Tokyo is preparing to welcome Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru, an immersive exhibition that celebrates the legacy of Peru’s ancient civilizations —an extraordinary journey through 3,000 years of Andean art and worldview. The exhibition will be open from November 22, 2025 to March 1, 2026, at the Mori Arts Center Gallery (Roppongi Hills).

Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru now arrives in Asia for the first time ater being exhibited in Florida, Paris, Milan, and Sydney, inviting the people of Tokyo to experience this extraordinary journey. Visitors will encounter more than 130 remarkable artifacts from Lima’s Larco Museum, including exquisite jewelry, funerary objects from royal tombs, and one of the most impressive gold collections ever to tour the globe. These priceless treasures illuminate the artistic brilliance and cultural sophistication of ancient Peru, offering fascinating insights into daily life, spiritual beliefs, and the extraordinary achievements of these millenary civilizations.

With its arrival at the Mori Arts Center Gallery, the exhibition strengthens the cultural bridge between Peru and Japan, while offering a contemporary reading of Machu Picchu’s universal value: not only as an icon of human ingenuity and the sacred Andean landscape, but also as inspiration for new generations of researchers, artists, and travelers.

“Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru is the most innovative way to invite travelers from around the world to explore our many wonders,” says Inkaterra CEO and exhibition partner Joe Koechlin. In an interview with the New York Times, Andrew James Hamilton, curator at the Art Institute of Chicago, praised the exhibition as “the crème de la crème… the kind of works that museums around the world are constantly trying to borrow.”

The largest exhibition ever to showcase Peru’s cultural legacy and extraordinary biodiversity, this extraordinary production is presented by Neon Global, creators of Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs and Pompeii: The Exhibition.

We are pleased to share this letter from Joe Koechlin, founder of Inkaterra, addressed to Werner Herzog, one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, on the occasion of the tribute he received at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

Dear Werner,

Celebrating the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement Award you received at the Venice Festival, from the hands of Francis Ford Coppola, fills me with immense joy. This recognition honors not only your body of work, but also the indomitable spirit with which you have explored truth and beauty in the most remote corners of the Earth.

I vividly recall that moment in Lima, back in 1971, when we met and a simple handshake launched us into the adventure of making Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972). Then came the four years in the jungle filming Fitzcarraldo (1982), an experience that marked us forever.

You once said that every person should move a ship over a mountain at least once in their life. I know that was our greatest lesson: the certainty that there is always a way to do things our own way, with determination, even in the face of adversity. Creating these two masterpieces by your side was one of the great inspirations for founding Inkaterra and continuing to strive to conserve Peru’s biodiversity through ecotourism.

I have witnessed your strength, your courage, and your ability to transform dreams into art. I will never forget how, under the most extreme conditions of the jungle, we discovered that there is always an alternate path to live, create, and overcome obstacles. As Coppola said: “If Werner has limits, I don’t know what they are.”

I also wish to congratulate Lena, your inseparable partner for the last thirty years. Her vision as a photographer and her constant presence have been a mirror and a refuge for you, inspiring your work and your life. The bond you share is a work of art in itself, and I am convinced that this award also celebrates that union, which has nourished your sensibility and your unique way of seeing the world.

Over the years, we have remained companions in adventure: from the film workshop we organized at Inkaterra with young filmmakers from thirty countries in Madre de Dios, to the moving celebration of the 50th anniversary of Aguirre in Florida. I am sure many more experiences await us. Hopefully soon we will find a new story that brings you back to film in Peru, a country to which —I am convinced— your soul belongs.

With all my admiration and gratitude,

Joe

The Forest Friends project, developed by the international organization, Green Initiative, has recently been selected to be highlighted at the Economy of Francesco Extraordinary Ideas Global Event 2025. Inspired by Pope Francis, this global gathering brings together leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers who promote a new economy rooted in social justice, environmental sustainability, and the common good. Being part of this forum is recognition of the ability to generate innovative proposals that transform environmental awareness into tangible restoration and conservation.

The news resonates especially with Inkaterra, whose relationship with Green Initiative has grown into a strategic and visionary alliance. For over a decade we have worked together on projects that have become international milestones: in 2017, Inkaterra led the public–private partnership for Green Initiative to certify Machu Picchu as the world’s first Carbon Neutral Wonder. In 2021, Inkaterra was recognized as the world’s first Climate Positive hotel brand. Added to this is an ambitious reforestation program with native species in the Amazon, Cusco, and northern Peru, contributing to the recovery of critical ecosystems and reinforcing our commitment to carbon neutrality and biodiversity restoration.

In this context, Forest Friends represents an innovative platform created by Green Initiative that allows individuals, institutions, and companies to calculate their carbon footprint and offset it by supporting ecosystem restoration projects. Through this tool, users can plant native trees, protect biodiversity, and generate direct benefits for local communities in areas of high ecological importance. Its global impact connects allies from different countries with territories that urgently require climate action.

The selection of Forest Friends in the Economy of Francesco transcends as recognition of a shared vision: the conviction that hospitality, scientific research, and conservation can be articulated with environmental regeneration and community well-being.

As Inkaterra approaches its 50th anniversary in 2025, this achievement confirms that our efforts to unite science, tourism, and conservation are echoing on the world’s most prominent platforms. For Inkaterra, it means that our joint work with Green Initiative —already visible in Machu Picchu, the Amazon, and new destinations such as Cabo Blanco— is a replicable model for redefining the vision and impact of ecotourism.

Established in 2011, Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción stands on the grounds of a former 19th-century cacao and rubber plantation. Known as Fundo Concepción in the 1950s, it also served as a mission medical center. Today, this eco-lodge —Inkaterra’s second property in Madre de Dios, one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet— is surrounded by a serene natural environment within 819 hectares of primary rainforest, offering guests an authentic, privileged, and remote jungle experience.

Its location is unique: situated in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve, on the banks of the Lower Madre de Dios River, the property is encircled by an oxbow lake inhabited by hoatzin birds and other Amazonian species.

The inauguration was marked by an unforgettable milestone: Mick Jagger and his family were the first guests, during a visit that included Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Madre de Dios. The legendary Rolling Stones singer thus returned to settings he had known decades earlier, during his participation in the filming of Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog, 1982), a film that turned the Peruvian Amazon into part of world cinema’s cultural memory.

Since then, Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción has consolidated itself as a gateway to the Amazon rainforest of Madre de Dios. Its proximity to Lake Sandoval, one of the region’s most emblematic ecosystems, provides unique opportunities to observe giant river otters, caimans, monkeys, and exotic birds, as well as to explore interpretive trails, take canoe rides, and participate in citizen science experiences.

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción is at once a journey into history and a tribute to Amazonian nature. Since its founding, it has kept alive Inkaterra’s mission: to conserve biodiversity, honor culture, and offer hospitality with purpose.