Adjacent to Ikebukuro Station are two major department stores: the Seibu Department Store on the station’s east side and the Tobu Department Store on the station’s west side.

The ticket gates for the three Tokyo Metro lines are in the passage connecting the East and West Exits. The Marunouchi Line’s ticket gates are in the eastern approach of the Central Passage, while the Fukutoshin Line’s gates are in the west. You can access the Yurakucho Line via the ticket gates in the South Passage.

Three passages connect the East and West Exits of Ikebukuro Station, so you can go right or left from the ticket gate you left. Keep in mind, however, that the JR Metropolitan ticket gate leads to the West Exit only, and the Seibu Line’s southern ticket gate is a tad far from both the East and West Exits.

Ikebukuro Station has three main connecting passages, which link the north to the south. The passages that connect the North Passage to the Central Passage from the east side are called Cherry Road and Apple Road, while Azalea Road and Orange Road link the Central Passage to the South Passage from the east side.

Ikebukuro Station has two exits on its east side: the Seibu East Exit and the East Exit. The Seibu East Exit is on the east side of the Central Passage, and you have to go up some stairs to reach it. If you’re coming from the Seibu Line and the Tobu-Tojo Line, it is right in front of their respective central ticket gates.

JR’s East Exit, on the other hand, is on the east side of the North Passage, leading up a staircase as well. Access the East Exit from the northern ticket gate of the JR and Tobu-Tojo Lines – look for the sign that says “JR Ikebukuro East Exit.” Many people confuse these two exits, so keep this in mind!

Ikebukuro Station also has two south Exits. Follow the South Passage from the West Exit side and go up some stairs to reach the west side’s South Exit. It is close to the Seibu Line’s south ticket gates, and from the outside, it is marked as “Tobu Ikebukuro Station South Exit.”

The Seibu South Exit, on the other hand, is a bit south of the East Exit.

The stairs on the JR platforms descend to Ikebukuro Station’s basement level, where several ticket gates are located: the north ticket gate, the central 1 ticket gate, the central 2 ticket gate, and the south ticket gate. The only way upstairs is at the southern end of the platforms, and it leads to the only above-ground exit: the Metropolitan ticket gate, which leads toward the West Exit. Keep in mind that you can’t get to the East Exit from there.

In the center are the JR platforms and ticket gates. East of them (near the East Exit) are the Seibu platforms and ticket gates, along with the Seibu Department Store. To the west are the Tobu-Tojo platforms and ticket gates, and the Tobu Department Store.

The station facilities are generally located on the first basement level. To reach the ground level, go east or west and use the stairs leading up.

The ticket gates of the three main railway companies JR, Seibu, and Tobu are connected by three main passageways: North, Central, and South. Their respective platforms also have ticket gates leading in those directions. (Only Seibu does not have a ticket gate connecting to the North Passage.)

The ticket gates of the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line are on the east side of the Central Passage (to the east of JR Central Ticket 1 and 2), and near the center.

The ticket gates of the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line are on the west side of the Central Passage, via Echika Ikebukuro.

The ticket gates of the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line are on the east side of the South Passage (near the JR southern ticket gates) and on the west side (near the Metropolitan Plaza Underground Exit)

Ikebukuro Station is served by four railway companies in total. In addition to the JR lines, there are also the Seibu Ikebukuro Line of Seibu Railways, the Tobu-Tojo Line of Tobu Railways, and the Marunouchi Line, Fukutoshin Line, and Yurakucho Line of Tokyo Metro.

In particular, JR’s Yamanote Line and Tokyo Metro’s Marunouchi Line offer convenient access to many sightseeing spots. At the same time, the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the Tobu-Tojo Line will carry you to Saitama and Tokyo’s north.

To visit the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter, take the Seibu Toshima Line directly from Ikebukuro Station to Toshimaen Station (approx. 12 minutes).

The Ikebukuro Station East Exit area is busy, with large electronics stores, restaurants, izakayas, and all sorts of other leisure and entertainment facilities. The street right in front of the station also leads to Sunshine City. This massive complex houses not only numerous shops but also an aquarium, an observatory, a theater, a hotel, restaurants, and more.

The atmosphere of Ikebukuro Station’s West Exit is entirely different from its south and north sides. The south is quiet and calm, home to the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, a park, and Rikkyo University. The north, on the other hand, is called Ikebukuro Chinatown and features many Chinese shops and restaurants with a fun, lively atmosphere.

Note on West Exit Redevelopment: The West Exit area is undergoing a major long-term redevelopment project. While transit services continue as normal, expect periodic pedestrian detour adjustments around the main West Exit surface plaza.

The main exits around Ikebukuro Station’s East Exits are, from north to south: East Exit, Seibu East Exit, Seibu Exit.

Towards East Exit
1: Pass JR’s north ticket gates (1) or exit via the Tobu north ticket gates, and turn right.
2: Continue through the North Passage (2) towards the east.
3: Pass by the Ikefukuro Statue that looks like an owl (3), and ascend the stairs.
4: Continue to the East Exit on the ground level (4). A statue called the Mother and Child serves as a landmark!

