Roppongi, Tokyo: neighborhood guide

Roppongi sits in Minato ward, on the south-west edge of central Tokyo. The name means "six trees", after markers that stood here centuries ago; nothing of that survives, since the 1923 earthquake and wartime bombing cleared the area twice. What grew back was a nightlife district, first serving military personnel, then the city's club scene from the 1960s onward.

Today it is the most international part of Tokyo: embassies, consulates and foreign residents cluster here, and the bars and clubs still cater heavily to visitors. It is also a daytime district. Two large complexes, Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown, hold offices, shops, restaurants and museums, and several tech and finance firms keep headquarters nearby. Behind the towers, the streets of Azabu to the south and west are quieter and largely residential, with small parks and temples in the back lanes.

Stay in Roppongi if your evenings matter more than your mornings: you want dinner and a bar within walking distance, a museum or observation deck for a rainy afternoon, and a station that puts Ginza, Ueno and Akihabara on one line. It also suits business travellers with meetings in Minato ward, and anyone who prefers English menus and staff.

Look elsewhere if you want quiet nights, traditional streets or a lower nightly rate. Shibuya and Shinjuku give more nightlife for less money and more budget rooms; Asakusa and Ueno are cheaper and calmer, with the Skytree and old temple districts nearby. Families often prefer the west side around Shinjuku or the Yamanote line's quieter stops. A middle option: sleep in Azabu or near Roppongi-Itchōme, where the streets are residential but the bars are a short walk away.

Book early for March to May and October to November, and expect the highest rates around New Year and Golden Week. Rooms facing Roppongi-dōri pick up traffic noise; ask for a higher floor or a rear-facing room.

Roppongi station is served by the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (grey, H04), which runs to Ebisu, Ginza, Akihabara and Ueno, and the Toei Ōedo Line (purple, E23), which loops around the city and is the easiest route from Shinjuku and Yoyogi. The two lines use separate station areas, so check which exit you need before you surface.

Buses run east along Roppongi-dōri, the road under the elevated expressway, from Shibuya station towards Shinbashi; the last services are around 21:00. From Shibuya you can also walk east in about 40 minutes, though the route is mostly under the expressway with little to look at. Walking west from the Imperial Palace area takes about twice as long but passes the Diet Building and several parks.

For a quieter approach, come by way of Azabu-jūban on the Namboku or Ōedo line, have tea or dinner on the shopping street, then walk north to Roppongi in about 10 minutes. Tameike-Sannō, Roppongi-Itchōme and Nogizaka stations are each a 10–15 minute walk from parts of the district, so a map helps before you set out. Taxis are easy to find at night but surge around closing time.