Considering the efficiency of Japan, it’s interesting to witness the dramatic change to Roppongi, an enduring neighborhood in the city of Tokyo. This district has had a diverse and colorful history not unlike the amusement park aura of Times Square, New York, but in its current metamorphosis, Roppongi has made a more elegant and sophisticated transformation.
Very recently Roppongi was where Japanese business men and Westerners went out on weekends with their drinking buddies, ultimately ending up at one of the numerous “gentlemen’s” clubs in the neighborhood. These hostess clubs and cabarets predominating Roppongi with names like “Hanky Panky,” “Flamingo Club,” and “Seventh Heaven” still exist, but are now overshadowed by the new upscale shops and restaurants opening daily. In fact, this gentrified urban enclave is now a chic place where Japanese men and women as well as foreigners frequent. The remnants of the past and the excitement of the new make this neighborhood a must when visiting Tokyo.
This is not the first makeover over of the Roppongi (meaning six trees) district. The history dates back to 1660 in the Edo period and is associated with the six daimyo (war lords) that lived nearby. In 1890 the Third Imperial Guard of the Imperial Japanese Army inhabited the district. This is when Roppongi became a nightlife magnet. After World War II, the US military had installations there. Their presence caused a wave of Western-oriented shops, restaurants, hostess bars and clubs to open.
Japan’s society is noted for being capable of re-inventing itself at a rapid pace since World War II. It is this skill that has created an exciting, ever-changing capital like Tokyo. The Roppongi gentrification project first started with the clean-up of the area, then with the opening of the fifty-four story Mori tower in Roppongi Hills. Even though the tower opened just four years ago, it was in the planning stages for more than seventeen years, lots having to be swapped and reassembled first to organize its construction. There is no doubt that Roppongi Hills contains every major designer in the world and is certainly one of Tokyo’s major shopping meccas. Louise Bourgeois’s famous sculpture of a 33ft giant spider, titled Maman, is its’ dramatic center piece and was destined to be the meeting point for anyone choosing to venture there.
Roppongi Hills now rivals Tokyo’s other shopping areas like Omotosando and Ginza. Retail giant Harrod’s, as well as top designers like Christian Lacroix, Marc Jacobs, and Kate Spade are part of the mix. Renowned restaurants like L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and New York’s Il Mulino tempt visitors, yet a local restaurant like the Hong Kong Tea House offering a complete dim sum menu is also worth a try. Worth discovering as well is the Tokyo aquarium and the crown jewel – the Mori Art Museum.
The Mori Art Museum is a must. Usually housing one temporary exhibit, it encourages frequent, return visits. Situated on the top floor of the Mori tower, its amazing view of Tokyo alone is worth the price of admission. Staying open late until 10 pm on most evenings, it can be a perfect end of the day excursion.
The newest hub of activity in Roppongi is the new Tokyo Midtown complex consisting of two buildings, one being Tokyo’s highest, with a Ritz-Carlton at its pinnacle occupying the top nine floors. The hotel is a stylish mix of modern Tokyo with the austerity of the Ritz Carlton franchise. The lobby’s 25 foot high ceilings hover above incredible city views and live jazz makes the gurgling fountain a great spot for afternoon tea. Two excellent restaurants – Hinokizaka, offering traditional Japanese cuisine, and Forty Five with a continental menu are also strategically placed there.
The adjoining Tokyo Midtown building houses the “Galleria”, a four story open foyer arcade that includes many design shops and fashion stores. International design is well represented here and you can find a variety of pottery, ceramics, and modern furnishings. Top apparel boutiques like Restir – rivaling concept stores like Colette in Paris, and Jeffrey in New York – feature new designers from all over the world in a runway meets art gallery meets rock concert environment. It’s a spectacle not to be missed.
The Suntory Art Museum is also housed in the Tokyo Midtown complex. Suntory relocated to the area as it wanted to be an anchor for the growth of Roppongi. When I was in Tokyo, there was a fascinating exhibit on Japanese screens and their significance through the ages. Suntory puts concentration on traditional Japanese art with exhibitions changing often.
The last museum that completes what’s classified as the new art triangle in Roppongi is the National Arts Center of Tokyo. This museum also doesn’t have a permanent exhibit, but features ever changing art shows organized and curated by artists and their associates. Kishô Kurakawa’s design with a curved front entrance, decorated with green window glass, is amazing yet 100% environmentally safe. There is even Japan’s first Brasserie Paul Bocuse le Musée restaurant on the third floor.
On your next trip to Tokyo, plan well and don’t miss the excitement of Roppongi Hills and Roppongi Midtown districts and let me know what you find that’s new!
Where to Stay:
Country Code for Japan is (81) and the city code for Tokyo is (3).
Ritz Carlton, Tokyo Midtown: Dining in the Ritz Carlton includes Hinokizaka which features authentic Japanese cuisine from Sushi, Teppan Yaki to Tempura. 45 is an elegant, international restaurant that blends continental and Asian flavored cuisine with an extensive wine list; 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku; 6434-8100; www.ritzcarlton.com
Grand Hyatt Tokyo: 6-10-3 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 06-0032. Tel: 81-3-4333-1234. Fax: 81-3-4333-8123. www.tokyo.grand.hyatt.com
Park Hyatt Tokyo: 3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku; 5322-1234; www.tokyo.park.hyatt.com
Peninsula Tokyo: 1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku; 6270-2888; www.tokyo.peninsula.com
Eating Out:
Restaurant FEU: This small restaurant serves French cuisine with a Japanese twist. Chef Hiroyuki Matsumoto was trained in France; 1-26-16, Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku; 3479-0230; www.feu.co.jp
Restaurant 57: Modern American cuisine prepared by chef Fumio Yonezawa who spent three years in New York working for Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The restaurant is a modern chop house that allows the young chef to create a menu that showcases a variety of flavors and tastes from both Japanese and American cuisine; 4-2-35, Roppongi, Minato-ku; 5775-7857; www.fiftyseven.co.jp
The Hong Kong Tea House Restaurant: Authentic Hon Kong style Chinese food. Try the all you can eat Dim Sum menu in this serene, but cool Tea House setting; 6-10-1, Rippongi, 2F Hill Side in Rippongi Hills, Minato-ku; 5413-9588
What to See:
The following are the three museums that make up “The Roppongi Art Triangle”
- Mori Art Museum: Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 52F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku; 6406-6652; www.mori.art.museum/eng/
- Suntory Museum of Art: Tokyo Midtown Gardenside, Akasaka 9-7-4, Minato-ku; 3479-8600; www.suntory.jp/SMA
- National Art Center of Tokyo: 7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku; 5777-8600; www.nact.jp/english
Fuji Xerox Art Space: E-0301 9-7-3, Akasaka, Minato-ku; 6271-5260
Must See:
The View from the top of the Mori Tower is great by day or night and is included in the price of admission when you buy a ticket to the Mori Art Museum.
The Tokyo City View – top floor of Mori Tower at – Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. 52F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku; 6406-6652; www.roppongihills.com/en