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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.