$350M superyacht, one of world’s largest, sparks mystery as its spotted cruising Hawaii

A jaw-dropping superyacht worth more than $350 million sparked a frenzy of curiosity after it was spotted cruising Hawaiian waters.

Videos and pictures posted on social media this week showed the massive vessel off Waikiki one day and near Maili the next.

“Did anyone else see this off of the Waikiki shore the other day?” one post read. 

The massive vessel showed up this week off Waikiki one day and near Maili the next. Facebook/@Johnny Raye Grantham

“Massive yacht off Waikiki. Never seen one like that,” another added.

The unique looking ship had people speculating about who the owner could be and whether it was connected to the military.

A massive yacht is seen off Waikiki. Facebook/@My Kailua

“At first, I thought it was a military vehicle,” visitor Ted Reddy told Hawaii News Now after seeing it off Maili on Tuesday.

“I’d be curious to see what they’re doing here.”

Videos and pictures posted on social media showed the $350 million luxury yacht spotted off Waikiki on one day and the next off the waters in Maili.

Before it was spotted near Mali, locals in Molakai recalled their reaction when they saw it too.

“My wife woke me up. She was like, ‘Oh, you need to come outside and see this,’” local Kenny Adachi told the news outlet.

Turns out the luxury yacht is owned by Yusaku Maezawa, a billionaire fashion entrepreneur and art collector, superyachtfan.com reported.

The fashion elements on the yacht are hard to miss, with things like two interlocking oval rings forming the outline of the pools, a pattern familiar to any Hermès fan. SUPERYACHT FAN
Turns out the luxury yacht is owned by Yusaku Maezawa, a fashion entrepreneur and art collector. SUPERYACHT FAN

Its name, Nausicaä, comes from the iconic Studio Ghibli anime “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” by Hayao Miyazaki.

The name can be found in Greek mythology and means “burner of ships” or “she who shines among the ships,” Super Yacht Times reported.

The massive vessel is impressive to say the least, able to accommodate up to 18 guests with nine cabins, and a crew of over 36. 

The floating palace comes with the billionaire essentials: a sushi bar, two-level art gallery, helipad, swimming pool and table tennis area.

Its name, Nausicaa, comes from the iconic Studio Ghibli anime “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” by Hayao Miyazaki. SUPERYACHT FAN
The floating wonder features a two-level glass atrium, a large pool and jacuzzi on its aft deck, along with a helicopter landing pad. SUPERYACHT FAN

It was designed by Marc Newson and built by German designer Lurssen, a yacht building shipyard based in Bremen, Germany.

The eccentric art collector even has a revolving gallery aboard the yacht for works by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Christopher Wool and Richard Prince.

Maezawa’s eccentric lifestyle has even extended to his children — who reportedly once hurled a bowl of cereal at a $110 million Jean-Michel Basquiat painting because they were frightened by the artwork.

The bizarre incident happened aboard another luxury vessel.

Yusaku Maezawa is a Japanese billionaire entrepreneur and art collector. Maezawa is the founder of Start Today and launched Zozotown, Japan’s largest online fashion retail website, in 2004. Instagram/@artcollector
The $350 million superyacht Nausicaa, owned by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, travels around Molokai and Oahu. The vessel’s presence sparked curiosity among residents and concerns about the impact on Hawaii’s marine environment. SUPERYACHT FAN

The ship cruises at around 14 knots with a top speed of more than 20 knots.

The Nausicaä can even transform into a silent, battery-powered sanctuary when anchored, shutting down its generators while its 2-megawatt battery bank runs the onboard systems.

Maezawa’s appetite for adventure goes well beyond yachts — he became the first private passenger to visit the International Space Station and has also been selected for a planned trip around the moon aboard SpaceX’s Starship.

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