Tokyo’s Mid-Century Modern Icon Is Back After $1 Billion Makeover

Step into the newly reopened Okura Tokyo, and you might be forgiven for believing in the existence of time travel.

That’s because the lobby, where John Lennon or Steve Jobs might have relaxed when they stayed, was demolished four years ago, to the dismay of patrons of the iconic hotel. And now it’s back, seemingly plucked from the past. During the hiatus, craftsmen recreated and restored the gold-hued space adorned with discreet touches, from the sound-absorbing floor to the pentagonal pendants strung from the wooden ceiling.