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Clubs can range from large, multi-level establishments, to smaller one-room clubs located in upper levels of buildings. Popular celebrity hangout, [[Lexington Queen]] is a longtime Roppongi venue. Roppongi is also home to large strip clubs which feature foreign performers. Restaurants in Roppongi vary from upscale Japanese fare to popular international restaurants such as [[T.G.I. Friday's]]. |
Clubs can range from large, multi-level establishments, to smaller one-room clubs located in upper levels of buildings. Popular celebrity hangout, [[Lexington Queen]] is a longtime Roppongi venue. Roppongi is also home to large strip clubs which feature foreign performers. Restaurants in Roppongi vary from upscale Japanese fare to popular international restaurants such as [[T.G.I. Friday's]]. |
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In the past, Roppongi had a reputation as an area with high [[Yakuza]] presence, 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.<ref name="whiting">Robert Whiting, ''Tokyo Underworld : The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan'' (Vintage Departures, 2000) ISBN 0-375-72489-3</ref><ref>"[http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/624/feature.asp Feature: Dark Matter]," ''Metropolis'', March 10, 2006.</ref> However, in 2010 the U.S. Embassy warned tourists to avoid the Roppongi, as officials |
In the past, Roppongi had a reputation as an area with high [[Yakuza]] presence, 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.<ref name="whiting">Robert Whiting, ''Tokyo Underworld : The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan'' (Vintage Departures, 2000) ISBN 0-375-72489-3</ref><ref>"[http://metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/624/feature.asp Feature: Dark Matter]," ''Metropolis'', March 10, 2006.</ref> However, in 2010 the U.S. Embassy warned tourists to avoid the Roppongi, as officials pointed to a "significant increase" in drink-spiking incidents. [http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/26/world/la-fg-japan-roppongi26-2010jan26] |
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==Economy== |
==Economy== |
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Revision as of 16:41, 4 July 2010
Roppongi (六本木, Roppongi) is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is known[citation needed] to be popular with locals and foreigners alike. It is in the southern portion of the circle described by the Yamanote Line, south of Akasaka and north of Azabu.
History
The name "Roppongi", which appears to have been coined around 1660, literally means "six trees". Six very old and large zelkova trees used to mark the area; first three were cleared, and the last was destroyed during the Pacific War.[1] Another 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.[2]
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.[2] Roppongi was administratively part of Azabu Ward from 1878 to 1947.
After World War II, during which the area was again destroyed, this time by aerial bombing raids, the United States Army and Allied government officials occupied several facilities in the area, beginning Roppongi's reputation as a neighborhood with large numbers of non-Japanese. Several large US military installations were located in the nearby area, with Hardy Barracks probably the most significant.
Starting in the late 1960s, Roppongi became popular among Japanese people 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 Tokyo Midtown project, which was completed in 2006, and includes the first Tokyo Ritz-Carlton Hotel, continued this trend.
Nightlife
The area features numerous bars, nightclubs, strip clubs, restaurants, hostess clubs, cabarets, and other forms of entertainment. Among the expatriate community, 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. Popular celebrity hangout, Lexington Queen is a longtime Roppongi venue. Roppongi is also home to large strip clubs which feature foreign performers. Restaurants in Roppongi vary from upscale Japanese fare to popular international restaurants such as T.G.I. Friday's.
In the past, Roppongi had a reputation as an area with high Yakuza presence, 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.[3][4] However, in 2010 the U.S. Embassy warned tourists to avoid the Roppongi, as officials pointed to a "significant increase" in drink-spiking incidents. [1]
Economy
The Pokémon Company has its headquarters in the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower.[5]
Companies based in Roppongi include:[citation needed]
- Ferrari Japan
- Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
- Genco
- Livedoor
- Rakuten
- TV Asahi
- Yahoo! Japan
- MTV Japan
- Cisco
A number of multinational firms have their Japanese offices in Roppongi, including investment banks Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, State Street, and law firms Allen & Overy, Davis Polk & Wardwell, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Corning Incorporated and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.[citation needed]
In December 1983 the headquarters of Bandai Visual moved to Roppongi. In June 1984 the headquarters moved to another building in Roppongi. In May 1985 the headquarters moved to Shibuya, Tokyo.[6]
Rail and subway stations
- Roppongi Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-04) & Toei Ōedo Line) (E-23)
- Roppongi-itchōme Station (Tokyo Metro Namboku Line) (N-06)
Education
Public elementary and middle schools are operated by the Minato City Board of Education ([2] in English, [3] in Japanese).
Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. Roppongi High School [4] is located in Roppongi.
See also
References
- ^ Tokyo Weekender - Weekender Archives - Roppongi - A history of our favorite watering hole (via The Internet Archive)
- ^ a b Gary Cooper, Good ol' six trees—the way it was, Tokyo Weekender.
- ^ Robert Whiting, Tokyo Underworld : The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan (Vintage Departures, 2000) ISBN 0-375-72489-3
- ^ "Feature: Dark Matter," Metropolis, March 10, 2006.
- ^ "会社概要." The Pokémon Company. Retrieved on October 5, 2009.
- ^ "History." Bandai Visual. Retrieved on March 16, 2010.
External links
