Daylight rendering of Superyacht Base Kobe Marina

Superyacht Base has announced the award of the new Kobe Marina project to its consortium, known as Superyacht Base Kobe. The consortium consists of seven principal investors: Glion Group, Plan Do See, Horizon Yachts, Setouchi Brand Corporation, Creation Co Ltd, plus the SYL Monaco and SYL Japan branches of the Super Yacht Logistics Group.

The Superyacht Base Kobe Marina will offer a full-service opening for yachts in 2026, and stage a second opening with surrounding infrastructure in 2027. The marina is part of Kobe’s harbour and waterfront regeneration programme, which includes a transformation of industrial downtown areas including the Glion Arena Kobe, an indoor-sports complex adjacent to the marina.

The marina is a short walk from downtown Kobe, which features leading restaurants and high-end boutiques and showrooms for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Bentley, Bugatti and Ferrari. The city also offers proximity to three major airports, two with international and private-jet capabilities.

Yukio Shintani, owner of Creation Marine in Japan for over 40 years, and one of the spearheads of Superyacht Base Kobe, said: “It’s a very exciting day. For over two years, we’ve been working very hard planning this marina with our consortium partners, and there have been many changes, especially with the fluctuating construction costs.

Surrounding facilities will include a yacht club, restaurants, shops and offices

“However, we will soon have a superyacht marina in Japan that has the facilities of superyacht marinas in Monaco, France, Italy and south Florida, and can accommodate any size of yacht that has yet been built or even imagined. It’s a fantastic place for owners and guests but also for crew that are based long term at the marina. Kobe is a very vibrant city, and the marina is right in the heart of it.”

Situated 30km west of Osaka, Japan’s second-largest city, Kobe is also one of the country’s most populous cities and offers access to Osaka Bay and Seto Inland Sea, a protected 300nm-long body of water with about 3,000 islands. Japan has over 14,000 islands, stretching 3,000km from north to south.

Nigel Beatty, owner of SYL Monaco and Chairman of APSA (Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association), said: “The cruising potential in Japan is incredible. More and more international yachts are coming to Japan every year. The country has 50 per cent more coastline than the US, so there’s a massive area to explore, with many cruising destinations still undiscovered.

“With a Mediterranean climate in many parts of the country, and sub-tropical in others, there’s great winter cruising and while it might be a bit chilly to swim, there’s world-class skiing usually just a stone’s throw away from any yacht.”

Nightime rendering of Superyacht Base Kobe Marina 

Superyacht Base Kobe Marina will feature over 1.4km of usable linear superyacht quays, which can accommodate any size of vessel. Two quays will be approximately 350m long, with three others about 100m each. A newly built breakwater will provide an extra 200m-plus of dockage, and a liner floating dock will provide 300m of dockage for sub-60m yachts.

Multiple 400v 3-phase 150amp power pedestals will be installed as standard, while larger, custom shore-power electrical installations will be available to lease purchasers. Stern-to dockage will be available for all yachts up to about 80m.

The Kobe Yacht Club, marine offices, boutiques, cafes and restaurants are among the on-land attractions expected to be ready in 2026 and 2027. Plan Do See, a consortium member, is a hotel and hospitality operator and developer, and will be instrumental in this phase.

For more information, email: info@superyachtbase.jp