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History
The name "Roppongi," which appears to have been coined around 1660, literally
means "six trees." Legend has it that the name comes from the fact that six
daimyo lived nearby during the Edo period, each with the kanji character for
"tree" or a kind of tree in their names. Roppongi was not extensively populated
until after the Meiji Restoration, although the area was trafficked for centuries
and served as the site of the cremation of Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada's wife in
1626.
In 1890, the Third Imperial Guard of the Imperial Japanese Army was moved to a
site near Roppongi (now home to the Pacific bureau of Stars and Stripes). The
influx of soldiers led to the area's rise as a nightlife district, briefly interrupted by
the Great Kanto Earthquake which flattened the area in 1923.[1] Roppongi was
administratively part of Azabu Ward from 1878 to 1947.
After World War II, during which the area was again destroyed, the United States
Army moved in, beginning Roppongi's reputation as a foreigner neighborhood.
Several large US military installations were located in the nearby area, with Hardy
Barracks probably the most significant. In large part due to the US military
presence, the area soon became crowded with Western-oriented shops, bars,
restaurants, prostitution establishments and "hostess bars."
Starting in the late 1960's, Roppongi became popular among Japanese and
foreigners alike for its disco scene, 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 the recession following the market
crash of 1989.
The Roppongi area received a major economic boost in 2002-2003 when the
Izumi Garden Tower and the Roppongi Hills high-rise complexes were completed.
These projects brought high-end office and condominium space to Roppongi for
the first time. The third such complex in the area, the Tokyo Midtown Project, is
scheduled to open in 2007.
The name "Roppongi," which appears to have been coined around 1660, literally
means "six trees." Legend has it that the name comes from the fact that six
daimyo lived nearby during the Edo period, each with the kanji character for
"tree" or a kind of tree in their names. Roppongi was not extensively populated
until after the Meiji Restoration, although the area was trafficked for centuries
and served as the site of the cremation of Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada's wife in
1626.
In 1890, the Third Imperial Guard of the Imperial Japanese Army was moved to a
site near Roppongi (now home to the Pacific bureau of Stars and Stripes). The
influx of soldiers led to the area's rise as a nightlife district, briefly interrupted by
the Great Kanto Earthquake which flattened the area in 1923.[1] Roppongi was
administratively part of Azabu Ward from 1878 to 1947.
After World War II, during which the area was again destroyed, the United States
Army moved in, beginning Roppongi's reputation as a foreigner neighborhood.
Several large US military installations were located in the nearby area, with Hardy
Barracks probably the most significant. In large part due to the US military
presence, the area soon became crowded with Western-oriented shops, bars,
restaurants, prostitution establishments and "hostess bars."
Starting in the late 1960's, Roppongi became popular among Japanese and
foreigners alike for its disco scene, 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 the recession following the market
crash of 1989.
The Roppongi area received a major economic boost in 2002-2003 when the
Izumi Garden Tower and the Roppongi Hills high-rise complexes were completed.
These projects brought high-end office and condominium space to Roppongi for
the first time. The third such complex in the area, the Tokyo Midtown Project, is
scheduled to open in 2007.
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Roppongi Night Club Guide
alife Nishiazabu Myojo Nishiazabu 70 Building, near Roppongi Hills. 1-7-2
Nishiazabu, 03-5785-2531. Huge club complex.
http://www.e-alife.net/alife_tokyo/index.html
Gas Panic. 2-3F, 3-15-24 Roppongi, 03-3405-0633. The best known of
Roppongi's many meat markets, where desperate foreigners hoping to score and
desperate Japanese hoping to get scored congregate. Packed tighter than the
lower circles of Hell on most weekends. No entry fee, but you must have a drink
in your hand at all times. On Thursdays ("Happy Gaspanic Day") all drinks are
¥400 all night, while the rest of the time prices vary from ¥600-1200. The amount
of alcohol in the drinks is low.
http://www.gaspanic.co.jp/
Lexington Queen. B1F, 3-13-14 Roppongi, 03-3401-1661. Going on 25 years,
"The Lex" has managed to ride out the bubble and still gets the obligatory
photo-op visits from all the fresh and washed-up celebrities alike. Truly the grand
old dame of 'Pongi (a title equally apt for owner and longtime society columnist
Bill Hersey).
http://www.lexingtonqueen.com/
Propaganda. Yua Roppongi Building 2F, 3-14-9 Roppongi. An appropriately
grubby joint decorated with propaganda posters and booming bass, mostly of the
hip-hop sort. The friendly staff parties as hard as the customers. Drinks
¥800-1000 (half price before 9 PM), no cover charge.
Space Lab Yellow. 1-10-11 Nishi-Azabu, tel. 3479-0690 Opened in 1993 and
still going strong, Yellow offers an inky black performance space for many of the
city's (and the world's) more innovative electronic artists and residents include
the United Future Organization. Cover charges depend on the night's program.
Buried in an alley and a little difficult to find, look for pure yellow lit-up square that
serves as the sign.
http://www.club-yellow.com/
Velfarre. 7-14-22 Roppongi, tel. 3402-8000. Tokyo's glitziest club in the bubble
days, but fallen on harder times and the once stratospheric cover charge is now
a mere ¥3000-4000 most nights for men (women get a small discount).
http://velfarre.avex.co.jp/index.html
Heartland in the bottom of Mori Tower is a place for many foreigners to start the
night. The clientele consists mainly of male foreigners in the finance area and
Japanese girls/women who want a foreginer yet not an English teacher or a US
marine. There is no dresscode, but most men wear shirts and women dress
nicely. Heartland is quite different from the typical Pongi drinking hole as the
average age is much higher and the clientele is more up-scale. (Free entrance,
bottled beer ¥500.)
