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Tokyo Midtown in Akasaka: The Five Must-Visit Spots

Last updated: 30 March 2017

The popular attractions in Akasaka's Tokyo Midtown are representative of the bustling Japanese metropolis. Besides fancy shops and modern restaurants, there are also lush green spaces to relax in, intriguing museums, and energetic live houses that guarantee for a great time. We've selected the five must-visit spots to fully indulge in the cosmopolitan Midtown atmosphere!

Completed in 2007, Tokyo Midtown is a massive complex in the Minato ward that was once the grounds of the former Self Defense Agency. About forty percent of this huge area is the lush green space directly adjacent to the municipal Hinokicho Park, marking the green face of Tokyo Midtown. The area is beloved by joggers, offering a 1.3 kilometer long course that is lined by trees, providing cool shade. Around 320 trees can be found on the area in total, camphor as well as cherry trees, coloring the space according to the season. During night, the calm area takes yet another shape, representing the colorful nightlife of Roppongi and Akasaka.

The symbol of Tokyo Midtown is its tower and one of Tokyo's leading luxury hotels is located on floor 45 to 53, having its lobby on the second floor: the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo. The hotel calls a total of 247 floors its own, including 35 suites. The standard deluxe type room offers a total of 52 square meters, the biggest hotel rooms in not only Akasaka, but the entirety of the Tokyo area, as well as a view of Shinjuku's skyscrapers, the Imperial Palace, or Mount Fuji. If you don't want to rent a room, why not enjoy the luxurious atmosphere of the Ritz-Carlton in the Lobby Lounge and Bar. Relax to the calm tunes of piano and violin during noon and afternoon with an afternoon tea (4,200 yen, service charge and consumption tax extra). At night, the bar turns into a lively place with its own live jazz band, making it a perfect place to have a cocktail or two (2,400 yen).

Check-In: from 3:00 p.m.
Check-Out: until 12:00 p.m.
Deluxe Rooms: from 85,000 yen
Restaurants: Japanese, French, Modern Bistro, Bar, Lounge

The Suntory Museum of Art, which has been opened in 1961 under the theme of "Beauty in Life", is located on the 3rd floor of Tokyo Midtown's Galleria. Its collection is centered on three-thousand individual ancient Japanese art pieces such as ceramics, lacquerware, and textiles, including one national treasure and three important cultural properties. In 2007, the museum moved to Tokyo Midtown and reopened under the new theme of "Connecting and Opening Up the Arts," continuing to showcase amazing Japanese art based on this concept. On designated Thursdays, mostly during the opening period of new exhibitions, a Japanese tea ceremony experience is held, letting visitors taste authentic, seasonal Japanese sweets and matcha tea for a small fee. The museum does not have a permanent exhibition.

Entry: 1,300 yen
Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (until 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays)
Holidays: Tuesdays

Lean back with the rich taste of delicious food on your tongue and gaze upon the flickering night lights of Tokyo, all with hip tunes in your ear: this is a perfect Akasaka evening at Billboard Live Tokyo, located on the 4th floor of Garden Terrace. Borrowing its name from the influential US Billboard charts, your ears will be treated to Japanese as well as international artists from various genres, such as Jazz, Soul, R&B, Rock, or J-Pop. Behind the stage sprawls the magnificent ocean of lights of nighttime Tokyo behind a large window, visible from all over the club thanks to the three-story open stairwell design.

Entry: varies by performing artist
Hours: 1st Stage 7:00 p.m., 2nd Stage from 9:30 p.m. on weekdays
1st Stage 6:00 p.m., 2nd Stage from 9:00 p.m. on Saturdays
1st Stage 4:30 p.m., 2nd Stage from 7:30 p.m. on Sundays and national holidays
Closed: depending on the live schedule

Another major attraction of Tokyo Midtown is its many shopping spots. On the 3rd floor of Galleria, around one-hundred individual shops offer pretty much everything the heart could wish for, from fashion to interior, from miscellaneous goods to cosmetics. Among them is Hashicho, a chopstick specialty store that offers amazing, handcrafted souvenirs from Japan. Over two-thousand different products can be found at this store, all handmade with natural wood and lacquer by masters of their craft. Apart from chopsticks themselves, you can also find all kinds of different lacquer ware such as soup bowls, chopstick holders, and sake sets. The price of one pair of handcrafted chopsticks starts at 2,400 yen.

Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Holidays: 9:00 p.m.