Neighbourhood guide
Roppongi and Azabudai: art, towers and the Azabu tables
The Mori Art Museum and The National Art Center, Tokyo Tower and Azabudai Hills, and the quiet streets of Nishi-Azabu and Azabu-Jūban, where many of the great tables hide.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Daniel L. Lu (user:dllu) · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsRoppongi was once only nightlife; now it is the city’s art district, with the Mori Art Museum at the top of Roppongi Hills, The National Art Center, Tokyo and the museums of Tokyo Midtown. To the east, Azabudai Hills opened in 2023 beneath Tokyo Tower; to the south, Nishi-Azabu and Azabu-Jūban hold a remarkable number of MICHELIN-starred restaurants.
Sights
The Mori Art Museum, The National Art Center, Tokyo, 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Tokyo Tower, Zōjō-ji and teamLab Borderless.
Eating
Myojaku, L’Effervescence, Azabu Kadowaki and Sazenka (Three MICHELIN Stars, 2026), Florilège, Crony and Ryuzu (Two Stars).
Buy one ticket for the Mori Art Museum and stay for the city view at dusk.
Staying
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, the Grand Hyatt and Janu Tokyo.
Our advice: walk from Roppongi Hills to Tokyo Tower through Azabu-Jūban’s shopping street.
Why it's on our list
- Sights
- Eating
- Staying
What’s nearby
Distances from Roppongi and Azabudai: art, towers and the Azabu tables are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest metro stations
- RoppongiEHH-TSTS;H200 m3 min walk
- Roppongi-itchomeN550 m7 min walk
- NogizakaC800 m10 min walk
Key sights
- Tokyo Tower1.2 kmWalk 15 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 10 min
- The Shibuya crossing2.9 kmWalk 36 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 16 min
- Meiji Jingū3.4 kmWalk 42 minCycle 17 minCar or taxi 17 min
- The palace gardens3.5 kmWalk 43 minCycle 17 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Sensō-ji8.0 kmCycle 40 minCar or taxi 33 min
- Tokyo Skytree8.8 kmCycle 44 minCar or taxi 35 min
- Haneda Airport13 kmCar or taxi 51 min
Main railway stations
- Shibuya Station2.8 kmWalk 35 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 15 min
- Tokyo Station3.5 kmWalk 44 minCycle 18 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Shinagawa Station3.8 kmCycle 19 minCar or taxi 19 min
- Shinjuku Station4.4 kmCycle 22 minCar or taxi 21 min
- Ueno Station6.7 kmCycle 33 minCar or taxi 28 min
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
More in depth
The back storyTokyo at the table: eleven three-star dining rooms, and a bowl of sobaMore MICHELIN stars than any other city, sushi counters of eight seats, tempura fried in front of you, kaiseki, French and Chinese of the highest order, and noodle shops with a Bib Gourmand: how to eat in Tokyo.
The back storyTokyo CuisineEdomae sushi piece by piece, tempura straight from the pan, cold soba on bamboo, glazed eel, yakitori over charcoal, shoyu ramen and the wagashi of the tea ceremony: the dishes of Tokyo, and where to taste them.
The back storyWhere Tokyo sleeps: towers above the palace, ryokan and the new hillsAman and HOSHINOYA in Ōtemachi, the Palace Hotel on the moat, The Peninsula and the Imperial in Hibiya, the Bvlgari above Tokyo Station, Janu at Azabudai Hills and the reopened Park Hyatt in Shinjuku: where to stay, and why the address matters.