Muse. 4-1-1 Nishi-Azabu, tel. 5467-1188, [14] (http://www.muse-web.com/).
Many expats argue that "you can't lose at Muse," a multi-level, multi-room
below-ground establishment which, in addition to bars, dance floors, and VIP
rooms, also has karaoke, ping-pong and pool tables. Cover charge is never
more than ¥2,000 and includes drink tickets; students can get drink discounts
(except on Friday and Saturday nights) with ID. To get there, follow the
expressway from Roppongi Crossing past Roppongi Hills, and keep an eye out
on your left.
http://www.muse-web.com/index.html
alife Nishiazabu Myojo Nishiazabu 70 Building, near Roppongi Hills. 1-7-2
Nishiazabu, 03-5785-2531. Huge club complex.
http://www.e-alife.net/alife_tokyo/index.html
Gas Panic. 2-3F, 3-15-24 Roppongi, 03-3405-0633. The best known of
Roppongi's many meat markets, where desperate foreigners hoping to score and
desperate Japanese hoping to get scored congregate. Packed tighter than the
lower circles of Hell on most weekends. No entry fee, but you must have a drink
in your hand at all times. On Thursdays ("Happy Gaspanic Day") all drinks are
¥400 all night, while the rest of the time prices vary from ¥600-1200. The amount
of alcohol in the drinks is low.
http://www.gaspanic.co.jp/
Lexington Queen. B1F, 3-13-14 Roppongi, 03-3401-1661. Going on 25 years,
"The Lex" has managed to ride out the bubble and still gets the obligatory
photo-op visits from all the fresh and washed-up celebrities alike. Truly the grand
old dame of 'Pongi (a title equally apt for owner and longtime society columnist
Bill Hersey).
http://www.lexingtonqueen.com/
Propaganda. Yua Roppongi Building 2F, 3-14-9 Roppongi. An appropriately
grubby joint decorated with propaganda posters and booming bass, mostly of the
hip-hop sort. The friendly staff parties as hard as the customers. Drinks
¥800-1000 (half price before 9 PM), no cover charge.
Space Lab Yellow. 1-10-11 Nishi-Azabu, tel. 3479-0690 Opened in 1993 and
still going strong, Yellow offers an inky black performance space for many of the
city's (and the world's) more innovative electronic artists and residents include
the United Future Organization. Cover charges depend on the night's program.
Buried in an alley and a little difficult to find, look for pure yellow lit-up square that
serves as the sign.
http://www.club-yellow.com/
Velfarre. 7-14-22 Roppongi, tel. 3402-8000. Tokyo's glitziest club in the bubble
days, but fallen on harder times and the once stratospheric cover charge is now
a mere ¥3000-4000 most nights for men (women get a small discount).
http://velfarre.avex.co.jp/index.html
Heartland in the bottom of Mori Tower is a place for many foreigners to start the
night. The clientele consists mainly of male foreigners in the finance area and
Japanese girls/women who want a foreginer yet not an English teacher or a US
marine. There is no dresscode, but most men wear shirts and women dress
nicely. Heartland is quite different from the typical Pongi drinking hole as the
average age is much higher and the clientele is more up-scale. (Free entrance,
bottled beer ¥500.)
Muse. 4-1-1 Nishi-Azabu, tel. 5467-1188, [14] (http://www.muse-web.com/).
Many expats argue that "you can't lose at Muse," a multi-level, multi-room
below-ground establishment which, in addition to bars, dance floors, and VIP
rooms, also has karaoke, ping-pong and pool tables. Cover charge is never
more than ¥2,000 and includes drink tickets; students can get drink discounts
(except on Friday and Saturday nights) with ID. To get there, follow the
expressway from Roppongi Crossing past Roppongi Hills, and keep an eye out
on your left.
http://www.muse-web.com/index.html
Roppongi (六本木) is a district of Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan, chiefly known for
its nightlife and the presence of Western tourists and expatriates, although the
vast majority of visitors are Japanese. It is in the southern portion of the circle
described by the Yamanote Line.
its nightlife and the presence of Western tourists and expatriates, although the
vast majority of visitors are Japanese. It is in the southern portion of the circle
described by the Yamanote Line.
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How To Get There
To get to the area, you can take the Hibiya or Toei Oedo Line subway to
Roppongi (H04/E23). Alternatively you can walk there from Tameike-Sanno
Ginza Line (G06) or Roppongi-Itchome Namboku Line(N05).
Related Pages
=> Getting To Tokyo
=> Transportation In Tokyo
=> Tokyo Maps
Helpful Links
=> Roppongi Hills (Official English)
To get to the area, you can take the Hibiya or Toei Oedo Line subway to
Roppongi (H04/E23). Alternatively you can walk there from Tameike-Sanno
Ginza Line (G06) or Roppongi-Itchome Namboku Line(N05).
Related Pages
=> Getting To Tokyo
=> Transportation In Tokyo
=> Tokyo Maps
Helpful Links
=> Roppongi Hills (Official English)
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