamps create a dimly lit ambiance that recalls a bygone era.
A stay at the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo in hallowed architectural ground, sets the stage for a day trip: a four-and-a-half hour chauffeured drive in one of the hotel’s limousines to the Meiji-mura museum, near Nagoya, where guests can literally walk through the hotel's past. At the open-air museum, portions of Wright's Imperial gem are preserved: the grand entrance and lobby, along with the reflecting pool, have been saved and reconstructed, making it clear why the Imperial Hotel became known throughout the world as the Jewel of the Orient.
To learn more about the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo the Old Imperial Bar, or to book the Meiji-mura museum excursion, please contact the concierge upon making a reservation.