HOME Tokyo and Surroundings Tokyo Ikebukuro 16 Fun Things to do in Ikebukuro: Recommendations for First-Time Visitors
16 Fun Things to do in Ikebukuro: Recommendations for First-Time Visitors

16 Fun Things to do in Ikebukuro: Recommendations for First-Time Visitors

Last updated: 19 October 2022

Ikebukuro, easily accessible by the Yamanote loop line, is considered one of the greatest entertainment districts in Tokyo. It is lined with shopping malls, music venues, game centers, and a plethora of places for anime-lovers to enjoy.

Ikebukuro is great for people of all ages, as well as families, because of its entertainment that stretches from aquarium to planetarium, museums to shrines, and endless dining options as well.

Not only is it easily accessible from central Tokyo, but it is also conveniently accessed from neighboring prefectures such as Saitama, making for a great day trip no matter where you are. From morning to night, there’s never a dull moment in Ikebukuro with its options at hand for anyone who comes through.

Main image: PIXTA

Table of Contents
  1. 1. Sunshine City
  2. 2. Shopping on Sunshine 60 Street
  3. 3. Sunshine Aquarium and SKY CIRCUS Sunshine 60 Observation Deck
  4. 4. Namco Namja Town
  5. 5. Visit the Otaku Shops and Otome Road
  6. 6. Get the buzz on electronic products
  7. 7. Check out a Maid or Butler Café
  8. 8. Hatoyama Hall
  9. 9. Slurp up some ramen
  10. 10. Reeast Room
  11. 11. Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo
  12. 12. Kotsumate Animal Room
  13. 13. Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
  14. 14. Explore shrines and temples
  15. 15. Listen to Japanese bands at a local 'Live House'
  16. 16. Drink your way around town

1. Sunshine City

Photo: PIXTA
Photo: PIXTA

Sunshine City is one of the greatest symbols of Ikebukuro. The four-building complex boasts shops and restaurants, as well as a plethora of entertainment. Sunshine 60, the main and tallest building, has an observatory 240 meters above ground that is more than just your typical high rise with impeccable views. There are often promotional events and campaigns that occur here as well.

2. Shopping on Sunshine 60 Street

Photo: PIXTA
Photo: PIXTA

Sunshine 60 Street stretches for 200-meters near the East exit of JR Ikebukuro station, lined with a variety of shops for a shopping heaven experience on a lively street. It includes a cinema, arcades, cafes, restaurants, and retail stores from books to clothes, electronics to home goods, character goods to beauty supplies. There’s something for everyone, and if groups want to go at different paces, it’s easy to link back up after everyone gets a taste for their own shopping spree.

3. Sunshine Aquarium and SKY CIRCUS Sunshine 60 Observation Deck

3. Sunshine Aquarium and SKY CIRCUS Sunshine 60 Observation Deck

The Sunshine Aquarium is one of the main attractions; they are known for their cute penguins! What’s unique about this aquarium is that it is located on a rooftop, 40 meters above ground, and its theme is an “Oasis in the Sky”. The aquarium is known for its breeding efforts for ocean sunfish, bowmouth guitarfish, and various other large sea creatures.

It stays true to its “Oasis in the Sky” theme with seasonal events such as “Dance with zebra sharks” and “flying penguins”. Sky Circus is located inside Sunshine 60, which is different from the area where the aquarium is located. This area includes thrilling 4D and VR experience rides at the indoor amusement park, the Ancient Orient Museum, a planetarium, and a theater.

4. Namco Namja Town

4. Namco Namja Town

Namja Town is an indoor theme park. This theme park, also inside Sunshine City, is produced by Namco, a well-known Japanese video game company. The park has carnival-style games, a haunted house, and exclusive characters who live here. If you’re a video game lover, there are promotional events that happen year-round so it’s worth checking out. Namja Town is also famous for gyoza; with over ten different styles of gyoza to try and even more flavors of ice cream at the Fukubukuro Dessert Yokocho, it’s a perfect place to combine video game fun and food.

  • Namja Town
    • Address The second floor of the sunshine city world import Mart Building, 3, Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-0013
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Higashi-Ikebukuro Station (Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line)
      3 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 03-5950-0765

5. Visit the Otaku Shops and Otome Road

5. Visit the Otaku Shops and Otome Road

If there’s one industry that Ikebukuro is a pro at, it’s Otaku culture. Otaku culture consists of anime, manga, and of course, video games. In this town, you can find rare goods for all the niche anime and manga. Some famous shops to visit include Animate, Mandarake, and K-Books. Otome Road is for a more niche crowd that mainly consists of female anime lovers. There is an annual Halloween cosplay walk that happens on this road as well, which is worth dressing up for or stopping by!

  • Otome Road
    • Address 3, Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-0013
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Ikebukuro Station (JR Shonan Shinjuku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Saikyo Line / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line / Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line / Seibu Ikebukuro Line / Tobu Tojo Line)
      8 minutes on foot

6. Get the buzz on electronic products

Shopping district on Ikebukuro Station's west side. Photo: PIXTA.
Shopping district on Ikebukuro Station's west side. Photo: PIXTA.

