Singer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams and artistic director of Kenzo, Nigo, present Japa Valley Tokyo, a one-hectare green 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 and lots and LOTS of green all around, plus a very artsy design people will love. Art and plants is the perfect combo!
Limited-Run Destination Japa Valley Tokyo to Open in 2027 by Pharrell Williams and Nigo
Japa Valley Tokyo is conceived as a temporary yet fully immersive environment shaped by landscape as much as architecture. Designed as a precinct, the project draws heavily on planted systems, natural topography, and layered greenery to guide movement, atmosphere, and spatial rhythm. Vegetation is organizational, defining paths, thresholds, and moments of pause throughout the site.
The project channels a long-shared vision developed by Williams and Nigo over more than two decades of collaboration. As co-chief visionaries, they approach the site as a living setting where art, design, and nature operate together. Green landscapes frame installations, soften built forms, and create transitions between programmed zones, allowing visitors to experience the space gradually.
Planting strategies play a key role in shaping the project's identity. Landscaped areas act as buffers between pop-up installations, dining spaces, and art interventions, while also grounding the project in a sense of place. The use of greenery supports a slower pace of movement and encourages observation, aligning with a broader interest in experiential environments that prioritize environments with greenery and nature all around.
Artwork by KAWS and rotating contributions from artists, chefs, and designers are integrated into this planted framework, reinforcing the idea of the site as an evolving ecosystem. Even in its temporary form, Japa Valley Tokyo emphasizes continuity with nature through green corridors and open-air zones.
While much of the project remains undisclosed, its scale and structure suggest a model of cultural tourism that values spatial awareness, landscape integration, and intentional design. Pharrell’s auction platform, JOOPITER, offered early access to the house before its public opening, allowing select visitors to experience the environment in its initial state – defined as much by its greenery as by its architecture.
Pharrell and Nigo Appointed Creative Advisors for This Fun and Green Project
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.
This partnership 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 Japa Valley Tokyo, this fresh, short-term experiment of theirs, they aim to bring people together through seasonal experiences and a reconnection to nature that shapes a sense of place. That's the whole point of architecture, art, and plants fused together. Create a visual experience, but also one that lets you feel closer to nature.
Photos: @notahotelofficial
