What does “home” mean to you? For many, it’s a fixed point — an anchor that provides security and a place to retreat and relax. But what if home could be more? What if it could be a key to the world, a portal to new places and novel experiences? This is what the minds behind Not A Hotel propose: home serving as a way to expand your world, to make life more exciting, inspiring and free.

To that end, Not A Hotel is creating a network of architecturally exceptional vacation homes across Japan. For many, the dream of owning a second home in Japan comes with a long list of complications — confusing paperwork, language barriers and the nagging sense that the place might sit empty for most of the year.

Not A Hotel offers a striking alternative: an innovative model that blends real estate, design and hospitality into a flexible form of ownership. Its luxurious properties are scattered throughout Japan — from the powdery peaks of Hokkaido to the beaches of Okinawa. When owners buy into one home, they gain access to the entire network.

A Fresh Take on Home Ownership

Not A Hotel gives homeowners the option to buy either a full property or a fractional share. From a minimum of 30 days per year to a maximum of 360, you choose the arrangement that best suits your lifestyle. This flexible model makes second-home ownership viable for those who don’t need — or want — to commit to a property year-round.

Each owner receives support from a dedicated concierge to guide them through the process, from selecting a property to settling into their new home and beyond. The homes themselves are fully managed, with hotel-grade maintenance and amenities. And unlike traditional timeshares or club memberships, owners retain a real asset; they’re registered on the property registry and hold official ownership rights.

Although purchasing a property with Not A Hotel provides you with asset ownership of a single location, it also unlocks access to Not A Hotel’s Japan-wide network of properties. Imagine owning a high-design vacation home in the highlands of Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, with access to equally exquisite homes in locations as diverse as a ski resort in Hokkaido, a subtropical seashore in Okinawa, a modernist cabin in Gunma and a seaside bungalow in Miyazaki.

Not A Hotel offers something rare: the stability of ownership, with the freedom of movement. With bases situated in some of Japan’s most beautiful and desirable landscapes, it allows for seamless multi-locational living, as well as the opportunity to easily experience new facets of Japan. At the time of writing, Not A Hotel’s network features over two dozen properties spread across six location bases — with more planned. Helping you navigate the network is, as always, your personal concierge. 

Architectural Masterpieces by World-Renowned Creatives

Every one of Not A Hotel’s properties is an original, each nurtured into form through careful collaboration between Not A Hotel and teams of designers and architects — and the land itself. Creatives work with the terrain to construct spaces that complement the landscape, its history and culture. Nothing is left to chance, and no detail is spared the attention it’s due, from structural considerations like walls and roofing to aesthetic decisions such as staircases and lighting, making Not A Hotel’s properties a destination in themselves.

Bespoke luxury is baked into each home — an infinity pool that meets the sea, an underwater sauna illuminated by natural light, a fireplace with striking architectural flue, glass walls revealing panoramic seascapes. Japan’s diverse natural environment plays a starring role, too. Touches of traditional Japanese design and materials abound: a tearoom, rammed-earth walls, local stone and wood.

Among Not A Hotel’s stunning properties are Not A Hotel Tokyo, whose understated style and playful touches come courtesy of NIGO, the famed designer, entrepreneur and creative director; Not A Hotel Setouchi, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the firm behind the new Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet in Switzerland; and Not A Hotel Rusutsu, a graceful, crescent-shaped ski lodge by Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta, known for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. There’s also Not A Hotel Ishigaki, whose design is by architect Sou Fujimoto, Expo 2025 site design producer.

As you explore each property, envision the freedom that comes with owning a home in the Not A Hotel network: a comfortable vacation home for those times you want easy familiarity; a new destination whenever you’re feeling adventurous — complete with extra options, like excursions, wellness services and cultural experiences, organized by the Experience Concierge. New landscapes to admire, new locales to explore, new perspectives to gain. A richer, more exciting life awaits with Not A Hotel: Discover the unparalleled possibilities that await.

More Info

To learn more about Not A Hotel, visit their website​​.