Roppongi Hills - I've Arrived.

[TAG Manager]

I dream of Roppongi Hills, well, not really. It's a pain the ass to get to in the mornings.

I've just accepted a new piece of work which will put me in Roppongi Hills (the actual office building) on a frequent basis. I've worked there before on a different project with a different company, but that was years ago.

Picked up my ID card and gate pass this morning and got some introductions out of the way.

I forgot how different the culture is here in the Hills. It's like leaving Japan and landing in a western country. Well, until you go back down the elevator and walk outside.

In the past, I was banished to Mori Ark Hills over at Tameike-Sanno, really didn't like working over there. You can only eat at Wolfgang Puck but so many times.

Would love to hear about any new daytime lunch spots that would be worth a try.

On a sidenote, I was at Starbucks this morning (B1F), guess you need a Macbook to fit in. lol.

Anyway, despite the morning drive (or train) in -- I'm looking forward to being here for awhile. This however, means that I won't be in Kabukicho as much with this new project.

 

[MikeH]

Roppongi (Hills) and Kabukicho? You are sure to pick up the places I dislike most in Tokyo.

 

[TAG Manager]

Roppongi (Hills) and Kabukicho? You are sure to pick up the places I dislike most in Tokyo.

Follow the money man, that's all it is. I'm lucky enough to have the ability to pick and choose which projects I want.

In this case, Roppongi was a choice along with Shimbashi, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shibuya or Toyosu. I had to take one of those four, which required bilingual skills, but native English was a must.

 

[macdaddymeister]

Congrats on the new project work!

Here are some of my favorite food spots around the Hills area specifically:

- Frijoles
- Eggcellent
- AS Classics Diner (so-so place if you're desperate for a burger)
- Crisp Salad Works
- Moti

If you make your way to Tokyo Midtown I could recommend The Counter and Union Square.

 

[MikeH]

Follow the money man, that's all it is.

Maybe I should take that advice to heart. Have been pretty bad with it lately.

Beginning of the year I turned down a job offer in Roppongi Hills basically based on the fact I didn't feel like it.

Now after half a year without salaried income I am starting to feel like maybe I should have given it more thought.

 

[TAG Manager]

Maybe I should take that advice to heart. Have been pretty bad with it lately.

Beginning of the year I turned down a job offer in Roppongi Hills basically based on the fact I didn't feel like it.

Now after half a year without salaried income I am starting to feel like maybe I should have given it more thought.

Ah, sorry to hear that. I had a job offer myself back in the spring of this year and while it was more money it had more restrictions than what I have now.
I sort of regret not taking that offer just for the money alone, but what I'm doing now gives me greater flexibility and a bigger expense account. Soooo...
I'm still willing to make a permanent move if the conditions are right, but at this stage in my career, I probably can't entertain anything lower than a director or s-vp. A c-level title is far-fetched, but something I'm thinking about (i'm not that old either, so who knows.).

 

[TAG Manager]

Congrats on the new project work!

Here are some of my favorite food spots around the Hills area specifically:

- Frijoles
- Eggcellent
- AS Classics Diner (so-so place if you're desperate for a burger)
- Crisp Salad Works
- Moti

If you make your way to Tokyo Midtown I could recommend The Counter and Union Square.

Excellent, thank you very much. Now I can sound a little more educated about lunch options with people I'm working with.

Midtown is doable; we're not under any strict time constraint for the lunch hour. I'm just so happy to be free of Ark Hills.

 

[macdaddymeister]

Around the Ark Hills area I always frequented Bubby's and Soup Stock (before the closed down).

 

[warubuta]

Note to self: Get a SVP global finance IT project manager developer gig in Roppongi Hills so I can freely indulge in Bubby's burgers and Japanese sex workers. Just kidding.

 

[TAG Manager]

SVP global finance IT project manager developer gig

Kind of a rarity in Tokyo these days, especially at foreign based firms? no?
So much stuff has been off-shored to HK and SG, even further places in some cases.

 

[TheScientist]

When I've worked with clients in Roppongi Hills the absolute worst part is the getting there and getting in and out of the place. Come to think of it I wasn't fond of the "Hills Zoku" mentality either.

