Wikipedia

Roppongi

Roppongi(Japanese:Roppongi,[ɾo̞ppõ̞ŋʲɡʲi]ⓘ,lit.'six trees') is a district ofMinato,Tokyo,Japan, famous for the affluentRoppongi Hillsdevelopment area and popular night club scene. A few foreignembassiesare located near Roppongi, and thenight lifeis popular with locals and foreigners alike. It is in the central part of Tokyo, south ofAkasakaand north ofAzabu.

Roppongi
Roppongi
District
Roppongi at night, with Tokyo Tower in the background
Roppongi at night, withTokyo Towerin the background
Roppongi is located in Special wards of Tokyo
Roppongi
Roppongi
Location of Roppongi within Tokyo
Roppongi is located in Tokyo Bay and Bōsō Peninsula
Roppongi
Roppongi
Location of Roppongi within Tokyo Bay
Coordinates:35°39′36″N139°43′48″E/ 35.66000°N 139.73000°E/35.66000; 139.73000
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureTokyo
WardMinato, Tokyo
Elevation
16.0 m (52.5 ft)
Population
(January 1, 2016)
• Total
12,111,000[1]
Time zoneUTC+9(JST)
Postal code
106-0032
Area code03
Roppongi Hills' buildings (center and right) andTokyo Midtown Tower(left)

History

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View of the Roppongi area

The nameRoppongi,which appears to have been coined around 1660, literally means "six trees". Six very old and largezelkovatrees used to mark the area; the first three were cleared, and the last were destroyed duringWorld War II.[2]Another legend has it that the name comes from the fact that sixdaimyōslived nearby during theEdo period,each with thekanjicharacter for "tree" or a kind of tree in their names. Roppongi was not extensively populated until after theMeiji Restoration,although the area was trafficked for centuries and served as the site of thecremationof ShōgunTokugawa Hidetada's wife in 1626.[3]

In 1890, the Third Imperial Guard of theImperial Japanese Armywas moved to a site near Roppongi (now home to the Pacific bureau ofStars and Stripes). The influx of soldiers led to the area's rise as anightlife district,briefly interrupted by theGreat Kanto earthquakewhich flattened the area in 1923.[3]Roppongi was administratively part ofAzabu Wardfrom 1878 to 1947.

US EmbassyHousing Compound in Roppongi-Nichōme

AfterWorld War II,during which the area was again destroyed, this time by aerial bombing raids, theUnited States ArmyandAlliedgovernmentofficials occupied several facilities in the area, beginning Roppongi's reputation as a neighborhood with large numbers ofnon-Japanese.Several large US military installations were located in the nearby area, withHardy Barracksprobably the most significant (the US Embassy Housing Compound andAkasaka Press Centerincluding Hardy Barracks Recreational Lodging,Stars and Stripesoffice and heliport are still there). Surrounding the military installations were many Japanese-owned restaurants, pool halls, bars, and brothels which catered to US military personnel but were also often frequented by Japanese customers.

Starting in the late 1960s, Roppongi became popular amongJapanese peopleandforeignersalike for itsdiscoscene, which attracted many of Tokyo's entertainment elites. Contributing to the international scene was the location of several foreign embassies and foreign corporate offices in the Roppongi area. However, many dance clubs shut down in therecessionfollowing themarket crash of 1989.

The Roppongi area received a major economic boost in 2002–2003 when theIzumi Garden Towerand theRoppongi Hillshigh-rise complexes were completed. These projects brought high-end office and condominium space to Roppongi for the first time. TheTokyo Midtownproject in neighbouring Akasaka, which was completed in 2006, and includes the first TokyoRitz-CarltonHotel, continued this trend.

Roppongi Avenue seen fromRoppongi Hills Mori Tower

Nightlife

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The area features numerous bars, nightclubs, strip clubs, restaurants, hostess clubs,cabarets,and other forms of entertainment. Among theexpatriatecommunity, the area tends to be favored by business people, students, and off-duty US military personnel. Overall, the neighborhood caters to a younger crowd.

