ROPPONGI

The spectacular Roppongi Hills is one of the largest real estate developments in Japan. It was conceived in 1986 by the industrialist Minoru Mori, whose intention was to incorporate offices, homes, stores and entertainment venues in a single area in order to eliminate commuting for workers, so they could enjoy more leisure time and a better quality of life.

The huge development, which cost more than four billion dollars, also comprises cinemas, a museum, a hotel, an important TV studio, an open-air amphitheater and a number of parks. It was opened to the public on April 25th, 2003, seventeen years after it was planned, and occupies an area of 109,000 square meters.

The centerpiece is the massive Mori Tower, a skyscraper with 54 floors designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, which contains an art museum, restaurants, cafés, clinics, stores and the offices of important companies such as Barclays, Ferrari, Goldman Sachs, BASF and Google.

The first six levels of the Mori Tower contain stores and restaurants, while the top six are home to the Mori Art Museum and the unmissable Tokyo City View.

The entrance to the underground station located below the tower is particularly spectacular, with a glass atrium packed with large TV screens and escalators, as well as a number of stores and restaurants.

The Mori Tower is surrounded by several smaller buildings with stores and restaurants, as well as a cinema complex and the Mohri Garden. Behind the tower, you can take a walk around Roppongi Keyakizaka Street, lined with cafés and top fashion boutiques.

The four towers on this street are the Roppongi Hills Residences which accommodate 793 luxury apartments.

About half of the area is made up of gardens, pavilions and other open spaces, including the elaborate Mohri Garden, an authentic Japanese garden complete with trees and a pond, once part of a mansion that housed members of the Mohri feudal clan.

An interesting fact: if you’re a fan of Pokémon, you might like to know your favorite characters are created here in the Mori Tower, in the headquarters of the Pokémon Company.