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Roppongi From Morning to Midnight: 5 Ways to Enjoy a Famous Entertainment Disctrict
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Roppongi is best known for its nightlife, but you can also enjoy art, shopping, nature and more in this popular Tokyo district. This article introduces five ways to get the most from Roppongi no matter when you visit!
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Roppongi – Famous for Its Art and Nightlife
Embassies from countries around the world are scattered throughout Roppongi and Azabu-Juban. The district is also filled with shops and restaurants, making it very popular with visitors.
The Roppongi area is characterized by sprawling commercial facilities like Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown. These house offices, restaurants, shopping malls, and even move theaters all in one. Cultural facilities such as the Mori Art Museum and The National Art Center, Tokyo also attract visitors year-round.
In this article, we’ll show you five different ways to enjoy Roppongi; shopping, an art tour, nature walks, nightlife, and Japanese food!
1. Shopping – Find Your Perfect Souvenir
Tokyo Midtown
Picture courtesy of Tokyo Midtown
Tokyo Midtown originally housed the the Japanese Defense Agency. Nowadays it is a complex facility constructed to utilize its vast urban space. The complex houses a shopping mall, offices, a lawn area, an art museum, and a hotel built side by side. This allows visitors to enjoy the complexas if they were walking through a whole district.
This complex is not only home to fashion brands, but also several general goods stores such as itoya topdrawer (Japanese), a specialty stationery store, and Nakagawa Masashichi Shopping Street, an established store with 300 years of history. You can readily enjoy shopping for all kinds of items.
Roppongi Hills
Picture courtesy of Roppongi Hills
Roppongi Hills is the representative Roppongi multipurpose commercial facility with a shopping mall, art museum, offices, and condominiums inside. You can exchange your foreign currency at the world currency shop on the sixth floor of West Walk. The tax-free counter is located on the fourth floor of the same building. This also makes this facility very useful for international visitors.
The complex is home to a wide range of shops, including numerous fashion and high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci. There are also sports shops, art stores, and other established side by side. The shopping mall houses a total of 200 stores.
TV Asahi Shop
At the TV Asahi broadcasting station, located in Roppongi Hills, you’ll find the TV Asahi Shop carrying goods of characters. Here you can purchase goods from famous dramas, TV programs, and anime characters such as Doraemon or Crayon Shin-chan.
You’ll also find gacha(capsule toy) machines and crane games inside. The shop is filled with limited edition items that can only be purchased here.
2. An Art Tour Centered on Modern Museums
The National Art Center, Tokyo
Picture from Three Museums You Can Walk To From Roppongi Station
The National Art Center, Tokyo is directly accessible from Nogizaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. It is an art museum characterized by theentirely glass-fitted building stretching from the first floor all the way up to the third floor.
The center houses the country’s largest exhibition space spanning 14,000 square meters. Both domestic and international themed exhibitions are held here. Current exhibitions include a craft exhibition of the Paris-based Musée d’Orsay (September 26 – December 17, 2018).
Collections and disclosures of materials regarding domestic exhibitions are also be held at the center, making it a place where you can comprehensively learn about the art scene in Japan.
Mori Art Museum
Picture from Three Museums You Can Walk To From Roppongi Station
The Mori Art Museum is a museum located on the 52nd and 53rd floor of Roppongi Hills. A variety of special exhibitions centered around architecture and art are held here. The museum's goal is being accessible to people of all ages and interests.
A special exhibition called “Japan in Architecture” introducing the history of Japanese architecture was held until September 17th, 2018. Besides documents and displays on Japanese architecture, visitors could also enjoy a variety of installations.
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Suntory Museum of Art
Picture from Three Museums You Can Walk To From Roppongi Station
The Suntory Museum of Art is ideal for those who not only wish to see paintings but also other works of art such as pottery, lacquerware, dyeing and weaving, and glassworks. The museum opened in 1961 and has since held special exhibitions and art collections centered around the theme “Art in Life.”
An exhibition titled “In the Country of Fans, Japan” is focusing on the fans (sensu) that have been used by the Japanese people since ancient times. It will be held from November 28, 2018, until January 20, 2019. A variety of exhibitions introducing the history of Japan through unique items will be held all throughout the year.
The museum first opened in Marunouchi, relocated to Akasaka Mitsuke in 1975 and finally moved to Roppongi in 2007. The museum’s current structure was designed by the architect Mr. Kengo Kuma.
The museum has a collection of 3,000 works of art including national treasures and important cultural properties. They also hold events to allow guests to experience art through talk shows and workshops.
