One of Odaiba's main attractions is the shopping, dining and entertainment complex of VenusFort, operated by Mori Building. This large mall is modeled after Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and features the same aged-look columns and a large central fountain. The ceiling is designed to look like the sky, and lights on timers simulate dusk and dawn several times throughout the day.

Of VenusFort's 230 stores, 50 of them are outlets. The outlet section, which opened last December, is the first in Tokyo's 23 wards, and features well-known brands such as MARNI, galliano, Harrods, WEDGWOOD, HUNTING WORLD, and Francfanc, all at prices roughly half off retail. If I hadn't had other plans, I could have spent hours shopping for designer products at fantastic prices.

VenusFort also stages several events throughout the year. Currently the complex is hosting the Manga Girls Inspiration charity exhibition. The event features roughly 100 special edition versions of the popular Blythe dolls, including some inspired by anime characters, as well as many designed by fashion creators from around the world. Visitors to the exhibition can purchase special versions of Blythe dolls here. Other souvenirs including books, stickers, tote bags, and coffee mugs are also for sale. The event runs through September 26.

Finally, after exhausting themselves by shopping and taking in the event, visitors to VenusFort on Saturday or Sunday who hold a MORI LIVING Smiles sticker can also relax in a private lounge while enjoying free drinks in addition to two-hour free parking service. MORI LIVING residents with Smiles sticker can enjoy exclusive benefits not only at Roppongi Hills and Omotesando Hills but also Venus Fort in Odaiba!

Kelly

One of my favorite yearly events in Tokyo is the Azabu Juban matsuri (festival). During the third weekend of August, the normally quiet streets of this international neighborhood come alive with hundreds of stalls offering everything from typical Japanese dishes to antiques to games for kids. Despite the fact that it takes place during what is usually the hottest time of the year, I can never seem to keep myself away from the throngs of people that inevitably accompany this must-visit event.

Like most outdoor festivals in Japan, the biggest draw at the Azabu Juban matsuri is the food. This year the famed international area was closed due to an ongoing construction project, but there was no shortage of local delights to satisfy the masses. Stands sold takoyaki, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and the requisite food-on-a-stick to hungry passersby. In addition to these, my favorite festival foods in Japan include grilled corn-on-the-cob flavored with soy sauce, a simple yet delicious Japanese invention that I am always amazed hasn't made its way overseas yet.

And at the end of the day, when my feet are sore, I've sweated more than I care to admit, and my belly is full of yummy foods eaten as a picked my way through the crowds, I always make room for one more simple pleasure--baby castellas. These tiny, round pastries are like bite-sized sponge cakes, and served warm, they make the perfect ending to any festival visit.

Kelly

The menu included dishes inspired by countries around the world, such as Carbonnades, Asian crispy fried chicken, and Mexican tacos. The food was reasonably priced at ¥400 to ¥1,000, and drinks were just ¥400 for soft drinks, ¥500 for sours, and ¥600 for a cold draft beer. After getting our food and drinks, my friend and I settled in at one of the tables out on the patio to watch the next show.

The entertainment at the EARTH BEAT GARDEN includes belly dance, African dance and percussion shows, and Argentine tango. We were lucky enough to catch a flamenco show during our visit. Led by dancer TAKUMI ITAKURA, the performance was an energetic mix of Spanish guitar, passionate live singing, and the flashy spins and loud rhythmic stomping and clapping that are characteristic to flamenco.

Not only did the dancers put on an impressive show (especially given the heat), but the accompanying singer and guitar player created music so beautiful and emotional that if I closed my eyes, I actually could have imagined myself in a flamenco bar in southern Spain.

Kelly

Mori Art Museum's current exhibition, Sensing Nature, is a collection of specially commissioned installations by contemporary Japanese artists, and its appeal is so broad that even most art-phobes will find themselves enjoying a stroll through the gallery.

I had the opportunity to take part in a guided tour of the exhibition led by museum director Fumio Nanjo and organized exclusively for MORI LIVING residents. Nanjo's intimate knowledge of the participating artists and their work made the exhibition even more interesting and enjoyable.

We started with the first work, Snow, by Tokujin Yoshioka. The piece uses about 300kg of the lightest down feathers available (which for the installation were borrowed from a Japanese futon company) enclosed behind a 14m wide plexiglass wall. At intervals a fan blows the feathers up, making them swirl around and then fall like snow into mounds and drifts.