Clubs can range from large, multi-level establishments, to smaller one-room clubs located in upper levels of buildings. In more recent times some of the larger venues with knownyakuzaconnections have closed. [4]Around Roppongi crossing are a number of clubs which feature foreign performers. There are also a number of both foreign- and Japanese-operated bars catering to different crowds. Recently, Roppongi has enjoyed a growing reputation for its organized events such as art festivals, dart and billiard tournaments, pub crawls,[5]robot exhibitions, beauty pageants, and so on.

Restaurants in Roppongi vary from upscale Japanese fare to popular international restaurants.

Culture

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Roppongi is home to many important art galleries and museums in Tokyo, serving as a center hub for culture. This includes prestigious institutions such as theMori Art Museum,Kotaro Nukaga,Galerie Perrotin,andThe National Art Center, Tokyo.

Economy

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The headquartersofTV Asahi,which was moved fromArk HillstoRoppongi Hillsin 2003

Mori Building CompanyandThe Pokémon Companyhave their headquarters in theRoppongi Hills Mori Tower.[6][7][8]

Companies based in Roppongi include:

Rail and subway stations

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Education

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Roppongi High School

Public elementary and middle schools are operated by the Minato City (the Minato Ward) Board of Education.[14]Roppongi Junior High School[ja]is located at Imoarai-Zaka, in Roppongi.

Roppongi 1-chōme,3-chōme, and 4-chōme, as well as 1-8 and 15-18 ban of 5-chōme, and 1-22 ban of 7-chōme, are zoned toAzabu Elementary School[ja].2-chōme is zoned toAkasaka Elementary School[ja].9-14 ban of 5-chōme and 6-chōme are zoned toNanzan Elementary School[ja].23-ban of 7-chōme is zoned toKōgai Elementary School[ja].

The majority of Roppongi is zoned to Roppongi Junior High School. However, 2-chōme is instead zoned toAkasaka Junior High School[ja].Roppongi 7-chome 23-ban is instead zoned toKoryo Junior High School[ja].[15]

Public high schools are operated by theTokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.Roppongi High Schoolis located in Roppongi.[16]

Toyo Eiwa Jogakuinis private girls school, also located at Torii-Zaka in the district.

The American School in JapanEarly Learning Center is in Roppongi Hills.[17][18]

Minato City Library operates Azabu Library in Roppongi.[19]

  • Partially lit Mori Tower from a low view
  • Roppongi crossing
  • US Army heliport andStars and Stripesoffice in Roppongi-Nanachōme
  • Roppongi Junior High School

Controversies

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In the past, Roppongi had a reputation as an area with highyakuzapresence, whether as customers at Roppongi establishments, conducting business, or managing or owning clubs and bars in the area. Although still exerting some influence in Roppongi, in recent times they appear to have shifted much of their presence to other districts in the Tokyo area.[20][21]

In 2006,Nigerianimmigrants to Japan began opening a number of bars and nightclubs in the area, following an earlier group of innovators who had been in business in Roppongi for many years. The Nigerians were noted for using visible, high-pressure tactics to draw customers to their bars. In 2009 and 2010 a series of drink-spiking incidents, in which customers reported being drugged and robbed, were linked to Nigerian-owned bars. The incidents resulted in the United States embassy in Japan warning US citizens to avoid certain bars and clubs in Roppongi. An investigation byThe Japan Timesin July 2011 found that though drink spiking occurred, most of the incidents did not involve criminal activity. Many customers claimed unusually severe hangovers after nights spent in Nigerian-run establishments. Similar complaints are often made about non-Nigerian bars in Roppongi that offer unlimited drink packages and often lace drinks with hard liquor to minimize customer consumption and increase profit.[22][23][24]

