The wait is over, and the much anticipated opening of the Tadao Ando-designed Omotesando Hills shopping complex -- a sort of follow-up, in spirit and intent, to real-estate developper Minoru Mori's Roppongi Hills -- finally happened earlier this month, and a few weeks later, the huge crowds that showed up on opening day have yet to thin out. If you've been to Roppongi Hills, you'll know exactly what to expect: high-priced stores (even the Delphonics stationery store on the premises has gone upscale), long queues at the cafes and restaurants, and everything enveloped in an aura of theme park musicality (background music) and lighting. Although it does still come off as a mall, it's well worth a visit for the scale alone, and design-aficionados will find things of interest in the Idea Frames shop, the Taschen bookstore (until May only), the various galleries, and of course, the building itself.
OMOTESANDO HILLS
Two minutes on foot from the A2 exit of the Omotesando subway station.
t. 03.3497.0310