Ikebukuro is known for huge electronic stores - similar to Akihabara. Shops such as BicCamera are great places to see and test out all kinds of electronics, from beauty to kitchenware. Duty-free shopping is also available at these shops.

  • LABI1 - Ikebukuro Main Shop
    • Address 1-5-7, Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 170-0013
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Ikebukuro Station (JR Shonan Shinjuku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Saikyo Line / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line / Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line / Seibu Ikebukuro Line / Tobu Tojo Line)
      3 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 03-5958-7770

7. Check out a Maid or Butler Café

Maid cafe image. Photo: PIXTA.
Maid cafe image. Photo: PIXTA.

Speaking of anime and manga, you might have heard of maid cafés in Japan. Ikebukuro has a number of maid cafés, and even a butler café that caters to (but not limited to) a more female-oriented crowd. Dress up and head to the Swallowtail Butler Café for a fancy serviced meal under glistening chandeliers. Or, if you want a differently quirky experience, head to a cafe like Maidreamin, where you can eat kawaii (cute) food and chat with girls dressed as maids.

8. Hatoyama Hall

If all the gaming and character talk has got you exhausted, there are other types of entertainment available in Ikebukuro, too. Visit Hatoyama Hall, which is also known as Otowa Palace, a Western-style residence commissioned by Ichiro Hatoyama in 1924. The architect, Okada Shinichi, also famously produced the Kabuki-za. However, the Hatoyama Hall is more influenced by European architecture. Some of the most beautiful aspects of this building are the stained-glass windows with a Japanese twist, and the rose garden with around 80 varieties.

9. Slurp up some ramen

Ikebukuro has an abundance of food options, but especially a lot of Japan’s beloved ramen. Because the area is full of universities and vocational schools, ramen became a quick and cheap meal to satisfy the students’ needs. In Japan, “quick and cheap” isn't a synonym for “bad”. In fact, there are many unique and absolutely delicious ramen shops here - picking just one to try would be the tough part!

10. Reeast Room

Photo: KLOOK
Photo: KLOOK

Not enough stress relief? Kick it up a notch by visiting Reeast Room; this entertainment space includes axe throwing, paint throwing rooms, and break rooms where you smash goods such as tvs and lamps. It’s a fun place to visit with a group of friends, or even solo!

11. Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo

While there are a few Pokémon Centers around Tokyo, the Ikebukuro branch is unique because it also consists of a café and the Pokémon GO Lab where you can battle with trainers. The café offers Pikachu-themed sweets as well as savory dishes such as ramen and curry that are all Pokémon-themed. Find rare goods, grab grub, and enjoy playing Pokémon with new or old friends.

12. Kotsumate Animal Room

Photo: KLOOK
Photo: KLOOK

Located in Higashi Ikebukuro, the Kotsumate Animal Room is an educational space to learn about a variety of animals up close and personal. Interact with animals such as otters and hedgehogs, to learn about the species and how to take care of animals.

13. Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre

Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2020; it is a center for the arts and culture, and also known for possessing a pipe organ of the world’s largest class. Within the theater, there are four halls where various plays, music, dance, and art performances occur throughout the year. Not only that, there are halls used for exhibitions, conferences, and workshops as well. It’s worth noting what events are going on when you visit.

  • Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
    • Address 1-8-1, Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-0021
      View Map
    • Nearest Station Ikebukuro Station (JR Shonan Shinjuku Line / JR Yamanote Line / JR Saikyo Line / Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line / Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line / Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line / Seibu Ikebukuro Line / Tobu Tojo Line)
      2 minutes on foot
    • Phone Number 03-5391-2111

14. Explore shrines and temples

There are hidden gems in the form of shrines and temples all over Japan and Ikebukuro is no stranger to this. Shrines and temples often have a topic area they specialize in.

For example, Zoshigaya Kishimojindo in Ikebukuro is known as the home to the goddess of healthy childbirth. Ikebukuro Mitake Shrine is a must-visit as you can spot adorable owl statues here (something you’ll soon see all over the town). You can also buy a small owl charm for good luck here. If you’re more of a fox lover, Sanja Shrine is an inari deity shrine, which is protected by foxes and a red torii gate.

15. Listen to Japanese bands at a local 'Live House'

Live house image. Photo: PIXTA
Live house image. Photo: PIXTA

Ikebukuro’s music scene mostly consists of visually driven musical performances and Japanese Rock, which are exciting to experience since they’re rare to find overseas. At small bars and venues, walk-ins are usually welcome.

16. Drink your way around town

With any neighborhood in Tokyo, the possibilities for drinks in bars are endless. Choose from themed bars, such as Rock Bar Oasis; or you can choose by the type of drinks like beer or sake. You can have some places in mind (see the link below), or you can just wander around to find something you fancy.

Written by:
Nina Cataldo
Nina Cataldo

Nina is a globe trotter and storyteller, constantly seeking adventures in her motherland of Japan. She's a collector of travel brochures, a lover of cats, and a half-daring foodie. She also likes to escape Tokyo city life from time to time to discover new trails in rural Japan, where she enjoys connecting with locals and wanderers alike. By profession, Nina is the co-author and editor of DUO Elements, a conversational English book series.

*This information is from the time of this article's publication.
*Prices and options mentioned are subject to change.
*Unless stated otherwise, all prices include tax.

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