Roppongi Hills

Another place where I spent a short time in was Roppongi Hills. I was with some friends then and we had decided to take a short stretch break there to cool off in the summer heat and refresh ourselves in the open-air Roppongi Hills Arena area (which boasts a circular stage, a retractable roof with cooling mist-vents for those hot summer days, and an urban outdoor entertainment space for live events).

Opened to the public in early 2003, Roppongi Hills was an ambitious project to incorporate shopping, dining, entertainment, fine arts, business, real estate, IT, and financial sectors within a supermodern complex and tower block. It has its own restaurants, mall, art museum, hotel, offices, apartments, cinemas, garden, TV station, and even an observation deck ("Tokyo City View" on the 52nd floor of the Mori Tower). Literally, 'a city within a city'.

Incidentally, I believe Roppongi Hills is currently having its 10th anniversary celebrations and sales. With its wide selection of shopping, dining, and entertainment options, there's something there for everyone. It's worth spending some time in its "belly of mazes" and finding your way around the complex. I'll likely pay it another visit when I return to Japan in the future. Here are my few photos of Roppongi Hills:

 Maps of the megacomplex and surrounding areas.

 The 238m tall 54-storey skyscraper, Mori Tower, as viewed from the Arena.

 The Arena features a number of sculptures and fancy locations such as the ones pictured above.

 View of Tokyo Tower and part of Tokyo city from the Arena.

 The spider sculpture, "Maman", by deceased French artist Louise Bourgeois on the Arena grounds. Her other spider sculptures are dispersed in various locations around the world.

The long escalators joining the Arena to one of the shopping mall floors.