Toranomon Hills Area Guide

Contents

• Location
• Key Stats
• Orientation Around the Station
• Livability
• Useful Info at a Glance
• Toranomon Hills Apartments

Location

Toranomon Hills Station can be found in the northern section of central Minato Ward. The Toranomon district is a primarily business district, and is known as the home to Tokyo’s currently (as of July 2020) tallest building: Toranomon Hills Mori Tower (255.5 m, 838 ft). Inside this massive architectural marvel you’ll find offices, hotel rooms, private residences, and retail space for shops and restaurants. It sets the tone for the surrounding area, giving it a more modern and fresh feel compared to neighboring business districts like Shimbashi, Roppongi, and Akasaka. Its location at the northern edge of Minato Ward puts Toranomon very close to Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace as well.

Key Stats

Average Rent in Toranomon

Apartments For Rent Around Toranomon Hills

Train Lines

JR/Subway/Other	Line
Tokyo Metro	Hibiya
Tokyo Metro*	Ginza

*Access to the Tokyo Metro Ginza subway line is through Toranomon Station, an approximately 200 m walk north of Toranomon Hills Station. The stations are also connected underground via a passageway for those transferring stations (not open to those who are not taking the subway).

Accessibility

Orientation Around the Station

Toranomon Hills Station is one of the newest additions to Tokyo’s expansive subway system. The station was opened on June 6, 2020 and originally was planned to help ease the transportation access for visitors coming to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. In addition to the station, a direct bus connection to the Tokyo Bay Area (where many of the water events were to be held) would have ferried passengers from this central location out towards Tokyo Bay (still under construction as of July 2020).

The station has a surprising number of exits for only being serviced by one subway line (Hibiya). Bear with me in this explanation:

• Exits A1 and A2 will bring you towards west of the station. There are elevators to these exits so they are accessible for people with disabilities. You’ll want to head through one of these exits if you’re making your way to the U.S. Embassy, Toranomon Hospital, Japan Patent Office, Japan Meteorological Agency, etc.
• The B exits are located east of the A exits, putting them closer to (and in some cases, right inside) Toranomon Hills.
  • B1 (elevator access): Toranomon Hills Mori Tower
  • B2: Toranomon lkiiki Plaza (Tora Topia)
  • B3: Toranomon Hills Business Tower
  • B4: Bus Terminal

While the A and B exits aren’t terribly far from each other, you’ll want to plan ahead and make sure you know which side you should exit from so you don’t have to back-track.

There is also an underground transfer passage to get to Toranomon Station (Ginza subway line).

Livability

There’s no getting around it, Toranomon is a high-class, affluent business district. As with most of Chiyoda Ward, this area is heavily populated with white-collar workers during the weekdays, but most commute in so the weekends are rather calm. In fact, even some of the restaurants in the area have shorter hours during the weekend because there are such fewer potential customers in the area.

The combination of the Hibiya subway line and Ginza subway line from the Toranomon stations gives residents a respectable amount of transportation access across the city. But the outstanding feature of Toranomon is that it’s practically walking distance to many downtown destinations. If you’re up for a 10-15 minute walk you can get to Akasaka, Roppongi, Shimbashi, Ginza, and possibly even Tokyo Station (if you have a slightly fast pace). Of course, walking everywhere isn’t an option either due to factors like rain, luggage, or intense summer heat. There are always taxis available in the area to provide quick and convenient transportation for the masses of workers in the area too.

Those who are seriously considering finding an apartment in this area should be prepared for some of the most expensive properties in Tokyo. On average, a 1LDK apartment in the area will cost around ¥357,000 per month! This represents the average though, so it is possible to find more affordable apartments in the area.

Be aware that because of the priority on business and commerce in this district, actual living amenities like supermarkets seem a little sparse compared to residential neighborhoods. However, with the advent of grocery deliveries, this might not have that much of an impact on having access to fresh produce and ingredients.

