Roppongi

Roppongi Station lies on the Hibiya and Toei Oedo subway lines in the well-known Roppongi district of Minato Ward. Roppongi is the district of Tokyo that is infamous for its night life and famous for Roppongi Hills, Japan's largest integrated property development.

Roppongi's history goes back to the 1660's when during the Edo period it was the residence of feudal lords. In 1890, the Japanese Imperial Army moved in and stationed its Third Imperial Guard in Roppongi. The influx of soldiers led to its becoming a nightlife quarter.

During World War II, Roppongi was completely destroyed, but after the war the American Army moved in and the area became alive again. It now became a foreign neighborhood, with U.S. military installations, western-oriented shops and restaurants. Several entertainment facilities also opened in the area, making Roppongi a nightlife spot again. By the late 1960's the district had grown both in size and popularity among both the Japanese and foreigners as more foreigners came to live in the area. Today Roppongi is an upmarket place with many embassies located in the district.

What gave a boost to the image of the area was the opening of Roppongi Hills in the year 2003. Rightly called "a city within a city", Roppongi Hills is a redeveloped neighborhood within Roppongi consisting of residential, recreational and office space. Several foreign banks and companies have opened offices here.

Roppongi Hills:

Roppongi Hills was constructed by the building tycoon Minoru Mori with the vision of building an integrated development where urban communities could live, work, play, and shop in proximity. He believed that if commuting time was eliminated, the quality of life would improve. Built at a cost of $4.7 billion and covering an area of approximately 27 acres, Roppongi Hills is Japan's largest-ever property development, and Tokyo's trendiest spot.

In the center of Rappongi Hills stands the 54-storey Mori Tower, named after the builder and his company Minoru Mori. This 238 meters high building is the newest of Tokyo's landmarks. The first six floors of Mori Tower are occupied by shops and restaurants. The next 43 floors have offices, and the top six floors house the Mori Art Center and the Tokyo Sky Deck.

The Mori Art Center occupies the top 6 floors of Mori Tower. This complex includes:

1. Mori Art Museum

The Mori Art Museum is devoted to contemporary art, architecture, design, fashion and video art. What sets this museum apart is the fact that it holds no permanent collection of its own. Instead, it holds special exhibitions and special public events with the aim of providing an international platform for emerging and established artists and designers not only from Japan, but from around the world.

2. Roppongi Hills Club

The Roppongi Hills Club is a membership club which provides a stimulating and relaxed forum for social and creative exchange. It includes several restaurants and bars for its members.

3. Roppongi Academy Hills

Roppongi Academy Hills is a multi-purpose academic facility which includes a school, library, and a conference center. It aims to stimulate intellectual curiosity of Tokyo's urban population, as well as communicate new information and cultural ideas to the world.

4. Tokyo City View

Tokyo City View is the observation deck on the top floor of Mori Tower. This 250 meter high deck gives an unobstructed 360 degree-wide view of the surrounding buildings and beyond. The 11-meter high stairwell and glass wall provide "a liberating feeling". Both the daytime and nighttime panoramic views of the city hold a charm of their own.

Around Mori Tower are a few more buildings with offices, shops and restaurants. The variety of shops is enormous, which makes it the ultimate place to shop. Prominent buildings in the area include those of the luxury hotel Grand Hyatt Tokyo, headquarters of TV Asahi, and a Virgin Cinemas complex. This cinema is a nine-screen one with futuristic decor, THX and reserved seating. It is open all night long. Close by is the Roppongi Hills Arena, an outdoor arena with a gigantic roof. Perhaps the most remarkable part of Roppongi Hills is the Mori Garden. This is a traditional Japanese garden which spreads over 4,300 square meters, and includes a duck pond. This beautifully landscaped garden is on the former site of a feudal lord's residence of the Edo period.

The Mori Garden is along the Gaien Higashi Avenue. This is the road in Roppongi which heads towards Tokyo Tower from Roppongi Station, and is the main area which draws crowds at night. Both sides of Gaien Higashi are lined with bars, restaurants and nightclubs to suit all tastes and pockets.