Notable residents

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References

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  1. ^Đinh đinh mục người khác khẩu ・ thế mang số ( vải bố khu vực tổng hợp chi sở trong khu vực quản lý )(Archived2020-01-09 at theWayback Machine) cảng khu
  2. ^"Tokyo Weekender– Weekender Archives: Roppongi – A history of our favorite watering hole ".Archived fromthe originalon September 27, 2007.Retrieved2007-09-27.
  3. ^abGary Cooper,Good ol' six trees—the way it wasArchived2007-09-27 at theWayback MachineTokyo Weekender
  4. ^"Site of notorious gangster playpen in Roppongi now vacant".Tokyo Reporter.24 August 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 2010-10-21.Retrieved2010-09-07.
  5. ^"On a pub crawl, every drink is one for the road".31 December 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-01-03.Retrieved2014-01-08.
  6. ^"Company ProfileArchived2016-10-05 at theWayback Machine."The Pokémon Company.Retrieved on December 14, 2011. "Head office Roppongi Hills Mori Tower 18F, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6118"
  7. ^"Company ProfileArchived2011-12-18 at theWayback Machine."Mori Building Company. Retrieved on December 14, 2011." Headquarters Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6155, Japan "
  8. ^"Hội xã プロフィールArchived2011-12-28 at theWayback Machine."Mori Building Company. Retrieved on December 14, 2011." 〒106-6155 Đông Kinh đều cảng khu Roppongi 6 đinh mục 10 phiên 1 hào Roppongi ヒルズ sâm タワー "
  9. ^"TV Asahi Head Office".Archi Designer Japan.Retrieved8 April2023.
  10. ^"Google offices".Archivedfrom the original on 2010-12-20.Retrieved2016-11-12.
  11. ^"Being Inc." About us "".Being Inc.Archivedfrom the original on May 12, 2012.RetrievedMay 23,2011.
  12. ^Hội xã điểm chính.Wrestling New Classic(in Japanese).Archivedfrom the original on December 1, 2012.RetrievedDecember 27,2012.
  13. ^"Riêng thương lấy dẫn に quan する pháp luật に cơ づく tỏ vẻ".NJPW World(in Japanese).Archivedfrom the original on June 29, 2019.RetrievedJuly 12,2017.
  14. ^"Minato Board of Education".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-11-16.Retrieved2007-10-30.
  15. ^"Cảng khu lập tiểu ・ trung học giáo thông học khu vực một lãm biểu ( lệnh cùng 4 năm 4 nguyệt lấy hàng )"(PDF).City of Minato.Retrieved2022-10-08.[permanent dead link‍]
  16. ^"Đông Kinh đều lập Roppongi trường cao đẳng".Archivedfrom the original on 2007-05-20.Retrieved2007-06-05.
  17. ^"Contact UsArchived2014-05-29 at theWayback Machine."The American School in Japan.Retrieved on May 28, 2014. "Early Learning Center 6-16-5 Roppongi Minato-ku Tokyo 106-0032 Japan"
  18. ^"School ProfileArchived2014-05-29 at theWayback Machine."The American School in Japan.Retrieved on May 28, 2014. "Location: Campuses in Roppongi and Chofu, Tokyo"
  19. ^"Azabu Library".Minato City Library.Retrieved2023-01-18.5-12-24 Roppongi, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0032
  20. ^Robert Whiting,Tokyo Underworld: The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan(Vintage Departures, 2000)ISBN0-375-72489-3
  21. ^"Feature: Dark MatterArchived2006-11-21 at theWayback Machine,"Metropolis,March 10, 2006.
  22. ^"Trying to tame Tokyo's adult playground".Los Angeles Times.January 26, 2010.Archivedfrom the original on May 20, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 26,2010.
  23. ^Richard, Dreux, "Japan's Nigerians pay price for prosperityArchived2012-07-13 atarchive.today",The Japan Times,19 July 2011, pp. 10-11.
  24. ^Richard, Dreux, "'Something My Spirit Wanted'Archived2016-05-02 at theWayback Machine",Metropolis,#905, 29 July - 11 August 2011, pp. 14-15.
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35°39′36″N139°43′48″E/ 35.66000°N 139.73000°E/35.66000; 139.73000

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