Travel
Tour Roppongi’s architecture and history: The art of getting lost
Stars and Stripes
March 18, 2025
View from Roppongi Hills (Metropolis Magazine)
Sloped Roads & Archaic Tales
Roppongi is a place of contradictions. Known for its museums and galleries by day and its neon-lit nightlife by dusk, the area has a reputation that shifts depending on when you visit. But beyond the sleek bars and curated exhibitions, Roppongi has layers of history built into its very terrain. The “Art of Getting Lost” tour peels back those layers, taking you through the architectural wonder of the National Art Center, Tokyo, before leading you on a walk through Roppongi and Azabu’s sloping streets—places that still echo with Edo-era stories.
Zenpukuji Temple and Motoazabu Hills (Metropolis Magazine)
Kurayamizaka (Metropolis Magazine)
A Museum Without a Collection?
The National Art Center, Tokyo, is unlike most museums. It doesn’t own a permanent collection. Instead, it operates as a revolving door for diverse exhibitions, functioning as a cultural hub rather than a traditional art institution. The building itself is a masterpiece—its wave-like glass facade, designed by Kisho Kurokawa, plays with natural light, blurring the line between interior and exterior. Step inside, and you’ll notice the openness of the space, a design choice that makes it feel more like a public square than a museum. Even if you’re not here for an exhibition, the lobby is worth wandering through, just to take in the fluidity of the architecture.
The National Art Center, Tokyo, has three unique features that set it apart from other museums: it does not own a collection and has no permanent exhibition gallery. It hosts a variety of diverse exhibitions and it collects art-related materials while engaging in educational outreach activities. The architect envisioned it as an “art center surrounded by green spaces,” incorporating natural light and transparency to make visitors feel connected to the outside environment.
National Art Center, Tokyo (Metropolis Magazine)
Tokyo’s Hidden Elevation Changes
Most visitors to Tokyo associate the city with flat, walkable streets—think Asakusa or Ginza. But that’s only half the picture. Tokyo is actually a city of plateaus and lowlands, shaped by ancient rivers and shifting urban planning. One of the most noticeable dips is Shibuya, which sits in a valley, with roads sloping down toward its famous scramble crossing.
The eastern side grew into a thriving residential district for merchants and craftsmen. Water transportation fueled commerce, shaping a dynamic culture that flourished among the common people. Even today, downtown areas like Asakusa preserve traditions from that era, with lively festivals and cultural events keeping the spirit of old Tokyo alive.
Roppongi and Azabu, on the other hand, rest on the western plateau of Tokyo. This distinction isn’t just geographical—it shaped the area’s history. In the Edo period, this high ground was home to samurai residences and, later, government buildings and embassies. Walk these streets, and you’ll see remnants of that past in the form of quiet, tree-lined roads and hidden shrines tucked between modern developments.
Slopes That Tell Stories
The walk through Roppongi and Azabu is as much about history as it is about the physical act of walking. The area’s slopes—each with a name and a past—offer a glimpse into a Tokyo that existed long before skyscrapers. Kurayamizaka (Darkness Slope) was once shrouded in trees, making it a notorious spot for late-night travelers. Tanukizaka (Raccoon Slope) takes its name from the local legends of mischievous tanuki spirits. Ipponmatsuzaka (Single Pine Slope) is named after a lone pine tree that has stood on the hill’s southern side since ancient times. The tree is also linked to the legend of Minamoto no Tsunemoto, adding another layer of historical depth to the area.
Kurayamizaka (Metropolis Magazine)
Azabu, with its maze of steep inclines and hidden alleyways, reveals a different side of the city. The contrast is striking—one moment, you’re passing embassies and high-end residences; the next, you’re walking through a shopping street that’s been around since the Edo period. Azabu-Juban Shopping Street, once a temple town in front of Zenpukuji Temple, still has stores that have been in business for centuries, alongside trendy cafés and boutiques.
The western plateau, with its solid ground, became home to many high-ranking samurai residences. When the shogun era ended, the vast former estates transformed into government institutions and high-class residential areas for bureaucrats, reinforcing the district’s role as Japan’s political and economic center. Today, areas like Nagatacho and Kasumigaseki continue to function as the political heart of Japan, highlighting the enduring connection between the land and power.
Sakurazaka Park (Metropolis Magazine)
A City That Never Stops Changing
Roppongi’s reputation as a nightlife district is relatively new. Its transformation from a quiet residential area for samurai has been drastic, but traces of the past remain if you know where to look. Even Roppongi Hills, with its towering glass buildings, was built on land with natural elevation differences, shaping its unique multi-level urban design.
This tour doesn’t just walk you through streets—it walks you through time. From the Edo-era slopes to the ultramodern skyline, Roppongi and Azabu are places where Tokyo’s layers are most visible. If you’re up for a walk that shifts between the old and new, the grand and the hidden, this tour runs until March 24, 2025.