 

[warubuta]

Any of these enclaves, its best not to stay in any one for too long. Get out and move around

 

[ghoust.lansex]

I love Frijoles, we used to walk to roppongi hills just for tacos

 

[Yuriko]

Doesn't it make you excited, prestiegeous going up that looong escalator?It still makes me excited, when I get invited to the 5 star hotel, right next to it.

In addition, used to be so proud, going up to the office, which goes up direct to a particular company's office floors many years ago. Before Lehman shock.

Now, you got Apple's office, Barclays, etc. there. Mori building is super picky to choose their office tenants. Mostly top rated stays, but not many perhaps.

 

[zecarioca]

Good luck, Chris, and don't miss the Brazilian "churrascaria" Barbacoa Grill - quite authentic, but only go there when you're really hungry!!!

 

[RoboReptar]

Jiros Roppongi Hills for dinner, seriously, it was fucking fantastic, even with that price tag.

Congrats on the new gig though!

 

[AMcguyver]

Really wanted to explore Roppongi Hills on my last trip, but didn't have the time to go look for it. Looking at Google Maps just now, I'm kicking myself. I had arrived early in Roppongi to visit the office of one of our clients and went to a nearby Starbucks to kill time while waiting for my appointment. Not realizing until now that I was right at the edge of the West Walk Shopping Arcade. Doh!

 

[TAG Manager]

Really wanted to explore Roppongi Hills on my last trip, but didn't have the time to go look for it. Looking at Google Maps just now, I'm kicking myself. I had arrived early in Roppongi to visit the office of one of our clients and went to a nearby Starbucks to kill time while waiting for my appointment. Not realizing until now that I was right at the edge of the West Walk Shopping Arcade. Doh!

That Starbucks on the side has a sister shop at B1F... they have some tall bar top tables that are great for having coffee and a morning mail check. I'm sure I'll be there a lot in the coming months. (This is the entrance area coming from the Hibiya and Oedo line)

West Walk is pretty cool. The Grand Hyatt and the Oak Door are right next door too.

 

[AMcguyver]

Yeah, I think that's the one I went to. Gonna have to remember that when I visit our client there again this December. Really need to set aside more time this trip to explore as we won't be back for a while after this year. (can't afford to keep coming to Japan during the high season)

 

[TAG Manager]

Yeah, I think that's the one I went to. Gonna have to remember that when I visit our client there again this December. Really need to set aside more time this trip to explore as we won't be back for a while after this year. (can't afford to keep coming to Japan during the high season)

Just study the maps ahead of time and set some goals. Or, ask us for input before you come. We'll be taking girls out to Tokyo Midtown to see the lights behind the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. (Hinokichi Park)

 

[AMcguyver]

Part of the problem was that I was preoccupied with editing a photoshoot while waiting for my appointment. I tend to get tunnel vision and zone out of my surroundings.

This December if you happen to see an old guy in a Hawaiian shirt working on a laptop and who looks like he hasn't slept in weeks, that's probably me.

 

[TheScientist]

Just study the maps ahead of time and set some goals. Or, ask us for input before you come. We'll be taking girls out to Tokyo Midtown to see the lights behind the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. (Hinokichi Park)

Personally I think Midtown is much nicer than Hills

 

[Frenchy]

Personally I think Midtown is much nicer than Hills

I agree . Always get lost in Hills. Midtown is easier to navigate , and the park behind is much bigger and nicer than the Hill's garden-with-pond

 

[TheScientist]

Always get lost in Hills.

I like the movie theater in Hills but just getting there is such a pain in the ass. Every damn spot one might want to go there feels like the Minotaur's maze.

 

[Durg50]

Doesn't it make you excited, prestiegeous going up that looong escalator?It still makes me excited, when I get invited to the 5 star hotel, right next to it.

In addition, used to be so proud, going up to the office, which goes up direct to a particular company's office floors many years ago. Before Lehman shock.

Now, you got Apple's office, Barclays, etc. there. Mori building is super picky to choose their office tenants. Mostly top rated stays, but not many perhaps.

There are some very second rate / dodgy firms im there too. The rent isnt that expensive, but they put it in the rental agreement that they can bump the rent significantly at any time they want. So most firms that are well run stay away. The exception being the truly huge guys like goldman, barclays, apple etc who dictate their own terms because its good business for mori to have their brand in their building.