Ikebukuro

A mix of ideas and tastes. The west side provides literary appeal, while the east side draws in the younger, more fashionable crowd.

Ikebukuro Station, in Toshima-ku, has a terminal for several rail lines: the JR Yamanote, Saikyo, and Takasaki lines; the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi and Yurakucho lines; the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line; and the Tobu-Tojo Line. It is a prominent downtown area rivaling Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Asakusa. It has often been selected as the scene for TV dramas and novels, and as a result young people who are keen on trends cast eager eyes on Ikebukuro. It is divided by JR Ikebukuro Station into the west side and east side areas.

On the eastern side department stores and large fashion industry buildings stand side by side. One example is the Sunshine City area around the super-high-rise building Sunshine 60 to the east of the shopping street that leads to the station. Also, within in the Sunshine City area are an aquarium, a planetarium, a hotel, a shopping mall and a convention center with exhibition facilities.

On the west side are the Tokyo Art Theater and some universities nestled among department stores and shopping streets. Many university students can be seen walking around the town, giving it a literary flavor that is clearly distinct from the hustle and bustle of the eastern side.

From Osaka:
Air 1h from Itami or 1h 10 min from Kansai International Airport to Haneda Airport.
[Rail] 2h 30 min from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo Station by JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line (Nozomi), and 23 min from Tokyo to Ikebukuro Station by JR Yamanote Line.

From Narita: 1h from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station by JR Narita Express Line.