Photo/Illutration An artist’s impression shows what the Roppongi 5-chome Nishi district will look like after the redevelopment program is complete. (From the Cabinet Office website)

An urban development project touted as one of the largest ever in Japan is set to transform Tokyo’s bustling Roppongi entertainment district.

The centerpiece will be a stunning 327-meter high-rise that will dwarf the Roppongi 5-chome Nishi neighborhood, sources said.

The project will also feature a green zone with trees, which will allow easy access to one or more of the subway stations.

Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, which rises to a height of 238 meters, has dominated the area since 2003.

The Asahi Shimbun gleaned details of the redevelopment plan through interviews with insiders at leading real estate agencies as well as documents from the Tokyo metropolitan government.

The project will be undertaken by Sumitomo Realty & Development Co. and Mori Building Co.

“The area is expected to grow into a core zone comparable to the Dai-Maru-Yu (Otemachi, Marunouchi and Yurakucho) district around Tokyo Station,” said a representative of Sumitomo Realty & Development.

Construction costs are projected to reach 800 billion yen ($5.17 billion).

The urban improvement plan was approved in March. Construction work will start in fiscal 2025 with completion eyed around 2030.

With 66 above-ground stories, the skyscraper will house a hotel, offices and a commercial facility. A residential complex comprising 1,000 apartments will be built alongside the high-rise. The total floor space of the buildings in the redevelopment area will be 1.08 million square meters.

A “spacious rooftop garden” covering 16,000 square meters is planned to create a vast green space in the center of Roppongi.

Minato Ward states in its “master plan for town development” that the project is aimed at providing “a high-quality business and residential environment by creating a hub for work, commerce, interactions, accommodation, housing and other urban functions at an international standard.”

It will also be a “hub for advanced urban features, such as educational functions, as well as international-standard amenities for residential and accommodation purposes.”

This suggests that foreign capital is behind the project and that foreign companies will move into the high-rise building.

The master blueprint also mentions eco-friendly efforts and enhanced countermeasures against natural disasters.

An emergency power generator and other equipment will be installed as a precaution against a natural disaster to keep electricity flowing in the complex.

The area facing the Roppongi intersection will be turned into an open space projected to cover 5,000 square meters, so people who face difficulty returning home in an emergency will be able to stay temporarily.

Sumitomo Realty & Development and Mori Building are finalizing specifications of the plan, which they said are subject to change.

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