Exploring Roppongi Midtown, A Cultural Hub Where Gourmet, Shopping, and Art Unite

I visited Tokyo Midtown(東京ミッドタウン), a large-scale complex located in Roppongi, Tokyo.

I came here to look at souvenirs and items to give to my family and friends before returning to Korea and to see the Suntory Museum of Art exhibits.

About a 5-minute walk from Roppongi Station, you can see Midtown Tower, the second tallest building in Tokyo (and the fifth tallest in Japan). At 248 meters (814 feet), Midtown Tower was the tallest building in Tokyo at the time of its completion. To the west, you can also see the Fujifilm headquarters building.

Tokyo Midtown, a large mixed-use development complex, consists of several buildings and facilities including offices, residential and commercial facilities, hotels, leisure spaces, art galleries, parks, and cultural spaces (Midtown Tower, Midtown East, Midtown West, Parkside, Midtown Front, Midtown Gardenside, Galleria).

Famous large corporations are also located here. Including Konami, Fujifilm, Yahoo Japan, etc.

We visited at noon on a weekday and the atmosphere outside was relaxed. We also saw people relaxing or working at the outdoor tables located under the Midtown Tower.

There is an entrance leading to the B1 Plaza. I took the escalator down to go to the Plaza and Galleria.

TOKYO MIDTOWN AWARD is a competition hosted by Tokyo Midtown every year, with the goal of discovering and supporting promising artists in the design and art fields. The winning works are displayed in various spaces in Tokyo Midtown, where they can be easily accessed and appreciated by visitors.

https://www.tokyo-midtown.com/jp/award

This work is “Swirling Rumors 2023 Ver.” by Ayae Kamiya, winner of the TOKYO MIDTOWN AWARD 2023 Art Competition.

This work contains actual words spoken to victims of sexual violence in the form of lottery tickets, and the machine mixes and selects these tickets to visually express ‘the attitude society has toward victims.’

The artist created this work based on her own experience of sexual violence, and hopes that not only victims but also ordinary people will look back on and change their social attitudes through this machine.

I was also able to see Kan Yasuda’s work, which carved marble into soft curves. A work intended to convey the ‘energy of the earth’ by placing stones containing the breath of the earth in an underground space.
(A work related to the bronze structure near the entrance to the plaza on the first floor)

It conveys a friendly and sensory presence as a piece that people can interact with.

I need caffeine to stay alert and get through the day. So I also had a cup of coffee at Antico Caffè AlAvis, a Japanese café brand with an Italian bar style.

I asked the staff at the information desk how to get to Galleria. The staff was very kind and gave me detailed instructions.

The Galleria is a vibrant five-story hub of food, shopping, and convenience

Entering the Galleria entrance on the basement level, there are many restaurants where you can have a light meal and shops where you can buy snacks. There were many people coming for lunch on a weekday.

SAKE SHOP Fukumitsuya Tokyo Midtown, I plan to come back here on the last day of my trip to buy sake as a gift for my elders.

Dean & Deluca, a global gourmet food and café brand
A place for coffee time, with a wide range of groceries including cookies, jams, and tea.

Precce , a Japanese high-end supermarket brand operating from morning until late at night. Sells fresh ingredients, ready-to-eat deli, lunch boxes, imported foods, wine, etc.

Galleria extends from B1 to 5th floor. There are many high-end stores such as fashion, miscellaneous goods, and lifestyle stores from the 1st floor.

It is easily accessible to anyone using escalators and elevators, and the open structure and cross-bridge provide a pleasant shopping environment.

The Suntory Museum of Art(サントリー美術館), located on the third floor of Galleria, houses over 3,000 traditional Japanese art cultural assets and artworks, and presents special exhibitions based on various themes. You can enjoy art in a sophisticated space where traditional Japanese art and modern sensibility are in harmony.