Hilltop Hotel, an old-fashioned establishment in Tokyo that served as the regular lodgings for many renowned figures in Japanese literature, closed Monday for an undetermined period due to the run-down condition of its 87-year-old building.
Yasunari Kawabata, who in 1968 became the first Japanese writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature, and novelist Yukio Mishima were among the frequent users of the hotel, which opened in 1954 on a hilltop near Tokyo's Jimbocho area, home to many publishing companies and bookstores.
The art deco-style building was constructed in 1937 and designed by American-born architect William M. Vories, who was known for his works that incorporated features of both Japanese and Western architecture.