limited-run destination Japa Valley Tokyo to open in 2027
Singer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams and artistic director of Kenzo, NIGO, present Japa Valley Tokyo, a one-hectare art, retail, and hospitality complex sited near Yurakucho Station in central Tokyo, set to open in 2027. Conceived in partnership with NOT A HOTEL, the project transforms the site of the former Shin-Yurakucho Building, currently a temporary park developed by Mitsubishi Estate, into a limited-run destination. Drawing from California’s Napa Valley as a conceptual model, the duo reimagines the wine region through a Japanese lens, replacing vineyards with sake breweries.
Japa Valley Tokyo is designed to operate as a temporary yet fully immersive precinct, built to channel a vision that Pharrell and NIGO have cultivated over more than two decades of friendship and collaboration. The two creatives serve as co-chief visionaries of the site, which will also feature artwork by KAWS and pop-up installations from a rotating lineup of artists, chefs, and designers. While much remains under wraps, the project’s scale and vision suggest a kind of tourism that values cultural depth and thoughtful design.
images courtesy of Japa Valley Tokyo
Pharrell and NIGO appointed Creative advisors for not a hotel
Founded in 2020, Japanese hospitality startup NOT A HOTEL has carved out a distinctive business model in the Japanese market, currently operating at four sites, and has announced upcoming properties in Ishigaki, Minakami, and Setouchi (the latter designed by Bjarke Ingels Group), with further expansions underway. Pharrell and NIGO’s recent appointment as creative advisors and investors in the company formalizes their growing influence in how the brand defines hospitality as a curated experience.
Pharrell and NIGO’s partnership with NOT A HOTEL has been steadily expanding. In early 2025, the company announced THE NIGO HOUSE, a cliffside retreat in Futtsu, Chiba, curated in its entirety by NIGO, down to the vintage Prouvé furniture and the hand-built tea room for the traditional sadō ceremony. In the fall of that year, Pharrell’s auction platform JOOPITER offered a chance to stay at the house before its public opening.
In Japa Valley Tokyo, this fresh, short-term experiment of theirs, they aim to bring people together through seasonal experiences that shape a sense of place.
Pharrell Williams and NIGO present Japa Valley Tokyo, a one-hectare art, retail, and hospitality complex
the site will feature artwork by KAWS and pop-up installations from a rotating lineup of artists, chefs, and designers
the project’s scale and vision suggest a kind of tourism that values cultural depth
set to open in 2027
project info:
name: Japa Valley Tokyo | @japavalley_official
creative advisors: Pharrell Williams | @pharrell, NIGO |
development: NOT A HOTEL | @notahotel_official
location: near Yurakucho Station, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
site area: approx. 1 hectare
site development: Mitsubishi Estate
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