Tokyo rising: 4 landmarks in the capital's new vertical landscape
Forget the rise of Cool Japan and the freak show that is the gaudy Tokyo pop-culture scene -- the most exciting aspect by far of life in 21st-century Tokyo has been the advent of the modern mini-city.
Large-scale, multi-use complexes such as Shiodome, Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown offer all-in-one shopping, dining, residential, cultural and corporate attractions.
In their wake, smaller-scale developments like Omotesando Hills and Ginza Velvia-kan have become touchstones of their neighborhoods. The four projects profiled here (including one to be unveiled next year) are having a similar impact -- though not necessarily for the better.
1. Futako-Tamagawa: Rise
Having made its debut on March 17, less than a week after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, the Rise complex hopes to do for Futako-Tamagawa what Lazona did for Kawasaki -- to draw visitors from the Tokyo city center to an area they might not otherwise visit. The safe money says it will.
Whereas the Lazona shopping center attracted hordes of day-trippers upon opening in 2006, Rise is an entire village sprawling over eight hectares on the banks of the Tama River.
The development includes offices, residential towers and three malls with more than 100 shops and restaurants, including a 6,000-square-meter, must-be-seen-to-be-believed depachika basement supermarket section in the Tokyu Food Store.
A riverside district formerly known for its quaint cafes and laid-back attitude, Futako-Tamagawa has, with the opening of Rise, staked its claim as a destination for travelers from all over Kanto.
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Access: Futako-Tamagawa Station
Open daily, hours vary
2. Akihabara: Atre
Anyone concerned about the gentrification of Akihabara will be losing sleep over Atre, a glittering department store that made its debut in March.
Sure, the commodification of Japan’s geek-culture capital is nothing new -- the UDX complex, which explicitly aimed to bring corporate investment to the neighborhood, opened way back in 2005.
But at least that mixed-use space made a pretense of keeping things real, with a techy vibe and attractions like the Tokyo Anime Museum.
Atre, on the other hand, is the creation of JR East railways, which operates 10 similar shopping centers around town. The tone-deaf Akihabara version includes a branch of upscale grocery chain Seijo Ishii and two floors -- yes, it’s really two -- of women-only yoga studios and spas.
One saving grace is Traniart, a railway-themed shop catering to the Densha Otoko in all of us.
More on CNNGo: An insider’s guide to Akihabara
Access: Akihabara Station
1-17-6 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, +81 (0) 3 5289 3800
Daily 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
