Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is a lot of things, and being a dog lover may just be one of his most endearing aspects. The Zozotown billionaire, who recently took delivery of his 375-foot Lürssen mammoth, Nausicaa, took along a four-legged friend on the maiden journey to Hawaii. After making the most of Maui and Honolulu, the vessel was in Yokohama at the time of writing. The tycoon, worth $1.5 billion, who turned 50 a couple of months ago, is enjoying the maiden voyage of his Marc Newson-designed luxury vessel in the company of his pet pooch, Rikyu.
The black English Cocker Spaniel accompanied the well-heeled owner from a private jet to the helicopter that landed straight onto the $500 million hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht. Inside, too, the furry friend seems to be enjoying the natural elements, open sea, cool breeze, and ample open space more than the expected luxuries of a luxury vessel. Rikyu is one dog that won’t be impressed by gilded interiors, as he has been immersed in Maezawa’s billionaire ecosystem for more than three years now. In fact, the beloved pet is known to enjoy and indulge in the same delicacies, such as Yamagata beef, as Maezawa.
The vessel, designed by Marc Newson, offers the four-legged billionaire pet plenty of open spaces to soak in the sun and uninterrupted views, as shared by the businessman in one social media post. The ample 375-foot-long pleasure craft flaunts a massive two-level art gallery, a sushi bar, eight guest cabins (the owner wanted only one), and six decks that offer this pet its own floating home in the middle of nowhere. The billionaire’s social media post takes followers into Nausicaa’s maiden journey, which also reveals a love for art and a special place for it not just in museums, but also onboard the Lürssen masterpiece.
Maezawa’s collection reportedly includes Basquiat, Warhol, Calder, Lichtenstein, Donald Judd, Jeff Koons, Dan Flavin, Picasso, Giacometti, and others. None of them make an appearance in the glimpse of Nausicaa, but Rikyu steals the show with sheer cuteness. One art piece that does come a close second is not the $110.5 million Basquiat Untitled skull painting, but Elmgreen & Dragset’s The Choice. Yes, it is the same 15- to 20-foot-tall sculpture that was exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris in 2024. It now occupies a place of pride onboard the half-a-billion-dollar superyacht Nausicaa, anchoring a double-height, two-story atrium on the main deck.
Besides this very unique arty addition, the vessel is an ode to the design sensibilities of Newson. It eschews conventional superyacht aesthetics, and leans heavily into looking like an art gallery, even in spaces like the main deck salon, master bedroom, etc. Nausicaa boasts enormous negative space, pale walls, restrained timber flooring, almost museum-like lighting, and very little loose furniture. What comes across as striking are occasional pops of colour in the form of the cabin-deck lounge’s ochre sofa that fits 12 guests, and the bright yellow surround seating around the main-deck pool. There is also a luxe Carrara-marble bar carved from a single block. Everywhere else, the interiors appear pearly white, zen, and soothing to the soul and eyes.
The primary bedroom, more aptly called an apartment at 230 sq m, is Maezawa’s sanctuary, featuring floor-to-ceiling glazing. The real view, however, is not outside but inside, in the form of a Marc Newson Bumper Bed, customised in cashmere and enveloped in a leather-wrapped bedhead, according to the Financial Times. When the billionaire isn’t relaxing, he is making the most of the view while maintaining his fitness regime, rowing on the outer deck and soaking in Maui mountain views, while Rikyu does the same, having the time of his life onboard the newest ride. In a billionaire’s world, even the definition of a dog’s life shifts.