Japan's oldest operating elevator, maintained by Nippon Otis Elevator Co., marks its 100th anniversary in 2026. For a century, the elevator has transported passengers at Tohka Saikan, a Chinese restaurant specializing in authentic Beijing cuisine in Kyoto. Completed in 1926, the Spanish Baroque-style Tohka Saikan Restaurant building was designed by American-born architect William Merrell Vories. The Otis elevator was manufactured in the U.S. and shipped to Japan to be installed. Nippon Otis, the Japanese subsidiary of Otis Worldwide Corp., performs regular maintenance and component replacement to keep the historic elevator operating safely.
Over the years, Otis engineers have maintained the original mechanical structure of the lift, preserving its cultural heritage. Special details of the manually operated elevator, including the scissor gate, operator's brass control handle and clock-hand-style floor indicators, have been retained. Tohka Saikan Restaurant Manager Shuchu U. said:
“Riding Japan’s oldest elevator to the restaurant seating area offers guests a journey through time. Preserving old and valuable things is a challenging task. Thanks to our longstanding partnership with Nippon Otis, the elevator has been transformed from a mere means of transportation into a significant cultural and historical asset."