An Architectural Guide of Omotesando

As one of Tokyo's ritziest areas, it's no surprise that Omotesando has some incredible architecture to enjoy. If you have an interest in design, these buildings are located within easy walking distance of Omotesando Station — you could easily explore them all in one day!

Prada Building

The brainchild of Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the striking Prada Building is located in the stylish Aoyama area of the city. Standing six stories high, its unique green-tinged glass façade stands out on the skyline, and inside you'll find retail shopping, lounges, and event spaces. The goal of the architects when creating the building design was to mesh consumption and culture, and many would agree that it delivers on that ideal.

5-2-6, Minamiaoyama, Tokyo 107-0062

Ao Building

Aoyama's AO Building was designed by Japanese architectural firm Nihon Sekkei and was completed in 2009. Home to restaurants, retail stores, and commercial offices, the 16-storey wedge-shaped building is a standout on the area's skyline. Nihon Sekkei are behind a number of other beautiful architectural pieces across Japan and abroad, including the likes of Mitaka's iconic Ghibli Museum and the Toranomon Hills Mori Tower.

3 Chome-11-7 Kitaaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0061

Sunny Hills

Sunny Hills in Minami-Aoyama was completed back in 2013 and was designed by architecture icon Kengo Kuma. It's home to a pineapple cake shop, and since the store is located in a residential street, part of the thought process behind Kuma's design was to give the building a softness that wouldn't be present with a concrete structure. The precarious-looking stacks of wooden beams are in fact very secure, and they follow a Japanese design principle of jigoku-gumi (地獄組) where the beams are interlocked.

3 Chome-10-20 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062

Nezu Museum

Located just a short walk from Omotesando Station, Nezu Museum is revered for its collection of Japanese and East Asian art. The museum was first opened to the public back in 1941, but was closed from 2006 until 2009 for large-scale renovation works which included a new museum building designed by Kengo Kuma. The building's large roof and the vertical accents on the walls are intended to make visitors feel like they're entering somewhere special.

6 Chome-5-1 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062

Omotesando Hills

Designed by Tadao Ando and Yoshiharu Kanebako, the upscale Omotesando Hills shopping complex is filled with luxury brands like Chloe, Yves Saint Laurent, and Valentino. Part of the design goal was to have the building fit in with the existing scenery and environment of the area, so the building maintains a low-profile design, maximizes underground space, and incorporates rooftop greenery to blend in with the street's famous Zelkova trees.

4 Chome-12-10 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001

Dior Building

Omotesando's Dior Building sits right next door to Oriental Bazaar, and was designed by the Tokyo-based architectural firm SANAA. This part of the city has building regulations that specify a maximum structural height of 30 meters, but the design acts like an optical illusion to make it seem much taller. A range of horizontal bands in different widths wrap around the building, making it hard to believe it's only four floors high in total.

5 Chome-9-11 Jingumae, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0001