(1) Location & Access
- The Aoyama area is located in the northwest of Minato Ward, and has Aoyama-dori Street running through it. On its north side are the Akasaka Imperial Gardens, which are facilities for the imperial family, and the Jingu Gaien area, offering many sports facilities.
- Multiple subway lines provide access to the area, including the Ginza Line, the Hanzomon Line and the Chiyoda Line. The addition of the Oedo subway line, which runs through the area north to south, has improved ease of access.


Omotesando

(2) Overview
Most of the medium-sized or larger office buildings are located along Aoyama-dori Street. Small buildings and vacant plots exist in various locations throughout the area, which are recently being used for new development.

Numerous boutiques can be found around the Omotesando subway station and nearby Kotto-dori Street. Recently, many foreign boutiques have opened direct-retail stores in the area, elevating its status to rival that of Ginza as a shopping area for foreign brand names. Some famous boutiques, such as Prada and Louis Vuitton, have purchased land and built flagship stores in this area (Prada eventually sold theirs). Additionally, commercial buildings have appeared housing multiple foreign boutiques, such as ONE Omotesando and GYRE.

Omotesando Hills, a complex of commercial facilities and residential buildings built on a prime location along Omotesando Avenue was completed in 2006 to widespread acclaim. Many public housing buildings and private condominiums can be seen once one enters from Aoyama-dori Street.

Although rows of unique retail stores are symbolic of the area around the Omotesando subway station, office buildings, many of which house the head offices of companies such as HONDA MOTOR and SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT, are more prominent than commercial buildings on Aoyama-dori Street around the Aoyama-itchome subway station. ORACLE CORPORATION JAPAN plans to move its headquarters to the Kita-Aoyama Project site, which will be completed in July 2008.

(3) Profile Data
1. Major office buildings: year completed, major owner
Aoyama Building: 1972, Mitsubishi Estate
Shin-Aoyama Building: 1978 Mitsubishi Estate
Aoyama Palacio Tower: 1999, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance
CSK Aoyama Building: 2003, GE Real Estate

2. Major companies
Sony Computer Entertainment, Honda Motor, Tiffany & Co.

3. Major facilities
Retail facilities: Aoyama Bell Commons, Spiral, La Place Minami-Aoyama, Anniversaire Omotesando, One Omotesando
Specialty stores: Gucci, Prada, Max Mara, Brooks Brothers, Paul Smith, Hunting World, Hugo Boss
Sports facilities and stadium: Meiji Jingu Gaien Lawn Tennis Club, Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium