Not A Hotel is More Than a Runway Set. Pharrell and NIGO are Redefining Modern Living Through Fashion, Architecture, and Art
Not A Hotel was founded by Shinji Hamauzu. After his tech company was acquired by Japanese fashion e-commerce giant ZOZOTOWN, he channelled his passion for design and furniture into creating a new vision of living, establishing Not A Hotel in 2020.
Built on the philosophy of “making the world your home,” Not A Hotel merges the concepts of hotels, vacation homes, and private residences. It redefines “home” from a single place of residence or rest into a gateway for exploring the world, sparking inspiration, and embracing a freer way of living.
Last year, Not A Hotel officially announced Pharrell Williams and longtime collaborator and streetwear icon NIGO as the company’s creative advisors and investors. NIGO has been directly involved in design projects, including THE NIGO HOUSE, a cliffside villa in Futtsu, Chiba. Pharrell, meanwhile, supports the brand’s future developments in Japan and overseas, focusing on global expansion and new conceptual directions. Bringing Not A Hotel’s signature glass house onto the Louis Vuitton runway this season proved to be a striking move, one that successfully captured international media attention.
In its early stage, Not A Hotel adopted a fractional ownership business model, which quickly gained strong market recognition. Through a membership-based property-sharing system, ownership and allocated stay days of each residence are sold to members. Interestingly, these stay days can circulate within the Not A Hotel network. Owners can use a dedicated app to book stays at other Not A Hotel properties across different locations. This allows “owners” to live more freely between destinations, embracing a truly global lifestyle as modern-day citizens of the world.
Not A Hotel has developed properties across multiple locations in Japan, including Hokkaido, Sakishima in Hiroshima Prefecture, Okinawa, and Kyoto. Each residence features its own distinct architectural and interior design concept, created in collaboration with world-class architects, designers, and artists. At the core of every project is a celebration of Japan’s natural landscapes and craftsmanship.
Among them, the most talked-about project is The Nigo House in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, designed by NIGO. Perched on a prime cliffside location overlooking Tokyo Bay with views stretching toward Mount Fuji, the residence makes a bold statement with a monumental KAWS sculpture standing by the cliff and an indoor infinity pool featuring Human Made’s signature camo duck. These elements embody how street culture and contemporary art seamlessly merge into everyday living. The house is also fitted with OJAS sound systems and furnished with iconic pieces by design masters such as Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charles & Ray Eames.
Beyond real estate, another project closely linked to Pharrell and NIGO is the upcoming Japa Valley Tokyo, a large-scale art, retail, and hospitality complex set to open in 2027 at Tokyo’s Yurakucho Station. Conceived as a time-limited cultural destination, it will blend Japanese tradition with contemporary art and fashion, creating a space where street culture, architecture, and art converge, reimagining lifestyle and creative expression for the future.
