DATA SHEET
MINAKAMI TOJI
Business owner/Seller: Open House Development
Management company: Not A Hotel Management
Design: Suppose Design Office
Structure/Scale: Reinforced-concrete construction, partial steel
Construction: Ishikawa/Numata Joint Venture
EARTH ISHIGAKI
Owner/Seller: Not A Hotel
Operating company: Not A Hotel
Management Design: Sou Fujimoto
Architects Landscape design: Taichi Saito
Construction: Maeda Toyo
Construction Joint Venture Structure and size: Reinforced-concrete structure, two stories above ground
SETOUCHI SAKIGI ISLAND
Design: Bjarke Ingels Group
MASU KITAKARUIZAWA
Design: Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall
Photo credits: Kenta Hasegawa, Newcolor
Since 2020, Not A Hotel has been pioneering a unique fractional ownership model for living and vacationing, featuring 34 properties across six distinct regions of Japan – from urban centers to oceanfront and mountain retreats. This shared ownership approach allows owners (748 as of February 2025) to acquire access to residences within the Not A Hotel portfolio for periods ranging from a minimum of 30 days to a full year. This co-ownership model aligns with the Japanese concept of Mottainai – emphasizing the conscious use of resources and reduced consumption. It meticulously selects sites of significant natural or historical value, often away from mainstream tourist routes, to foster a slower pace of life, deeply immersed in the landscape and encouraging contemplation.
Beyond this, the villas themselves are spaces of pure serenity, light, and beauty. They are the result of collaborations with internationally renowned architects and creatives, including Nigo©, Suppose Design Office, BIG, Masamichi Katayama, Snøhetta, Sou Fujimoto, Aizawa Yosuke, Shin Ohori, Kundo Koyama. Each designer contributes a unique vision on the interplay between the genius loci (the spirit of the place) and residential architecture.
In February 2025, the brand further expanded its collaborations, welcoming Pharrell Williams and NIGO®︎ as both creative advisors and investors. NIGO®︎’s The Nigo House, part of Not A Hotel Tokyo, is currently under construction on the Futtsu coast of Chiba, overlooking Tokyo Bay. Meanwhile, Earth Ishigaki, a residence designed by Sou Fujimoto, and the Toji Villas in Minakami, conceived by Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida of Suppose Design Office, have been ready for occupancy for several months.
The Toji Villas complex comprises five residences, each spanning 252 square meters and accommodating up to 8 guests, complemented by a restaurant. Perched atop a mountain, the location is historically renowned for its hot spring sources fed by the Tone River. Water serves as a fundamental element of the design, gracefully enveloping the dining and living areas. It flows throughout the property, manifesting in various features including an infinity pool, a natural hot spring, and an outdoor cold plunge pool paired with a sauna.
Inside, the second-floor living area, complete with a lounge, dining space, fireplace, and kitchen, features soaring ceilings and opens directly to the landscape. The exposed wooden roof adds to the ambiance, while the space is intentionally kept somewhat subdued to enhance the panoramic views of the Minakami Valley. The lower level houses two bedrooms, a shower room, and private parking.
The villas’ two levels are enclosed within a compact, squared volume, echoing traditional Japanese mountain homes. This design is reinterpreted with contemporary construction techniques, such as a wooden roof structure, copper sheet cladding for the roof and facades, and expansive glass openings that seamlessly connect the interior with the exterior.
In stark contrast, Earth Ishigaki, operational from July 2025, showcases a completely different architectural volume, conceived by Sou Fujimoto with a playful use of circular geometries. Built on an oceanfront site on Ishigaki Island’s southeastern coast, the villa boasts a round form with a convex green roof that slopes gently towards the ground, appearing almost ‘wedged’ into the coastal landscape.
A circular opening also illuminates the internal courtyard, where a children’s pool forms a nearly perfect circle. The villa effectively ‘disappears’ into its surroundings, allowing the vibrant green of the vegetation and the deep blue of the waters and horizon to take center stage, visible from both the internal courtyard and through the large windows integrated into the pristine white facade. Spanning approximately 1500 square meters across two floors, the residence features a living/dining area with direct access to an infinity pool, an internal garden, and outdoor terraces. It also includes four bedrooms, each with an outdoor soaking tub, a sauna, a cold bath, and a gym In 2026, two more sites, currently under construction, will further expand the Not A Hotel portfolio: Setouchi on Nagi Island, featuring three villas – 180, 270, and 360 – with private berths, designed by BIG; and the four Masu residences designed by Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall in Kitakaruizawa, Gunma Prefecture.
