The most frequently asked question I get is “where do you see all these supercars in Tokyo?” Ah yes, Tokyo. A city where modernity meets tradition, a city inhabited by more than 13.5 million people, and a city brimming with culture and history. Yet it’s the cars that I get asked about most.

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When I first set foot in this vast metropolis I didn’t know where to begin. I had seen photos and articles on where people before me had seen interesting cars and that helped me start finding my way around Tokyo’s car spotting hot spots.

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So what I thought I’d do is do a series that’ll help anyone interested in coming to Tokyo and checking out some of the local automotive scenery. If you want to find out the best places to eat in Tokyo, must-see cultural attractions, or where to get the best shopping deals you’ve come to the wrong website.

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Think of this series as a continuation and companion to my previous Tokyo Drifter series, only this one won’t be limited to museums, galleries, dealerships, and factories. So let’s kick off this new guide with my favourite car spotting area in Tokyo – at a Starbucks on a corner.

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Bear with me as all the cars you see on this post are all from a single corner where a Starbucks is conveniently located. At the bottom of the high-end Roppongi Hills complex, this Starbucks is one of the best places to see posh supercars. If I were a lady of the night I would definitely be working this corner.

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Grab yourself a cold or hot drink, pull up a chair and get your zoom lens ready for when a multi-million hypercars drives up the hill to either shop at Louis Vuitton, check in at the Grand Hyatt, or go into the million-dollar residences.

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This is Starbucks is located slap bang in the middle of one of the most affluent areas in one of the richest cities in the world so of course seeing a Porsche 918 or a Bugatti Veyron is to be expected. That makes this location ideal for even the laziest of spotters.

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Spend a couple hours here, spend an entire day, go during the week or the weekend (though I would strongly recommend weekends or public holidays) and I promise you you’ll see something expensive and/or interesting go by at some point. Supercars literally drive past here on a daily basis.

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I’ve given this corner the unofficial nickname of “Spyder Corner” because half of all the 918s I’ve seen in Tokyo has been at this one corner. The black 918 with the Weissach Package actually lives around here so is most frequently seen here while the others come and go.

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Speaking of the 918, this is also the only place in Tokyo where I’ve seen all three hybrid hypercars. As I’ve said earlier, the 918 is the most frequently seen hypercar here. Not that’s a bad thing or anything. But every now then a LaFerrari will visit the Grand Hyatt hotel and will eventually drive past this corner. Same goes with the McLaren P1 as a couple of them reside around this area.

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This stretch of road is also a great place to show off the latest and greatest cars. So when the first Ferrari F12tdf was seen in blasting down this road. The same goes for other new cars such as the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Porsche GT4, and Ferrari 488 GTB.

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Like any other place luck and weather do play a part. Some days will be better than others but if there’s anything I’ve taken away from my experiences on this hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and expect the unexpected.

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As you would’ve already seen by now there’s a whole lot of supercars that go by, have a look at the gallery below for more. These cars are just some of the highlights that I’ve seen go past here. There’s a lot more that goes by this corner. So if you go there on a weekend come say hi, I’ll most likely be there with a coffee in one hand and my camera on the other.

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How to get there:
106-0032
Tokyo Minato-ku 6-11-1 Roppongi
Gate Tower

Accessible train lines: Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and Toei Oedo Line

Be sure to check out the @drivelife Instagram for more updates from Roppongi and follow my Instagram account @kenmsaito. Also, a shoutout to my fellow spotters Chris (@motorzeus) and Ayesh (@ayeshonline) who also have some great finds on this corner. Be sure to check out their pages and give them a follow.

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Ken Saito
Words cannot begin to describe how much I love cars but it's worth a try. Grew up obsessed with them and want to pursue a career writing about them. Anything from small city cars to the most exotic of supercars will catch my attention.

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