Taro Shinoda, originally a landscape gardener, contributed three pieces to the exhibition, including one entitled Model of Oblivion. Housed inside one of his other works, this is a shiny, white mountain shaped sculpture sitting atop a table. A red liquid streams down the mountain and across the table, only to be caught by gutters on the side and recirculated back to the top of the mountain, like a never-ending silent lava flow. "It is a kind of blood of nature," says Nanjo. "It's very sensational and emotional because it's red."

The third artist featured in Sensing Nature is Takashi Kuribayashi. Particularly popular among museum visitors (and a personal favorite as well) is his rendition of a forest made from traditional Japanese washi paper. To see the work, visitors enter from under the 'forest' floor, then poke their heads into holes torn in the paper. Above is a peaceful scene of stark white trees surrounded by a faint mist, giving the feeling we have just happened upon a never-before-visited place.

Standing there, it is hard to imagine that in reality we are 53 floors above the bustling streets of Roppongi.

Kelly

Tetsuro Nakashima is the chef in charge of the Green Hills Spa Kitchen, as well as the ARK Hills Spa Kitchen and Café Lume. For the residents of Atago Green Hills Forest Tower, he creates and prepares a menu of delicious Japanese and Western dishes that rival those of some of Tokyo's best restaurants.

"People who live here like to bring guests to eat, come here after using the spa, and use it just like a restaurant," says Nakashima. "Room service is also very popular. There are many different types of guests, with very different needs."

Nakashima's background is with French food, so even his Japanese dishes have French influences, he says. The menu changes seasonally, and includes favorites such as sandwiches, pasta, burgers, curry, donburi, and Asian rice dishes. Both lunch sets (¥1,260 - ¥1,890) and dinner sets (¥2,625 - ¥4,095) are available, and there is also an extensive wine and champagne list, further adding to the restaurant experience.

During my visit I sampled one of the summer dishes, grilled Pacific bluefin tuna with seasonal vegetables (¥3,150). Topped with mixed herbs and a light dressing, the dish was fresh and flavorful, and I was shocked to see that the menu listed a calorie count of only 305. Healthy food has never looked or tasted so good!

Kelly

Chef Sadaike began working with Hills Spa eight years ago, after spending the first 14 years of his career with a hotel group. He says that the two jobs are somewhat similar in that they both require him to come up with a creative menu that will satisfy the tastes of very diverse customers, with the difference being that that hotels don't place much of an importance on the health benefits of the foods they serve. "It's difficult to not use oil and still make the dishes delicious," he says.

But eight years of practice has paid off, because even though the 'healthy plate' I tried only had 509 calories and was made using no added oil, it was a delight for my taste buds. The dish incorporated a chicken breast and fish filet over a bed of fresh greens and accompanied with seasonal vegetables. A Dijon mustard sauce for the chicken and balsamic and tomato sauce for the fish added just the right mix of subtle flavors.

Anyone who has visited the Roppongi area knows there is no shortage of restaurants there, meaning residents of Roppongi Hills have a lot of dining options each day. But going out can be tiresome, and sometimes residents just want a simple meal in the comfort of their own home or building, which is where chef Sadaike and his staff come in.

"What we serve is more like everyday food, but made in a healthy way," says the chef. And with breakfast, lunch, dinner and even room service available, residents can be at ease knowing that their next delicious yet healthful meal is never far away.

Kelly

Dawn of the Dinosaurs is the culmination of thirty years of research by Oscar Alcober and his team of scientists at the Museum of Natural Sciences in San Juan, Argentina. Items on display include recreations of skeletons unearthed at the nearby Ischigualasto Provincial Park, a place with a geological history of 230 million years.

Alcober was in Tokyo to oversee the installation and construction of the exhibition, and he gave a short speech to members of the press during a preview. "Starting with the bones, we recreated every muscle, approximated the position of the eyes, created the skin, etc. We made the best scientific approximation of each animal," he said.

The dinosaurs featured in the exhibition are some of the earliest species known--don't expect to see a tyrannosaurus or velociraptor. Instead, visitors are treated with recreations of lesser-known (but no less impressive) species. "We wanted to show the origin of the dinosaurs," said Alcober. "The word 'Jurassic' was made famous by the movie Jurassic Park. We want to make 'Triassic' famous as well."

In addition to the exhibition itself, there is a dinosaur-themed bar, where visitors can purchase original drinks such as herb mojitos (delicious!) or watermelon and rosemary martinis. A gift shop sells a variety of souvenirs, and some cafés and restaurants are offering dinosaur-themed foods for a limited time.

