★★★★★ 5.0
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Mori Arts Center Gallery
Four hundred separate lots. That's how many tiny pieces of land Minoru Mori had to buy over fourteen years to create the ground you're standing on right here at Roppongi Hills. You're about to enter the Mori Arts Center Gallery on the 52nd floor, where exhibitions range from ancient Hokusai prints to cutting-edge anime installations. What most visitors don't realize is that this very spot was once the private estate of the Chofu Mori family during Japan's Edo period, then later became the residence of Masujima Rokuichiro after the Meiji Restoration. The building you're in right now cost over four billion dollars to construct and stands as Tokyo's sixth-tallest tower at exactly 238 meters. Here's the insider secret locals know... you're actually positioned between two distinct art spaces. The Mori Art Museum sits one floor above you on the 53rd, while this gallery shares its floor with the observation deck, creating this unique fusion of art and panoramic city views that you literally can't find anywhere else in Tokyo. Step inside and you'll understand why this space has become the go-to venue for exhibitions that bridge traditional Japanese culture with contemporary global movements.
Did You Know?
- Founded by visionary developer Minoru Mori, the Mori Art Museum opened in 2003 atop the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower as part of a grand urban experiment to fuse work, leisure, and culture—Mori’s vision was to create a ‘city within a city’ where art and daily life seamlessly intersect, making the museum a bold statement in Tokyo’s cultural and architectural landscape.
- The museum’s curatorial approach is uniquely international: its first director was British curator David Elliott, and it assembled a global advisory board including leaders from MoMA New York, Centre Pompidou Paris, and Tate London, ensuring a truly worldwide perspective on contemporary art rarely seen in Japanese institutions at the time.
- Beyond its exhibitions, the Mori Art Museum is famous for its ‘Art + Life’ philosophy, offering late-night hours (with 30% of visitors arriving after 5 p.m. in 2018), family-friendly programs, and breathtaking 53rd-floor views of Tokyo—making it a dynamic, accessible hub where art, city life, and panoramic vistas come together for locals and tourists alike.