Roppongi Hills

Tokyo, in case you have not noticed, is a humongous urban sprawl and like all massive metropolis' there is little discernible attempt at urban planning. Its not like London were the apparent randomness hides a sense of quaint history because, for the life of me, I can not find any history to speak of walking round the streets of Tokyo. In part this is to do with my ignorance, but it is also largely because Tokyo is a place that is always charging ahead, which is of course part of its charm.

Roppongi Hills is a conscious attempt to counter this trend, by providing "a model for future developments in urban planning." To a large extent it succeeds, in that it is a very relaxing place to walk around and shop (the two prerequisites of urban living). The place is full of twists and turns, interesting perspectives, nooks and crannies. However, this higgly-piggly layout must be a bugger if your old, disabled or pushing a baby in a pram; you see everything is terraced and only accessable by stairs. Indeed speakers, which are discretely inset into the recesses of many of the walls, instruct you to, "watch your step, on another level..." Which to me sounds ominously like something a hippie on an acid flashback might tell you.

You have to give the place credit though: there are green spaces complete with benches (a rarity amongst the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo) and obscure public art installations. Speaking of which I was really delighted to see the huge spider like sculpture "Maman" outside the entrance of to the main tower. I first saw this exhibited in tate modern about five years ago and have to say that I was very impressed. Its kind of weird though to see it out of the turbine hall and I cannot help but think it has lost some of its impact - she looks, somehow more benign, less predatory somehow. But I guess we all have to move on and she does look pretty content in her new location.


Indeed the actual reason why I went to Roppongi hills is that I have been missing going to art galleries and museums, as this was something I used to do a lot of when I lived in London. Heck, I'd often eat my lunch at the tate when I worked at Millbank, absorbed in Turner's paintings. You see Roppongi Hills has an art gallery on the 52 floor, something which in of itself I thought was pretty cool. The exhibition I went to was called "China Crossroads of Culture" and "Follow me", which was a display of 20 contemporary artists. Have to admit, though that the exhibitions themselves left me unmoved, which is a shame. Although there was an interesting video installation which I thought was strangely affecting and had something to say on the rate of progress in China. However, in truth the exhibition merely inspired in me a quiet sense of meloncoly in that iit made me miss the eclectic and often free displays I used to go to in London, guess I will just have to keep on looking in Tokyo.