Apple Relocating Tokyo HQ to Roppongi Hills

[MacRumors]

Apple is to move its Tokyo HQ from the Shinjuku district to a $2.2 billion development in the more central area of Roppongi Hills, reports Bloomberg.

Apple is said to be planning to take one or two floors of the 54-story building, which is home to Goldman Sachs and Barclays. Roppongi Hills is one of Japan's largest integrated property developments, the complex including a Grand Hyatt hotel, art museum, movie theatre, private club and apartments.

"Rents of large office buildings in central Tokyo peaked in the second quarter of 2008 and have fallen 40 percent from the peak," Kayoko Hirao, the head of Japan research at DTZ Research in Tokyo, said in a phone interview today. "It is a good time to consider an office relocation to the central business area and it should be a good chance for Apple. The office rental market will recover this year."

Apple is terminating the lease of its current Tokyo Opera City Tower offices as of June, and is said to be moving into its new HQ as early as April.

Article Link: Apple Relocating Tokyo HQ to Roppongi Hills

[shartypants]

That's a nice area, expensive.

[likemyorbs]

Is that like their Beverly Hills?

[shartypants]

Originally Posted by likemyorbs

Is that like their Beverly Hills?

Actually Ginza is more like a Beverly Hills. Roppongi is more of a party place, lots of bars and pubs and foreigners love to hang out there. Very expensive to live there.

[irmongoose]

Very cool. Their current location is frankly in a very inconvenient place (far from any particular train station), and not exactly in a fashionable part of Tokyo. They move into Roppongi Hills and they're instantly joining an upscale community. It's basically the central hub for classy restaurants, nightlife, and multinational corporations. Much more fitting for the new Apple (they've held the current location since the 90s at least).

Funny, though - they'll be moving into the same building as Google's Japan HQ.


irmongoose

[HMI]

I have no idea where that is, but its a fun name to say:
Roppongi, Roppongi, Roppongi.

[kasei]

Roppongi Hills is really nice, but I never really liked the Roppongi area. Too many obnoxious non Japanese running around thinking they are the king of the world. They should have moved to Aoyama or Omotesando. Those are classy areas and fits Apple's image much better than Roppongi.

[iReality85]

Roppongi is the hip part of Tokyo and has a busy night life. Also known as the 'foreign' district because it is loaded with foreign-owned night clubs, restaurants, etc. I've been there before and it really is a fun place to hang out.

[daveL]

Goldman Sachs was a client of mine for a 6 month gig several years ago, and I stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi for part of that time. Great location! I was on the 28th floor of the hotel when an earthquake hit; quite the experience (yes, the buildings do move in response to the quake).

[HMI]

Originally Posted by iReality85

Roppongi is the hip part of Tokyo and has a busy night life. Also known as the 'foreign' district because it is loaded with foreign-owned night clubs, restaurants, etc. I've been there before and it really is a fun place to hang out.

Is it featured in any movies, such as "Lost in Translation," or anything else that might be easy to check-out?

[ChristianJapan]

Very fancy, very expensive, lots expats & embassies. A bit too snobbish. Poor guys working there; hope they will have inhouse catering for lunch time. Outside very crowded at peak times.

But I like the building they move in; Looks good and fantastic view over Tokyo area from the higher floors.

Google also has their offices there ...

[alia]

Ugh, I hated walking around Roppongi at night... worst part of Tokyo for me. That said, I didn't spend much time in Roppongi - avoided it when I could, so I don't know much about Roppongi Hills. Hopefully it's not as creepy as the strip of crappy clubs and bars where people try to intimidate you into going into their establishments.

[kasei]

Originally Posted by alia

Ugh, I hated walking around Roppongi at night... worst part of Tokyo for me. That said, I didn't spend much time in Roppongi - avoided it when I could, so I don't know much about Roppongi Hills. Hopefully it's not as creepy as the strip of crappy clubs and bars where people try to intimidate you into going into their establishments.

Roppongi Hills is very nice, but I agree with your assessment of the rest of Roppongi. When ever I go back to visit I try to avoid Roppongi unless I am having dinner at the Oak Door.

[808?]

Originally Posted by HMI

or anything else that might be easy to check-out?

Google Maps?