Toranomon Redevelopment Roadmap

Toranomon Hills Mori Tower is actually just one piece of a major redevelopment project that is still in the works. Prior to the the announcement and completion of Mori Tower (2014) and Toranomon Hills Business Tower (2020), there really wasn’t much to put Toranomon on the map of Tokyo’s business districts. Roppongi has Roppongi Hills, Akasaka has Tokyo Midtown, and Shimbashi is the connection hub to Odaiba/Tokyo Bay; leaving Toranomon as a fairly nondescript business district.

The goal of the entire project is to turn Toranomon into a more vibrant, international business hub.

The modern look and feel of Toranomon Mori Tower and Toranomon Hills Business Tower will be bolstered with the completion of Toranomon Hills Residential Tower (January 2021) and Toranomon Hills Station Tower (July 2023).

The residential tower will supply roughly 550 premium residential units, bringing the total number in the Toranomon Hills complex to about 800. Responding to the needs of long-term foreign visitors, the 56-floor tower will offer large-scale residential units and serviced apartments with Western-style en-suite bathrooms, a spa and fitness center, childcare facilities and a 24-hour bilingual concierge on site.

The first building in the project, Toranomon Hills, opened on June 11, 2014 and is home to the boutique Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills hotel, 172 units of residential apartments, office, conference space, and retail tenants.

The Chiyoda Effect

Merely mentioning that you live in the opulent Chiyoda Ward is enough to get the attention of many Tokyo residents. It is the least densely populated ward (primarily because the Imperial Palace occupies much of the area), and there just aren’t a lot of housing options in the area compared to areas like Setagaya Ward, Nerima Ward, and Suginami Ward.

In fact, having an address in this ward is almost like belonging to an exclusive club of Tokyoites. Depending on your social circles, you might find yourself hobnobbing with business moguls and other well-to-do members of the elite.

International Embassy Hotspot

With the high density of international embassies in the area, it’s not uncommon to see non-Japanese out and about in the neighborhood. Nearby International Embassies include: the U.S. Embassy, Embassy of Sweden, Embassy of Nigeria, and Embassy of Spain. The number of embassies increases as you make your way toward Roppongi and Azabu-Juban.

Eating

The high number of hungry workers in the area means that there are a lot of eateries to choose from. But, be aware that restaurants and bars will experience a lunch rush and end-of-work drink rush. The Toranomon Hills Mori Tower website lists all the restaurants in the building, and you can read through and plan your dining experience.

On top of that, you have a wide range of options from traditional Japanese soba noodles at Osakaya Sunaba, to a slightly luxurious take on Japanese curry at Spice Curry Shinkai, hip cycling cafe Trex, and quick-and-easy onigiri (rice ball) at Tabisuru Sake Stand!

Useful Info at a Glance

Supermarkets

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

Gyms

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

Ward Office, Police, Library

Hospitals

*These are examples of clinics in the area.

Parks

Toranomon Hills Apartments

Apartments for rent near Toranomon Hills Station:

• Toranomon Station apartments
• Kasumigaseki Station apartments
• Kamiyacho Station apartments
• Akasaka Station apartments
• Shimbashi Station apartments
• Hibiya Station apartments
• Roppongi-Itchome Station apartments

Living right near the center of Tokyo comes with its own set of pros and cons. Fantastic convenience and a very short commute top the pros, and high average rent is the literal price to pay. Using the search tools on our site, you can find 1K apartments in the Toranomon area from around ¥100,000 per month. And if you’re interested, there are larger 2LDK apartments that you can find starting from around ¥350,00 – ¥450,00 per month.

Apartments For Rent Around Toranomon Hills

Where should you live in Tokyo? Check out all our Area Guides to find the perfect place!

Dive Deeper

• Akasaka is one of Tokyo’s most central upscale commercial and residential districts. Located in north Minato Ward, Akasaka is known for its expansive shopping, office, and entertainment complexes like Tokyo Midtown and Ark Hills, but beautiful green spaces, including Hinokicho Park and Hikawa Shrine bring the neighborhood full circle as a highly desirable residential area. Read the Akasaka Area Guide here for more info!

Lead photo: Scott Kouchi