Roppongi Area Guide

Roppongi is well-known as Tokyo's foreigner nightlife district, but major re-development projects, including Izumi Garden Tower, Roppongi Hills and Tokyo MidTown, have transformed it into an upmarket office, residential and cultural center. It's no longer just a night time destination. It's one of Tokyo's most popular expat residential neighborhoods, offering convenient work, play, and English-friendly amenities.

Details

Highlights
-- Daytime: High-end residential and international business district with a cutting-edge art twist
-- Nighttime: Bars, clubs, and karaoke galore!
-- Large ex-pat community. Abundant in English-friendly establishments and housing options.
-- Anything an urban dweller would want can be found at Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown

Contents

Location

Roppongi is a district famous for its iconic nightlife scene and more recently as a high-end office and residential area with a large English-speaking expat community. Its most famous landmarks are the upscale Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown developments.

The Roppongi area is bordered by the Minami Aoyama and Nishi Azabu neighborhoods to the west, the district of Akasaka and Tokyo MidTown to the north; and the ARK Hills buildings and the Tokyo Metro Namboku subway line to the east. The neighborhoods of Azabu and Azabu Juban, also popular as a residential area for foreigners, lie to the south.

Roppongi is a unique mix of down-market (at night) and up-market (in the daytime). This is where locals and foreigners go to party the night away. It is also home to Tokyo’s most luxurious urban re-development projects, some of the city’s most expensive residential real estate, and a global business district.

Many international companies have offices in the area: Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs, Google, and SAS Institute just to name a few. This results in Roppongi’s population being quite global compared to other parts of Tokyo. Expat and international families tend to rate Roppongi rather highly in terms of livability due to the abundance of establishments offering English services.

Key Stats

Average Rent in Roppongi

Apartment Type Average Rent ($1 = ¥110)
1R 1K ¥155,900/month ($1,420)
1LDK 2K 2DK ¥284,500/month ($2,590)
2LDK 3K 3DK ¥387,500/month ($3,520)

Apartments For Rent in Roppongi

Train Lines

JR/Subway/Other Line
Tokyo Metro  Hibiya
Toei  Oedo

Accessibility

Transportation to…  Line Time
Shinjuku Oedo, direct 9 min
Shibuya Oedo (Aoyama-Itchome), transfer to Ginza 13 min
Tokyo Hibiya (Ginza), transfer to Marunouchi 16 min
Shinagawa Hibiya (Ebisu), transfer to Yamanote 23 min
Naka-Meguro Hibiya, direct 8 min
Azabu Juban Oedo, direct 1 min
Yokohama, Kanagawa Hibiya (Naka-Meguro), transfer to Tokyu Toyoko 35 min

Orientation Around the Station

Roppongi Station has a handful of exits, and knowing which ones will take you to Roppongi Hills and which will take you to Tokyo Midtown can save you time and hassle.

  • Exit 1A and Exit 1B will put you in closest proximity to Roppongi Hills. These exits are relatively easy to find from the Hibiya subway line. Exit 1C takes you directly to the concourse level of Roppongi Hills.
  • Exit 2 is close to the above exits, but is across the street from Roppongi Hills.
  • Exit 7 and Exit 8 will bring you toward Tokyo Midtown.
  • Exit 3, Exit 4A, Exit 4B, Exit 5, and Exit 6 are all located around the intersection of Roppongi-dori Ave. and Gaien Higashi-dori Ave.

Roppongi Hills  and Roppongi Hills Residences

Roppongi Hills has become the symbol of the new face of Roppongi. It was developed by Minoru Mori, Japan’s leading real estate developer, as a city-within-a-city, a single place where you can find anything you would ever need or want at your doorstep!

The concept behind Roppongi Hills, which opened in 2003, was an integrated development that would allow people to live, work, play and shop without having to commute. To that end, this mega-development consists of office space, apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés, movie theaters, a museum, a hotel, a major TV studio, an outdoor amphitheater, and several parks. The centerpiece is Mori Tower (picture above), a 238-meter tall skyscraper. Exit 1C from Roppongi Station will take you directly to the concourse level of Roppongi Hills.

Roppongi Hills is an extremely attractive cornerstone when factoring the livability of the area, and those who love the idea of having a city-in-city at their doorstep will find Roppongi very appealing.

The Roppongi Hills Residences consist of four buildings. Residences A and B have apartments that are sometimes available on the “for sale” market. Residence C is only for rent, and Residence D is a serviced apartment complex. Residence B and C are high-rise towers.

These luxury apartments offer many convenient amenities which have come to give Roppongi a reputation for being a foreigner-friendly and very livable area of Tokyo. For example, the bilingual desk staff can help with any questions you might have regarding transportation or where to find certain daily necessities, access to the Roppongi Hills Spa (1,800-sqm of relaxation), and a 24-hour clinic with bilingual support.

Roppongi-Itchome

Just a stone’s throw away from Roppongi Station is Roppongi-Itchome. It is a highly developed commercial/residential area that is home to many international company offices (Credit Suisse, Electronic Arts, Bose Automotive, etc.). With this background, it’s a relatively popular area to live in for those on assignments from overseas. You’ll find the US Embassy in Japan here, as well as ARK HILLS and Izumi Garden Tower.

Completed in 2002, Izumi Garden Tower claimed the title of tallest building in Minato Ward for a period of time (the current tallest building in Minato Ward is Toranomon Hills). There is a mix of amenities and attractions built into the Izumi Garden complex: a hotel, apartments, a fitness center, offices, shops and restaurants. Right across the tower is Izumi Garden Residences, a 32-story luxury apartment building.