Kelly

I visited the space on Friday afternoon, just in time to witness a traditional tea ceremony performed by two maiko. The precision with which the two women prepared and delivered the tea--every movement calculated and rehearsed to perfection--reminded me of the important role this simple beverage plays in Japanese culture. The tea itself was frothy and delicious, and was served with traditional Japanese sweets.

After the tea ceremony had finished, many of the visitors enjoyed having their photos taken with the maiko, who were dressed in their elaborate kimono, makeup and hairpieces. As I talked with the maiko before having our photo taken, I was struck by how refined and feminine she was. She spoke in a soft voice, her gestures were modest and understated, and everything was done with the most impeccable manners.

The whole experience made me start to think that perhaps I, too, should strive to be more refined!

Kelly

It is currently being housed in an office space of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. While this location is not open to the public, it has been displayed before in locations in Tokyo, Sweden, Holland, and even Brazil.

Rika Sato, who led the production team of this scale model, explained everything about this smcale model. To make the model, Sato and her team used satellite imagery printed on styrofoam boards for the base, then used paperboard to show changes in elevation, as well as to construct tiny models of Tokyo's many office, residential, and retail buildings.

To make sure the buildings had the correct texture and color on the outside, the team took thousands of photos of Tokyo's actual buildings, scaled them digitally, and then stuck them onto the corresponding paper buildings.

But it wasn't just Tokyo that Sato's team studied. They also made 1/1,000 scale models of New York and Shanghai, to illustrate the differences between the layout and planning of the different cities. For the New York model, a team of four people spent two weeks in the city, traversing the streets by bicycle and taking over 13,000 photos.

Looking at the models of Tokyo and New York, one big difference immediately jumps out: New York is much more compact, is laid out on a grid, and uses lots of vertical space. Tokyo, on the other hand, has a much larger urban sprawl, and there are few very tall buildings.

"After seeing this, we decided we wanted to try to utilize more of Tokyo's vertical space as well, which would mean a shorter commute and more free time for residents," said Sato.

Kelly

Unlike the Academyhills Roppongi Library, which is designed in an open plan and is mainly popular with those who want a place to study or read for pleasure, the Hirakawacho Library is geared specifically toward businesspeople as a place outside of the office or home where they can conduct their work.

A large room on the second floor of Hirakawacho Mori Tower contains 68 library-style carrels, or work desks, each complete with electricity and high-speed internet outlets and a small locker for personal belongings. Members can choose specifically which desk they'd like to use, and make their reservation up to a month in advance.

Aside from working space, the Hirakawacho Library also has plenty of space for relaxing or socializing amongst members. There are four meeting rooms of various sizes that can be reserved for presentations, conferences or interviews, and a lounge offers a place for members to get to know one another in a relaxed environment. One corner is furnished with large sofas and a flat-screen TV--those who want to kick back simply use a pair of the provided headphones so as not to disturb other members.

And finally, there is the traditional library space, complete with 2,000 titles. The books are broken into three categories--Creative Minds, Contemporary Books, and Classics--and approximately 1,000 titles will be added each year. Members can even make notes on some books and leave their recommendations for other members, further enforcing the sense of community.

Kelly

The genius of "Choice!" lies in its versatility. By day it is a cafeteria-style food court, with each counter offering a different type of food, such as pasta, udon, and Asian dishes. There is also a cake counter, where desserts sets (¥500 for a piece of cake and coffee or tea) can be purchased from 2pm.

Lunch is from 11am-2:30pm, and even though this is a busy time for restaurants in the area, ample seating means hardly ever having to wait for a table. In the udon corner alone, "Choice!" serves up roughly 350 dishes each day.

From 5pm the space is transformed into a chic full service restaurant, with a calming interior design inspired by nature. One side can be completely opened up to reveal large planters with lush greenery, and terrace seating affords a view of the water fixture at ARK Hills.

Inside, sliding dividers create small seating nooks, which means small groups of diners can enjoy an element of privacy. Like the lunch offering, the bilingual evening menu places an emphasis on variety, with a total of 69 items on the menu. "Customers can choose what they want to eat," says restaurant manager Tadayuki Nonaka.

"Choice!" has ample space to accommodate up to about 400 people, making it a great choice for larger private parties. The staff is also planning to hold a series of DJ events in the near future, so diners will be able to enjoy top-notch entertainment while they relax after a day's work.

Kelly

We attended an evening performance of the Blue Man Group last Friday. I had seen the show before, shortly after the opening of the theater, but it was just as good--if not better--the second time. For those who've never seen the Blue Men perform, words cannot really do it justice, but know to expect lots of laughs, a few shrieks and shouts, and plenty of audience participation.

