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Roppongi Hills
From Virtual Japan
Roppongi Hills (六本木ヒルズ), located in the Roppongi District of Tokyo, is a large shopping district. The complex was built over the course of 3 years between 2000 and 2003 and was opened on April 23, 2003. At 238 meters tall and with 54 floors at its highest point, the building has become a landmark in the Roppongi district with office space, shops, cafes, apartments, a museum and hotel, a TV studio, an amphitheater, and multiple parks, as well as the Mori Tower.
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Development History
Roppongi Hills was originally conceived in 1986 by Mori Building and over the course of the next 14 years more than 400 small lots were acquired and amalgamated in the Roppongi District to make up the 27 acre site. Upon acquiring all of the necessary permits and land needed to build, the complex was started in 2000 and cost an estimated $4 Billion to build. Opening in 2003, the complex is now home to offices of businesses such as Lehman Brothers, Konami, Yahoo! Japan, TV Asahi, and Godman Sachs.
The initial six levels of the Mori Tower is devoted to retail outlets and restaurants and the top six floors are given over to the Mori Art Museum and viewing platforms. The rest of the building is devoted to office space.
Roppongi Hills is also home to the Roppongi Hills Residence buildings with multiple locations surrounding the Mori Tower. Roppongi Keyakizaka Street is located behind the Mori Tower and is home to many luxury shops from around the world. A total of 793 apartments are available in the 4 separate Roppongi Hills Residence Buildings.
Almost half of the total 27 acres of Roppongi Hills is designated for open areas such as gardens and pavilions, including the extravagant Mohri Garden, which includes actually parts of the Mohri Clan’s lost mansion.
Controversy
There has been some controversy since Roppongi Hills opened, including an ongoing dispute regarding noise pollution, stemming largely from the use of massive outdoor speakers in the Roppongi Hills Arena. Additionally, there has been a great deal of criticism levied at the complex’s design, regarding its confusing, maze-like structure and the unfriendly nature in which the entire area is managed.
Recent Competition
In 2007, Tokyo Midtown opened in Roppongi, taking some of the "newness" away from Roppongi Hill and luring away some of the brand shops that had previously had shops in Roppongi Hills.
There have been other mixed use developments built in recent years, all of them striving to make greater use of Tokyo’s sparse, crowded space. The result is close proximity and a good deal of competition. Tokyo Midtown opened a couple of years after Roppongi Hills, with the largest building in Tokyo as well as a park, museum, and residences coupled with office space. However, competition has been much less than expected due to the high demand for commercial and residential space in Tokyo and the still insufficient supply.
Points of Interest
'Mori Art Museum: The famous Mori Art Museum is a special facility located in the Roppongi Hills area featuring some of the most popular and modern art pieces in the world. Western style and contemporary art is beautifully displayed in the museum for millions of guests each year. To make the museum even more intriguing there are events held almost every weekend allowing visitors a chance to interact with the art of today.
Tokyo City View: The very large skyscraper featuring the world famous Tokyo City View is located near the center of Roppongi Hills, meaning near the center of Tokyo City itself. An observation floor tops the building while shops, an elite café, and special exhibits are displayed on the lower levels. In 2008, the roof of the facility was opened to vistors, giving them an open air 360 degree city view. The new attraction has been dubbed the "Observation Deck".