With all the convenience included in the surrounding area, Izumi Garden Residence is a very popular luxury apartment for both foreign and Japanese families.

Luxury Apartments in Roppongi

We’ve put together a list of the most popular luxury apartment buildings in Roppongi.

 

Roppongi Art Triangle

Three major art museums, all within walking distance of each other, have made Roppongi into a center of cutting-edge art in Tokyo. The Mori Art Museum, which opened in 2003, mainly focuses on contemporary and international exhibits; the National Art Center, which opened in 2007, which has no permanent exhibits but accommodates temporary exhibitions sponsored and curated by other organizations; and the Suntory Museum of Art, located in Tokyo MidTown.

International Schools near Roppongi

Another component to the foreigner-friendly reputation that Roppongi has cultivated is the fact that it’s the location for the Early Learning Center of the American School in Japan. This is the preschool and kindergarten division of the American School in Japan. The main campus is located in Chofu, Tokyo. For international families, it can be important to ensure that their children have an international education.

Other options for those with younger children include the Mitsui Gardens International Preschool, the Children’s House Montessori School, and Chateau School.

Roppongi also offers a variety of international schools for older children, such as: The Montessori School of Tokyo, Tokyo International School, and Nishimachi International School.

Short-term Stays in Roppongi

If you’re only going to be in Roppongi for a few weeks or even a few months, it might be a good idea to look into furnished apartments specifically for short-term stays. A furnished apartment can provide a comfy, homey sense that can be easier for some to relax in compared to a hotel. You can search for “short-term” apartments on our site, in Roppongi you can find a wide variety of these apartments!

If you want the best of both worlds, consider staying in a serviced apartment. These furnished apartments also offer hotel-like amenities such as laundry service and linen changing.

Eating

When you’re out and about in Roppongi you’ll have a wide variety of dining options to choose from. As an entertainment district (and notable tourist destination) Roppongi offers restaurants for practically every type of diner. From grilled skewers and deep fried comfort food at Jomon Roppongi, classic Japanese tempura at Tempura Yamanoue, and even the American East coast staple burger joint of Shake Shack can be found around Roppongi. If you walk around either Roppongi Hills or Tokyo Midtown you’ll be able to follow your nose to any tempting restaurants packed in the upscale business complexes.

Livability

In the eighties, Roppongi had a reputation for being a destination for indulging in the seedy nightlife of Tokyo. It has since cleaned up and received a massive facelift thanks to development projects like Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown. Along with these modern developments, the surge in popularity with foreigners helps drive bilingual services in the area.

The area tends to enjoy an upscale atmosphere. Majority of the residents live in mid-rise and high-rise apartment complexes, which are very attractive for ex-pats transferring to Tokyo with their families. With the added bonus of international schools in the area, it’s easy to see why this area is so popular with international families.

On the flip-side, the sheer amount of things to do in the area helps draw single apartment hunters looking for an exciting slice of Tokyo to call home. If you’re working in any of the nearby offices or business districts, you’ll enjoy the short commute to work!

Useful Info at a Glance

Supermarkets

Nearby Supermarkets Hours Address
Motomachi Union Supermarket 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM 3 Chome-7-1 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032
Precce Premium Tokyo Midtown 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM 〒107-0052 Tokyo, Minato City, Akasaka, 9 Chome−7−4 東京ミッドタウン ガーデンサイド地下
SEIJO ISHII Roppongi Hills Mon. – Sat.: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Sun.: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM

〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 6-chōme−6−2-31 六本木ヒルズノースタワー

*This is just a selection of supermarkets in the area.

Gyms

Nearby Gyms Hours Address
Reebok Crossfit Roppongi Mon. – Fri.: 6:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Sat. – Sun.: 8:45 AM – 3:00 PM

〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 7 Chome−4−8 ウィンドビルディング B1F
Total Workout Roppongi Hills Mon. – Fri.: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Sat.: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Sun.: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 6 Chome−4−1 メトロハット/ハリウッドプラザ B2階 六本木ヒルズ
Tipness Roppongi Mon. – Fri.: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Sat.: 9:30 AM – 10:00 PM

Sun.: 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM

〒106-0032 Tokyo, Minato City, Roppongi, 6 Chome−6−9 B1F ピラミデビル

*These are just examples of gyms available in the area.

Universities

Nearby Universities Information
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies Home Page
Graduate School of Toyo Eiwa University Graduate School of Toyo Eiwa University Home Page

Language Schools

Ward Office, Police

Nearby Community Center/City Hall/Police Station Hours Address
Azabu District Minato Ward Office Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri.: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wed.: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sat. – Sun.: Closed

5 Chome-16-45 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032
Azabu Police Station Mon. – Fri.: 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM

Sat. – Sun.: Closed

4 Chome-7-1 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032

Clinics

*These are examples of clinics in the area.

Parks

Family-Friendly Features

Nearby Family Friendly Features Address
Azabu Kids-to-Teens Hall 4 Chome-6-7 Minamiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0047

Department Stores


Roppongi Apartments

Apartments for rent near Roppongi Station:

There are many reasons why Roppongi is such a popular area for ex-pats and foreigners in Tokyo, and once you take a little time to explore the different aspects of what constitutes Roppongi as a whole, you’ll understand why it ranks so highly among international residents of Tokyo. It’s a great location for professionals and families with a wide array of livability-boosting features. And if the location is the primary appeal to you (and not the high-rise upscale luxury apartment life) if you search a bit away from the developments like Roppongi Hills you can find apartments in the area that are rather affordable even for young professionals. On our site, 1R apartments in the Roppongi area start at around ¥75,000 per month!

Apartments For Rent in Roppongi

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