Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan

Nov 20, 2024 | Asia, City, Japan

Roppongi Hills is a vibrant and upscale urban complex in Tokyo, Japan, known for its blend of modern architecture, art, and shopping.

Tokyo Midtown Galleria: 9 Chome-7-4 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan
The National Art Center, Tokyo: Japan, 〒106-8558 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 7 Chome−22−2 国立新美術館
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower: 6 Chome-10-1 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Date Picture Taken: September, 2024

On my way to Roppongi Hills, I made a stop at Tokyo Midtown.

Tokyo Midtown is another upscale urban development in the Roppongi area, blending art, culture, shopping, and green spaces.

Lunch Time

After Tokyo Midtown, I walked to the National Art Center in Tokyo

The National Art Center, Tokyo (NACT), located in the Roppongi district, is a distinctive art institution renowned for its unique approach and architectural design.

Designed by the esteemed architect Kisho Kurokawa, the building is celebrated for its undulating glass façade and expansive, light-filled interiors, making it a notable example of contemporary architecture.

Unlike traditional museums, NACT does not maintain a permanent collection. Instead, it serves as a versatile venue for a diverse array of rotating exhibitions, offering visitors fresh and varied art experiences.

The leading exhibition, when I visited it, had something to do with comic drawings.

To the Japanese, comic books and their drawings are highly esteemed and deemed worthy of exhibition in a museum.  The visitors were not just young but all aged.

Later days, I researched this exhibition and found the following:

The exhibition you’re referring to is the CLAMP EXHIBITION, held at The National Art Center, Tokyo, from July 3 to September 23, 2024. This exhibition celebrated the 35-year journey of CLAMP, a renowned all-female manga artist collective known for their diverse works across various genres.

Formed in the mid-1980s, CLAMP consists of four women—Satsuki Igarashi, Nanase Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Mokona—who have collectively produced a wide array of manga series. Their works are celebrated for intricate storytelling, diverse themes, and a distinctive art style that has garnered a global fanbase.

After the art museum, I walked to Roppongi Hills, my original destination for this day’s sightseeing.

Asahi TV Station Drama Posters

Roppongi Hills

Roppongi Hills Mori Tower is a 54-story officer tower that features an art museum, observation decks, shops, and eateries.

Walked down to the lower level

These stairs lead to the streets near Roppongi Hills.

I was not ready to leave Roppongi Hills, so I turned around

I took the escalator to the upper level

Then, I entered the Mori Building to go to the city observation deck.

Observation Deck.  From here, you can see the cityscape of Tokyo

This building also has an art museum that exhibited Beatles photos when I was there.

The red tower in the picture is the Tokyo Tower

I walked down the stairs to see the street in front of Roppongi Hills.

The street name is Roppongi Keyakizaka Dori

After the street walk, I returned to Roppongi Hills