Azabudai Hills

In short

Azabudai Hills is an urban complex that opened in 2023 under the concept of a "city like a 'plaza' surrounded by greenery that connects people." Its central Mori JP Tower stands approximately 330 meters tall, making it the tallest building in Japan at the time of its opening. Greenery covers about 24,000 square meters, accounting for one-third of the total site area.

• ​Central Green​​: A plaza of approximately 6,000 square meters filled with plantings that change their appearance with the four seasons.
• ​Public Art​​: Encounter works such as Nara Yoshitomo's Tokyo Forest Kid in the Central Green.
• ​The Entire City as a Museum​​: The complex brings together galleries and teamLab Borderless, which relocated from Odaiba.

History and Highlights

This project was set in motion in 1989. The planned site was a long, narrow strip running east to west, characterized by complex topography with significant elevation differences between high ground and low valleys. The roads were narrow, and small wooden houses and buildings were densely packed together, posing disaster prevention challenges. Redevelopment progressed through repeated discussions with more than 300 rights holders. After more than 30 years, it opened on November 24, 2023.

The concept is a "city like a 'plaza' surrounded by greenery that connects people." Planners first considered the flow of people and where they would gather, placing the plaza at the center of the town, and only then arranged the three supertall towers. This was the reverse of the conventional method of first placing buildings and then greening the leftover spaces. By greening the entire site, including the rooftops of the lower levels, approximately 24,000 square meters of green space was created—more than five times the area before redevelopment. This area accounts for one-third of the site.

Mori JP Tower has 64 floors and stands approximately 330 meters high. At the time of its opening, it was the tallest building in Japan. The exterior design of the three towers was handled by the American architectural firm Pelli Clarke & Partners. The lower-level architecture and landscaping were designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, known for creating the cauldron for the London Olympic Games.

Viewing and Experiencing Highlights

• ​Central Green and Orchard​​: In the approximately 6,000-square-meter Central Green, about 320 varieties of plants that shift in appearance with each season are spread out. In the orchard, 11 types of fruit trees, including satsuma mandarins and lemons, are grown.
• ​Public Art​​: The Central Green features works such as Nara Yoshitomo's Tokyo Forest Kid, Sone Yutaka's The Last Night of the Stone Age, and Zhan Wang's Artificial Rock. No.109.
• ​Museums and Historical Records​​: Upholding the concept of "the entire city as a museum," various galleries are gathered here. The "MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless" relocated here from Odaiba. In the exhibition room of the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visitors can view treaties and other documents illustrating the course of Japanese diplomacy since the late Edo period.

Walking Tips

The complex is directly connected to Exit 5 of Kamiyacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and Exit 4 of Roppongi-itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line. The main street connecting the east and west of the area is "Sakura-asa-dori," where various trees bud in spring. Visitors can also see the Azabudai Hills Arena, integrated with "The Cloud" designed by Heatherwick.

Tokyo Tower is approximately 520 meters to the southeast, and Azabu-Juban is about 760 meters to the southwest.