[Laird Knox]

Originally Posted by 808?

Google Maps?

Actually the real reason they are moving is because Apple Maps shows that this is where the office is located. They are just correcting that slight error in the map.

[szw-mapple fan]

Originally Posted by Laird Knox

Actually the real reason they are moving is because Apple Maps shows that this is where the office is located. They are just correcting that slight error in the map.

good one

[macs4nw]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Image

Article Link: Apple Relocating Tokyo HQ to Roppongi Hills

Kinda scary to see these brand new, gorgeous skyscrapers in such a volcanically-active hot spot. Wonder if these buildings have those huge counter-balance weights in their basements.

[ChristianJapan]

Originally Posted by macs4nw

Kinda scary to see these brand new, gorgeous skyscrapers in such a volcanically-active hot spot. Wonder if these buildings have those huge counter-balance weights in their basements.

Not so much in basement; more in upper floor to reduce the swinging.

http://www.mori.co.jp/en/projects/ro...hnologies.html

I prefer to be in a building like Roppongi Hills during an earthquake. They are pretty good. Swinging but stable.
The "bad" part is you have to walk all steps down when the elevator is stopped.

[japanime]

Roppongi has the highest crime rate in all of Tokyo. Gun crimes. Drug crimes. Sex crimes. Human trafficking. You name it, Roppongi's got it.

The high-rises are gorgeous both inside and out, but the streets below are mean.

[IGregory]

Originally Posted by iReality85

Roppongi is the hip part of Tokyo and has a busy night life. Also known as the 'foreign' district because it is loaded with foreign-owned night clubs, restaurants, etc. I've been there before and it really is a fun place to hang out.

http://youtu.be/jGQ-ISsDm8M

[prvt.donut]

Probably the Japan President lives in Hiroo and wants to be able to walk to the office!

I forget which bank was in Roppongi Hills a few years ago (I think it was Goldman Sachs), but when they collapsed and closed their offices, it left a lot of open office space available. As people said, Google moved out if my building in Shibuya to there, but they didn't take very much space. I bet after the couple of years those floors have been vacant, Apple will have been able to negotiate a very good price for that office space. Considering that Shinjuku is actually a more prime office location, I wouldn't expect them to be paying too much more.

[Albright]

My girlfriend and I had some business at her embassy in Roppongi one day, and when we were done we found ourselves wandering around Roppongi Hills. We weren't impressed. All the shops are absurdly expensive and it's difficult to find anything - different levels of the shopping areas have different layouts and such. Furthermore, Roppongi is harder to get to by the JR (above-ground) trains for some reason - only the subway system has many stations there, and that means long walks to transfers and often ridiculously deep staircases/escalators. I don't really find the non-Hills area are as seedy as others have mentioned, at least compared to other parts of Tokyo, but if it were up to me, I would have picked a more practical place.

[prvt.donut]

Albright, I have a partner in Roppongi Hills and it is actually a great office to work in, the layout is great from that perspective, also, the seemingly hapharzard design of the shopping area is great because it lets you walk and get lost in the maze of different layers and angles. Quite rare in such a modern city.

As far as location, if you live in the trendy/popular/rich areas, then it is great. Most expats will live around Hiroo, with Ebisu, Nakameguro and the extending Toyoko Line out into Meguro ku being a desirable place for Japanese to live.

I can see how if you traveled from a JR line that you had a much more substantial journey to get there though!

[Internaut]

Originally Posted by japanime

Roppongi has the highest crime rate in all of Tokyo. Gun crimes. Drug crimes. Sex crimes. Human trafficking. You name it, Roppongi's got it.

The high-rises are gorgeous both inside and out, but the streets below are mean.

Perhaps a high level of crime for the Japanese but very safe for anyone used to living in western cities. The Nigerian muscle at the doors to some bars made me laugh when I was last there (some ten years back).

[Bubba Satori]

Originally Posted by macs4nw

Kinda scary to see these brand new, gorgeous skyscrapers in such a volcanically-active hot spot. Wonder if these buildings have those huge counter-balance weights in their basements.

Saw a show on National Geo awhile back about how they engineer their buildings to survive earthquakes.
Really incredible things they can do to minimize damage and prevent catastrophic collapses.