My personal favorite part of the show was when countless streamers came from paper rolls in the back of the theater, and the performers and audience members worked together to pull them down, until there was a huge heap of paper piled up just in front of the stage.

After the show, representatives of Blue Man Group gathered the audience members from MORI LIVING together and led us backstage. We first entered a rehearsal room, where we each got to try our hand at some signature Blue Man instruments, such as pipes and drums. Next we moved on to the actual backstage area, where we had the opportunity to see the stage from the performers' perspective.

Our last stop was another rehearsal room, where members of the Blue Man band talked us through their unique instruments, demonstrated some of the sound effects used during the performance, and even gave us a short private concert. The whole experience was truly unique and completely unforgettable.

Kelly

Nakai has been with MORI LIVING for four years, and currently serves as assistant front desk manager for Roppongi Hills Residences A, B and C and Roppongi Sakura-zaka Residence.

Before joining MORI LIVING team, Nakai worked as a manager for a famous Japanese restaurant in New York, where he routinely served special clients including world famous musicians, CEOs and athletes.

"It was very interesting to have a perspective of celebrities from which they seemed just like regular people," Nakai says. Despite their fame, Nakai treated these customers like he would anyone else--giving them the best possible service he could provide. And it is this high level of service that he has also brought to his work at Roppongi Hills Residences.

Nakai is very popular among residents of the buildings he serves, especially those residents from countries outside of Japan. He credits his 12 years of living in New York with the ability to relate well to people from around the world.

In fact, some older female residents have even taken him under their wings and treat him almost like a son. When there is a problem or a complaint, residents often request that Nakai handle it, as he is known throughout the complex for his efficient and fair way of resolving situations.

Even on his days off, Nakai enjoys hanging out near his place of work, and can often be spotted enjoying a coffee outside Starbucks at Roppongi Hills, or at local ramen shops in the area.

Kelly

Wataru Ryoke, president of RFA Investors, chose Holland Hills Mori Tower RoP about six months ago, choosing the building for its convenient location and modern design.

"I didn't want a traditional office space," he says. "I wanted something warm and inviting."

Both in his career and as a hobby, Ryoke enjoys working with interior design and decorating, so the simple, clean layout of his new space made the perfect canvas for yet another project.

He installed thick, soft carpet in a very pale shade of grey, and on top of that added an area rug under the furniture in his meeting room. "I don't like to wear slippers, so I try to use the thickest carpet possible," he says. Much of the furniture he chose was custom-made to fit the unique space, and all the colors and textures he used are soft, warm and soothing.

Ryoke is involved in a variety of fields, including web design and internet marketing, event production, café design, and even celebrity castings.

Until last year, he had space located in a residence that had a "dark and heavy" design. Ryoke says that he always enjoys himself at work and has fun doing what he does, but he wanted a space that had a softer, lighter feeling.

A friend had a space at Holland Hills RoP, and after visiting the building, he decided to move his team of three there. Judging by the fond way in which he speaks about the property, he has no regrets about his decision. And with his keen eye and talent for design, he sure has made the most of the space.

Kelly

Last Saturday, after enjoying a lazy brunch at a nearby restaurant, a friend and I decided to head over to Roppongi Hills to check out the current exhibition at the Mori Arts Center Gallery.

From the museum entrance on the third floor, we rode the express elevator up nearly 50 floors, feeling the familiar pressure on our ears as we did so. Mori Arts Center Gallery is the smaller sister gallery of Mori Art Museum, which is located on the floor above. The current exhibit, entitled European Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is well worth the trip on its own.

Included in the exhibition are some of the most recognizable works by well-known artists including Rembrandt, Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse. From portraits to religious themed works to landscapes, there is something for everyone, and the popularity of the exhibit was evidenced in the sheer numbers of people passing through the gallery doors (I would recommend going on a weekday to avoid crowds). It is rare that we get a chance to see so many world-famous artworks all in one well-edited exhibit.

After leaving the gallery, we spent some time leisurely wandering around the other attractions on the floor, and since it was a clear day, we even decided to head up to the Sky Deck, the rooftop viewpoint. For visitors plagued with vertigo, the same view can be seen from inside, at the Tokyo City View next to the gallery. And at the end of it all, relax and unwind with a cup of tea and a slice of cake from the café at Mado Lounge... the perfect end to a wonderful afternoon.

Kelly