1958
It costs Y80 to climb into a taxi in Roppongi
Tokyo Tower is built
The U.S. military moves out of its Roppongi barracks
TV Asahi moves into Roppongi, bringing stars and the starry-eyed
Nick Zapetti's Nicola's Pizza
Antonio's
The media start talking about the exciting new Roppongi zoku
(tribes)
who go
to
Roppongi to (gasp!) dance and eat pizza
1963
Koban opens
The expressway is erected; the road that runs beneath it wasn't built
until the turn of the century
1964, Olympic year: Two Roppongi landmarks open--the subway and Almond
coffee shop
Romi's place featuring Romi's large chest
American School in Japan kids going to the Hamburger Inn to get drunk and
rumble
Discotheques: Castel's in the Square Blg. was considered the very apex in
sophistication
Afro Rake
Crazy Horse
Mixed drinks at Pub Cardinal
Mr. James bring country whine
Berni Inn for Brit boozers and darts
Henry Africa, the fern bar for homesick Americans
Roi Building is built on the spot where the six trees that gave Roppongi
its
name were thought to have stood. The six trees are one of the "Seven
Wonders
of
Azabu"; another is a giant man-eating toad.
The Playboy Club at the Roa Building, back when being a Playboy member was
considered classy. Fact: Tokyo's was the last Playboy Club in the world to
close.
1976
It cost Y240 to climb into a taxi in Roppongi.
Disco fever! Lines at the Square Building escalators leading to Giza
disco
First kurofuku disco pimps
The original Charleston won't admit Japanese men unless accompanied by a
foreigner
1979
Partyliner Bill Hersey visits Roppongi for the first time
1980
Lexington Queen opens. Liza Minelli, Rod Stewart, Earth Wind
& Fire, and Eric Clapton are among its first customers
Near-naked go-go girls on podiums at Giza--a precursor to the Juliana's
Girl?
No-panty coffee shops
Casanova popularizes the idea of Japanese men who can't speak English
paying
incredibly large amounts of money to talk with foreign hostesses who can't
speak Japanese
1982
Roppongi's first and Tokyo's second Moti opens
1983
The first McDonald's and Hard Rock
Prestige disco by Porsche dealership; now Zest
The video screen at Seishido bookstore is erected; the bookstore itself
has
been on Roppongi Crossing since the early Meiji era.
The Neo-Japanesque disco in Forum Building was considered the very apex in
sophistication
1985
Déjà Vu heralds the start of the open-fronted gaijin
bar, later favored by Gas Panic, which allows the whole place to be hosed
out
at the end of the evening. Also, the Wave Building opens
Bubble clubs like Zipang and MzMz open
Tulia disco opens with Velfarre-like fanfare then closes in shame after an
expensive lighting rig falls and kills some people.
Real ethnic cuisine!
First Connie House Party
1989
It cost Y470 to climb into a taxi in Roppongi
Someone terminally optimistic nicknames the area "High Touch Town"
1990
Gas Panic pioneers barman with poor hygeine, sex without a
condom and--horror of all horrors--tipping.
Tokyo Journal moves into its
Roppongi office
The $5-million Barocco disco opens, closes after barely a year, and
reopens as Roppongi's only shabu shabu restaurant with a bodysonic
dancefloor
Razzle Dazzle closes, reopens as legendary Gas Panic Club
The original Charleston admit anyone, regardless of race, color, sex or
hygeine
standard
Gaijin Zone opens
Bubble clubs like Zipang and MzMz close
Shrewdly, Condomania opens in Roppongi
Unshrewdly, a wedding chapel opens in Roppongi
1993:
One Eyed Jack mass-produces gaijin hostesses
The happy hour boom. Cheers!
The salsa boom. Salud!
GIGO (and the 360 degree jet-fighter machine)
1994 Tokyo Journal moves out of its
Roppongi office
Gaijin Zone closes and nobody notices
Lingerie bars, from the ultra-exclusive Uga Uga to the ultra-tacky
Hips
The worst indicator of all: Flamingo stops flying in girls from Vancouver,
starts local hire
Seventh Heaven
1995
It costs Y650 to climb into a taxi in Roppongi
