Roppongi Hills
Roppongi Hills is located in one of Tokyo's first areas to experience and incorporate Western aspects of culture, Roppongi. It consists of condominium style housing, luxury shopping, a top notch office block, the Hyatt Hotel, along with various aspects of the creative arts. Standing at 54 storeys high, the complex was built in 2003 by the Mori family and their company. Roppongi Hills is perhaps the largest of many such all inclusive projects by the Mori Building Company in Tokyo, including Omotesando Hills and Ark Hills.
In the middle of the complex is the Mori Tower - a building that dominates the Tokyo skyline and symbolizes the heart of Roppongi Hills for the majority. In truth it sometimes reminds of the all seeing eye in the Lord of the Rings - wherever I go it can see me!
Shops, Beauty and Boutiques
What's inside? This is largely an office block where Fortune 500 companies jostle for position. Success is partly measured by your location within the building - the higher you are, the more influence you have. On the first six floors, however, is a range of shops and boutique style outlets that you can happily browse around for a couple of hours. One of my personal favourites is the Spanish shop Zara. In addition, if you fancy a manicure, haircut or general beauty treatment, all can be found either on the first six floors or in the Hollywood Plaza just outside the main tower.
Viewing Gallery, Museum and Art Center
Floors 49 to 54 are a cultural and relaxing get away from the consumer congestion below. We mentioned some of the Tokyo city observation points in our Tokyo Sky City page. Here is another excellent viewing gallery at the Sky Deck. On a clear day you can grab a cup of coffee from the cafe and watch the planes stacking in the sky as they prepare to land at Haneda Airport. Also at the top are the Mori Art Center and the Mori Art Museum. Items on display regularly change so follow the link for details.
At the base of the Mori Tower is a small Japanese garden with an ornamental pond and seasonal plants. This is a good refuge if you need to escape the concrete for a while. Just round the corner from here is an auditorium shaped area where many events and festivals are held. At Christmas time last year, for example, there was a traditional German fair with mulled wine and plenty of merriness to be enjoyed. It's always worth taking a stroll round here as there are often shows or public exhibitions taking place - especially on Sundays or National Holidays. See our Japanese calendar for more details about public holidays.