Tokyo Midtown:

Tokyo Midtown is the latest composite urban district of Tokyo. Completed in March 2007, this brand new complex is located in Roppongi in Minato Ward, a short distance from Roppongi Hills. It is directly connected to Exit 8 of Roppongi Station.

Tokyo Midtown, built on the former site of the Defense Agency, covers an area of 69,000 square meters and includes three office towers (including the tallest building in Tokyo), three residential complexes, a museum, a hotel, shops, restaurants, and much more. A vast expanse of sloping greenbelt is another highlight of the district.

The whole project was designed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP with the active participation of several other architects and designers. A wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui Fudosan Co. Ltd., the Tokyo Midtown Management Co. Ltd., is in charge of the overall management of Tokyo Midtown. It looks after all issues and activities related to the facilities of the complex.

1. Facilities:

Midtown Tower is without doubt the new landmark of not only Tokyo Midtown, but of the city of Tokyo. At 248 meters, it is the tallest building in Tokyo Prefecture. The top 9 floors (45th to 53rd floors) of this soaring tower are occupied by the 5-star Ritz Carlton Hotel. Each of the luxurious guest rooms located on floors 47 to 53 offers panoramic views of Tokyo. Floor 46 contains a spa and a fitness center, while floor 45 has a restaurant, a bar, and a lounge. The lower floors have offices of such giants as Yahoo! Japan, Gaga Communications, Fujifilm, and Konami. There are Sky lobbies at both the high and medium level banks offering breath-taking views of the city.

Midtown East is the second office building of the district. Called the gateway to Midtown, it is located nearest to Roppongi Station. Besides offices, the building also has convention and meeting halls with state-of-the-art equipment to handle all kinds business meetings, events, and functions.

Midtown West is the third office building. Holding prime location, it faces Gaien-Higashidori Street and the Midtown Garden.

On the eastern edge of the property is the Park Residences at The Ritz Carlton. This first housing complex operated by a 5-star hotel in Japan consists of 244 rental apartments on 29 floors, complete with concierge desk, housekeeping, chef-prepared meal deliveries and other services. Amenities include underground parking, fitness center, Jacuzzi, sauna, and trunk room.

Tokyo Midtown Residence, the second residential building in the complex, consists of 25 floors. Apartments are located on 12th to 24th floors. The lower floors have rental conference and meeting rooms, private lounges, and offices.

Oakwood Premier Tokyo Midtown is the third residential building. This is Japan’s first Premier brand of mid- to long-term stay serviced rental housing from Oakwood of America.

The main shopping area of Tokyo Midtown is the five-floor Galleria. This open foyer shopping arcade has a rich assortment of stylish and high-end shops. The glass ceilinged Plaza also has some chic establishments, besides several cafes and pastry shops. This expansive and open place is ideal for a stroll and relaxation. For stylish dining there is the Garden Terrace, which consists of a large variety of international and Japanese restaurants.

Suntory Museum of Art, originally opened in 1961, just recently moved to its present location in the Midtown Gardenside. With the underlying philosophy of “Lifestyle Art”, the museum is unique in the sense that it contains works of art created through people's lives in Japan. The collection consists of over 3000 articles closely connected to Japanese life. The museum building itself is unique, being a combination of both traditional and contemporary elements of Japan. The exterior has a white porcelain look, while the interior is toned with wood and Japanese paper. Besides the exhibition rooms, there is a lecture hall, a café, a museum shop, and a tea-ceremony room.

Other facilities at Tokyo Midtown include a Medical Center, two Halls equipped with the latest sound and light systems, and a Conference Room with the latest audio/visual systems.

Almost 40% of Tokyo Midtown is covered with grass and greenery, giving the area a rich and open verdant look. The Midtown Garden is the main green area with over 140 cherry, camphor and other trees displaying their full beauty, especially when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Hinokicho Park is on the east side of Tokyo Midtown. This site was originally the garden of an Azabu villa of the Edo period. This impressive garden is rich in flora of a large variety.

Tokyo Midtown also has special Tours for its many visitors. These 60-minute tours have services in English, too, but reservations have to be made in advance.