Where the name Roppongi comes from, what stood here before the station, and what you can still spot on a walk today. Then the events near the station that we have checked on the official pages.
Roppongi literally means Six Trees, and its best-known origin story involves six large pine trees said to have stood in the area. Minato City records this as a traditional explanation, but their precise location and historical existence have not been confirmed. Another theory connects the name to six samurai families whose surnames contain the character for tree: Uesugi, Kutsuki, Takagi, Aoki, Katagiri, and Hitotsuyanagi. Local historical research has not established either theory as definitive.
Leave Roppongi-itchome Station and look beyond the glass towers of Izumi Garden. The neighborhood rises sharply into a series of ridges and slopes. During the Edo period, most of the wider Roppongi area consisted of samurai estates and temple grounds, with smaller settlements known as Iikura Roppongi and Ryudo Roppongi. Large residences occupied the higher ground, while roads descended toward the lower streets.
In 1869, several surrounding settlements were combined to form Azabu Roppongi-cho. The modern address Roppongi 1-chome came much later. Although the origin of the name remains uncertain, the physical landscape survives. Follow the steep streets away from the station and the neighborhood becomes easier to imagine as an area of temples, secluded estates, and wooded slopes.
→ Walk uphill from Roppongi-itchome Station through Izumi Garden, then explore Dogenji-zaka and Okumi-zaka. Their slopes reveal the layout of the former samurai estate district. No securely identified remains of the legendary six pine trees survive, but the terrain still preserves old Roppongi's character.
Sources (in Japanese): 港区「地名の歴史（麻布地区）」, 国立国会図書館レファレンス協同データベース・港区立三田図書館「六本木の地名の由来を知りたい」
The towers of Izumi Garden occupy land that once belonged to the Sumitomo family's Azabu residence. From Roppongi-itchome Station, climb the landscaped slope toward the ridge near the Spanish Embassy. Today, trees and open spaces surround the modern buildings. During the Edo period, the elevated ground was occupied by samurai estates. From the Meiji era onward, it remained an exclusive residential area with large private properties.
In 1917, Sumitomo Kichizaemon Tomoito, the fifteenth head of the Sumitomo family, built a villa here in what was then Azabu Ichibei-cho. In May of that year, he entertained guests including Prime Minister Masatake Terauchi. Nearby streets preserve even older stories. Dogenji-zaka was named after a temple located above the slope, while Okumi-zaka recalls the residences of the shogunate's Osakitegumi, armed retainers responsible for security and law enforcement.
The area underwent major redevelopment, and Izumi Garden was completed in 2002. Offices, public spaces, and a subway connection transformed the former estate district into a modern business center. Yet its sloping terrain and greenery remain defining features. Walking from the station up to the ridge takes you through layers of Tokyo history, from Edo's samurai residences to a powerful family's private retreat and finally to the present-day city.
→ Take the escalators and landscaped paths from Roppongi-itchome Station up toward the Spanish Embassy. Explore the green spaces along the ridge, then find Dogenji-zaka and Okumi-zaka nearby. Their names preserve the history of temples and shogunate residences, while the steep slopes reveal the landscape of the former estate district.
Sources (in Japanese): 港区「大正から昭和まで 今も残る古い建物・住友家麻布別邸から泉ガーデンへ」, 港区「麻布の坂」
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We list events we could confirm on the official page or official Instagram of the venue or organiser. Details can change, tickets sell out and venues close, so check the official page before you go. Distances are straight-line and travel times are rough estimates. Photos show the venue or its surroundings, not the event itself. Titles and descriptions are our own translations from Japanese. This site contains affiliate links (ads).