roppongi hills
Roppongi Hills is a large complex consisting of around a dozen different buildings, including a shopping mall, a cinema, several residential facilities, offices, a TV station, a hotel, art museums, and more. Below is a model of the overall complex of buildings:
The centerpiece of the complex, however, is the Mori Tower itself, topping off at 886 feet above sea level, as it sits atop a hill looking out across Tokyo. Here is that central tower, seen from below, rising up from behind what they call the "Metro Hat":
While not the tallest building in Tokyo (the Metropolitan Government Building holds that honor) Roppongi is still nearly the highest point above sea level and gives a grand view of the entire sprawling city.
At one of the main entrances up to the Mori Tower lurches Louise Bourgeois’ 33 foot high spider sculpture, with its spindly legs, looking for all its worth as if it were an anorexic Shelob about to thrust her fangs down on some wretchedly unexpecting cafe patron:
Suffice it to say, I didn't take up a seat to enjoy a leisurely coffee.
Atop the Mori Tower is what they call "Tokyo City View," granting a 360 degree view from inside walls of glass. Unfortunately, the day we went up was rather overcast so some features that are often visible (such as the distant Mt. Fuji) were hidden from view. The picture below is facing northeast, the tree-filled area in the distance marking the grounds of the imperial palace with the dome of the Diet Building rising in front of it:
This view faces east towards the Eiffel-like Tokyo Tower, with Tokyo's World Trade center rising darkly just to the right. Off in the distance somewhere in this direction is also the Tokyo Disney Resort, a sight that I blessedly missed out on visiting:
The twin buildings below are part of the Roppongi Hills complex itself, facing roughly south from the Mori Tower, and serve as attractive residences:
This picture was taken, facing northwest, towards Shinjuku with its cluster of skyscrapers and, in the foreground, the large Aoyama Cemetery:
From left to right the tallest buildings on the skyline include the Tokyo Opera City, the Shinjuku Park Tower (home to the Park Hyatt Hotel), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and a variety of office towers.
After this outing we had a bite to eat and then stayed up way too late given the early train we needed to catch the next day.
(continue to next post: cars)
The centerpiece of the complex, however, is the Mori Tower itself, topping off at 886 feet above sea level, as it sits atop a hill looking out across Tokyo. Here is that central tower, seen from below, rising up from behind what they call the "Metro Hat":
While not the tallest building in Tokyo (the Metropolitan Government Building holds that honor) Roppongi is still nearly the highest point above sea level and gives a grand view of the entire sprawling city.
At one of the main entrances up to the Mori Tower lurches Louise Bourgeois’ 33 foot high spider sculpture, with its spindly legs, looking for all its worth as if it were an anorexic Shelob about to thrust her fangs down on some wretchedly unexpecting cafe patron:
Suffice it to say, I didn't take up a seat to enjoy a leisurely coffee.
Atop the Mori Tower is what they call "Tokyo City View," granting a 360 degree view from inside walls of glass. Unfortunately, the day we went up was rather overcast so some features that are often visible (such as the distant Mt. Fuji) were hidden from view. The picture below is facing northeast, the tree-filled area in the distance marking the grounds of the imperial palace with the dome of the Diet Building rising in front of it:
This view faces east towards the Eiffel-like Tokyo Tower, with Tokyo's World Trade center rising darkly just to the right. Off in the distance somewhere in this direction is also the Tokyo Disney Resort, a sight that I blessedly missed out on visiting:
The twin buildings below are part of the Roppongi Hills complex itself, facing roughly south from the Mori Tower, and serve as attractive residences:
This picture was taken, facing northwest, towards Shinjuku with its cluster of skyscrapers and, in the foreground, the large Aoyama Cemetery:
From left to right the tallest buildings on the skyline include the Tokyo Opera City, the Shinjuku Park Tower (home to the Park Hyatt Hotel), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and a variety of office towers.
After this outing we had a bite to eat and then stayed up way too late given the early train we needed to catch the next day.
(continue to next post: cars)
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