Beyond Mori Tower.

These views are from Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills, an ambitious city-within-a-city project that has an abundance of shops, cafes, apartments, a hotel, Virgin Cinemas, office space, and a large art exhibition center / viewing deck on the 52nd floor. This evening was hazy, so the tall tower district of Shinjuku is not visible.

Tokyo Tower and the Shuto Expressway Loop.

Mori Tower at right.

Digital Signage.
Roppongi Hills was designed by the people that brought you the Bellagio Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas. Circulation through the complex is maddening - it's difficult to orient yourself or find your way out, but don't worry. It was intended to be like that. Best solution? Don't visit... well, for too long.

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Evening at the New York Bar.

Many of the city's high rises have exquisite restaurants and bars on the upper levels - most of which I will never get to visit. One of Tokyo's most famous high rise bars is Park Hyatt's New York Bar on the 52nd level, which provided much of the backdrop for the movie Lost in Translation.


In the foreground is the lesser tower of the Park Hyatt, which houses the rooftop pool.

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The Birth of a Nuclear Power.

Above, a couple looks out over Tokyo on an especially clear early autumn day, just hours after a nuclear test was carried out across the Sea of Japan.

City without a Center.

Similar to L.A., Houston, or Atlanta, Tokyo lacks a discernable center. Since WWII, Tokyo's many subcenters have grown along major train stations, creating a dense sprawl. This image was taken from the 49th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building - an enormous 243m tall complex housing government offices of Tokyo's 23 wards.