21_21 DESIGN SIGHT
Picture from 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Roppongi – Enrich Your Daily Life Through Design
21_21 DESIGN SIGHT is an art space located in the urban green area of Tokyo Midtown. There are no permanent exhibitions. All kinds of exhibitions centered around domestic artists are regularly held here.
The facility is open until 19:00, a time that is relatively late for such a facility. How about stopping by if you’ll anyway be shopping or dining in the area?
3. Roppongi’s Hidden Charms!
Mori Garden
Picture courtesy of Roppongi Hills
Did you know that there’s a spot in Roppongi Hills with a history that dates back to the Edo period? Mori Garden was created as a garden for the mansion of Hidemoto Mori. He was the grandson of Motonari Mori, a Sengoku daimyo (feudal lord), during the Edo period.
This historical garden has been passed down to several prominent figures over the years. Nowadays, flora of every season growing around the century-old pond can be enjoyed by everyone.
Midtown Garden
Picture courtesy of Tokyo Midtown
Midtown Garden is an open area inside Tokyo Midtown. The area is divided into zones called the Highlands Spring Zone, the Mountain Stream Zone, the Forest Edge Zone, and the Lawn Zone. In these zones, visitors can enjoy all kinds of birds and flowers by the waterfronts or in the shade of the trees.
The Lawn Zone in particular always has grass regardless of the seasons. It is a great place where you can lie down, have enjoyable conversations, or spend your time relaxing while in the middle of a city.
** Please note that the lawn area is only open at certain times.
Public Art
Picture from Roppongi: A Town Filled with Public Art
Did you know that there are various public artworks scattered around the sidewalks and plazas near Roppongi Hills? Works by both domestic and international artists are put on display with six of them being works curated by the Mori Art Museum.
Street furniture is located on the sidewalks of Keyakizaka Street and Sakurazaka in order to fully enjoy the art on display. How about taking a break here and enjoying some free art.
Official Website: http://www.roppongihills.com/en/facilities/publicart_design/
4. Enjoy Roppongi's Nightlife
Clubs
Picture courtesy of Nishi-Azabu MUSE
The clubs scattered throughout Roppongi to Nishi-Azabu are one way to enjoy Roppongi. Nishi-Azabu MUSE is a popular club accommodating one of the largest crowds possible in Tokyo with over 1,200 people filling the club every weekend. Popular personalities from outside Japan, such as DJ Hello Kitty (Japanese) perform here and give the club its international vibe.
Thursdays cost 2,000 yen plus tax (includes tickets for two drinks) while Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before holidays costs 4,000 yen plus tax (including the two-drink tickets). Entry is free for women.
Other unique clubs in the area include V2 tokyo (Japanese), a club often visited by overseas artists, and Maharaja (Japanese), a club centered around the disco genre that was especially popular in Japan from the 1980s to the 1990s.
An Unbroken Night View of Tokyo!
Picture courtesy of Roppongi Hills
At the Tokyo City View Lounge, an observation deck located on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills, you can gaze at the Tokyo scenery from above. A sky deck is also located outside but, if no events are being held, only operates until 20:00. The indoor area is open until 23:00 on the weekdays and holidays. It stays open until 25:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before holidays.
5. Enjoy Japanese Food
Konpeki no Umi
Picture courtesy of Konpeki no Umi
At Konpeki no Umi, you can enjoy cuisines centered around fish and the alcoholic beverages that go well with these dishes.
The course menus, served with sushi and seasonal fish dishes, start from 3,500 yen plus tax. Their lunch menus start at a reasonable price range of 1,100 yen plus tax, allowing customers to enjoy Japanese fish cuisine on every budget.
AFURI
Picture from The King of Refreshing Ramen: AFURI
AFURI is a ramen shop characterized by their Japanese-style yuzu seasoning. The shop is located in Azabu-Juban, Roppongi Crossing, and inside Roppongi Hills. It will be an easy spot to add to your sightseeing route.
Please note that business hours will vary at each location.
Picture from 5 Great Spots To See The Winter Lights In Tokyo 2017-2018 (Picture courtesy of Roppongi Hills)
Roppongi is not only enjoyed in the night with clubs and bars but is also a great area for sightseeing and shopping. Here, you’ll find cultural facilities such as the Mori Museum of Art and the National Art Center, Tokyo in multipurpose commercial facilities like Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown.
Another pleasure of Roppongi is walking through the district for its seasonal scenery. The district is decorated in rows of cherry blossom trees in the spring while it is illuminated in the winter.
There may be some people that worry about public safety in an area such as Roppongi filled with clubs and bars. If you’re uneasy about the area, be sure to check the “Handbook for Everyone’s Safety and Peace in 4 Languages (Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean)” published by the municipal’s official website.
Why not make your own special memories in Roppongi?
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