Towards Seibu East Exit
1: Leave via the JR Central 1 ticket gates (1) and turn right. If you exit the central 2 ticket gates, head left instead. It’s the same for the Tobu lines – right if you use the Central 1 ticket gates, left for Central 2.
2: Pass the Marunouchi ticket gates in the Central Passage (3) and go up the stairs.
4: You will arrive at the Seibu East Exit, marked by the sign “Seibu Ikebukuro Station East Exit.”

Towards Seibu Exit
1: Head left if you exit via the JR South ticket gates (1).
2: Follow the South Passage towards the east. Pass the east ticket gates of the Yurakucho Line (2).
3: You will arrive at the Seibu Department Store. At its entrance along the South Passage, you can see the “Light Clock” (3).
4: If you go up the stairs without entering the department store, you’ll find yourself in front of the Seibu Exit (4).

Note: If you come from a Tobu line, exit via the south ticket gate, descend to the first basement level, and follow the South Passage towards east. Then go up the stairs again.

The exits on the west side of Ikebukuro Station, from north to south, are the North Exit, the West Exit, the South Exit, and the Metropolitan Exit.

Towards North Exit
1: If you arrive via JR lines, descend the stairs at the northern end of the platforms (1). If you arrive via Tobu lines, go towards the north ticket gate by descending the stairs on the north side of the platforms.
2: Turn left after passing the JR north ticket gates (2).
3: For Tobu lines, also turn left behind the north ticket gates. (3)
4: Go up the stairs on the right side at the end of the North Passage, and you will arrive at the North Exit (4).

Towards West Exit
1: If you arrive via JR or Tobu lines, descend the stairs (1) on the respective platforms to the first basement level.
2: Turn left after passing through the central 1 ticket gate (1, depicts JR), or turn right if you pass through the central 2 ticket gate.
3: Follow the Central Passage westwards (in the direction of the Tobu Department Store; 3). Ascend the stairs in the center of the passage (Exit 19).
4: You’ll arrive at the West Entrance, the main entrance on that side of Ikebukuro Station. It is marked by a sign saying “Tobu Ikebukuro Station West Entrance” (4).

Note: If you arrive via Seibu lines, exit via the ticket gate on the first basement level and turn left to follow the Central passage westwards. Then ascend the stairs to Exit 19.

Towards South Exit
1: As for the JR lines, head down the stairs at the southern end of the platform, pass through the south ticket gate (1), and turn right.
2: Follow the South Passage westward. After passing the Yurakucho line’s ticket gates, you will arrive at the basement floor of the Metropolitan Plaza (1).
3: If you arrive on the Tobu line, pass the south ticket gate (3) at the southern end of the platforms and head right towards the South Exit (4).

Note: For the Seibu lines, exit via the B1 ticket gate, and follow the South Passage westward.

Towards Metropolitan Exit
1: Go up the stairs at the southern end of the JR platforms (1) and head right.
2: Continue on the right and pass through the Metropolitan Exit ticket gates (2).
3: You will find yourself in front of Lumine Ikebukuro (3). Follow the passage that goes to the right.
4: If you descend via the escalator, you’ll reach the first floor of the Metropolitan Plaza.

Note: The Metropolitan Exit and the South Exit lead to the same location.

Kawagoe is a city in southwestern Saitama Prefecture. It is known for its beautiful historic streets, warehouses, and shrines – for this reason, it boasts the nickname of “Little Edo.” This beautiful sightseeing spot can best be visited via the Tobu-Tojo Line from Ikebukuro Station – the express train will get you to Kawagoe in 30 minutes for a mere 490 yen.

Chichibu is a scenic town in western Saitama, famous for its stunning nature and seasonal beauty, such as the vibrant moss phlox (shibazakura) in spring. From Ikebukuro Station, take a local or express train to Hanno Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, then transfer to the Seibu Chichibu Line; the total trip takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes (900 yen). For a faster, more comfortable journey, take the limited express train “Laview” (Chichibu), which goes straight from Ikebukuro to Seibu Chichibu Station with no transfers in as little as 1 hour and 17 minutes. A seat reservation is required, bringing the total fare to 1,890 yen (1,881 yen when using an IC card).

Also located in Saitama, Iruma is famous for two main attractions: Mitsui Outlet Park Iruma, a large factory outlet with around 210 shops, and Johnson Town, a charming neighborhood reminiscent of 1950s America. Taking a Seibu Ikebukuro Line express train takes about 40 to 45 minutes to reach Iruma-shi Station for 480 yen (471 yen with an IC card). (Mitsui Outlet Park Iruma is a 15-minute bus ride via Seibu Bus from Iruma-shi Station.)

Alternatively, you can ride the limited express “Laview” train, which reaches Iruma-shi Station in as little as 31 minutes. This requires a limited express ticket, bringing the total fare to 980 yen (971 yen with an IC card). To catch the Laview, head to the dedicated express platform located at the far end of Platform 1. Entering through the 1st-floor main ticket gates near Ikebukuro Station’s Seibu East Exit provides the most direct access.