More photos of Ikebukuro

One of the 3 large centers of West Tokyo, Ikebukuro attracts predominantly people from northern Tokyo and Saitama. It boasts two of the largest department stores in Japan : Seibu and Tōbu. Combined with the Marui and the Parco department stores for clothes, and a huge branch of Bic Camera for electronics, Ikebukuro certainly has everything to please the most avid shoppers.

There are few actual sights in Ikebukuro. The streets tend to be dirty (by Japanese standards, but probably cleaner than in many other big cities around the world), and the over-abundance of noisy Pachinko parlours and dubious adult entertainment might deter some people. Ikebukuro does not have the charm of Ginza or the skyline of Shinjuku, but it does have one of Tokyo's best observation point, the Sunshine 60 skyscraper (240m) commanding impressive views of the city from its 60th floor. Its enormous aquarium is another reason to go there.

Surrounding areas